D

espite protests from animal lovers, Governor Made Mangku Pastika admits the Bali administration has proposed to the Ministry of Forestry regarding a plan to utilize a quota of 1,000 turtles per year for various religious and ceremonial purposes.

"We proposed the quota for ceremonial uses. We never proposed the *slaughter' of turtles to cook lawar *a traditional Balinese dish of mixed meats - either pork, turtle, chicken and fish with vegetables and spices*," the governor pointed out.

The proposal is based on the number of customary villages in Bali, which is around 1,000. Each village holds a grand ceremony at least once a year.

"We have made an accurate calculation of each village's turtle needs," he said.

Pastika went further, saying a proposal was made to prevent people from committing illegal turtle poaching. Balinese Hindu people strongly believe turtles to be sacred animals and some large-scale ceremonies require the use of turtles.

However, in addition to ritual purposes turtle meat in the past was widely consumed, pushing Bali's turtle population to the brink of extinction.

Turtles are protected under the 1990 Conservation of Biodiversity and its Ecosystem Law.

Illegal turtle traders can face up to five years in jail and a Rp 100 million (US$10,000) fine.

Previously, an expert from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia strongly opposed the governor's plan to ask for a turtle quota.

Program coordinator of WWF Indonesia Creusa Hitipeuw stressed the proposal would open the turtle trade for the sake of ceremonies.

"This will affect Bali's tourist industry," he said.

Bali was for a long time seen as a notorious haven for the illegal trade of turtles.

Thousands of turtles were shipped and slaughtered for human consumptions.

"We can reach an agreement on the use of turtles in various religious activities," Hitipeuw said.

According to data from the Turtle Conservation and Education Center, Bali only needs 80 turtles a year for religious purposes, far less than the 1,000 turtles proposed by Pastika.

Data from Pro Fauna, an environmental NGO, revealed shocking statistics. Prior to 1999, the turtle trade in Bali reached 27,000 to 30,000 per year. After 1999, the number of turtles traded in Bali declined to 2,000 per year.