Turtle sate is a delicious snack, no doubt about it, the meat having a tuna-like quality and the spicy Balinese sauce. The turtle trade in Bali developed to be an underground industry centered in Tanjung (Cape) Benoa. Modern science has had an effect on the laws governing the capture of turtles and sale of their meat. Back in 1990 conservationists lobbied the governor of Bali to bans restaurants from selling turtle soup and meat. The local port of Tanjung Benoa had its trade restricted, though it continued. An annual quote was set at 5,000 turtles, as Balinese people complained that use of the meat was an integral part of their culture. The 5,000 turtles were supposed to be used only for Balinese ceremonies.
With an ongoing demand for turtle meat and limited government resources, the turtle trade continued and local environmental activists were not totally convinced about the government’s commitment to stopping the trade. Ketut Sarjana Putra who is with the WWF claims that around 27,000 turtles were killed a year during the quota system, with Tanjung Benoa attracting turtle fishermen from all over Indonesia. Tanjung Benoa processed 80% of Indonesia’s turtle meat.
In 1999 the turtle trade in Bali was banned after the local government agreed quotas were not working. This ban was the result of pressure from local environmental groups. The financial benefits from illegal turtle meat meant the trade went underground, with wealth slaughterhouse owners being able to make payoffs and employ groups of locals to physically get their point across to activists. Many of the largest turtle traders are from other parts of Indonesia and have heavily guarded turtle pens. A female member of ProFauna, an Indonesian environental group was attacked along with Forest Department personel during a check on the local turtle population, villagers angered their livelihood might be threatened.
The turtle trade also carries on under the umbrella of conservation. This is nothing new in Indonesia, with some National Parks being logged and hunted by the people who are supposed to be looking after them. Profits from a small turtle can feed a family for a month. A meter long turtle might go for over 1,000,000rp when cut into sate sticks, the shell fetching 500,000-600,000rp. The average wages in Kuta is around 800,000rp per month.
Balinese people often feel turtle meat is necesary to their culture and religious practice. People may feel uncomfortable with environmental groups and western intellectuals telling them to stop diong something that has been doe for hundreds of years. There may be a belief in some people that thre ocean will always provide turtle meat and the protectionism is more of an agenda than reality. However some high caste Balinese are calling for restrictions of turtle meat. Ida Pedanda Gede Ngurah Kaleran suggested the idea that turtle meat is integral to Balinese culture and stopping this would be an actack on the culture, has been used by suppliers of turtle meat to generate support among locals. According to him 300-500 turtles a years would be sufficient to cover the ceremonies, in tradtional style.
Ida Pedanda Gede Ngurah Kaleran who lives in Sanur believes the Balinese Agama Hindu religion and its over-indulgence of offerings, is not in line with the basic Hindu religion and that it more a part of Balinese custom.
The turtle meat issue, brings together questions about religion vs. culture, conservation vs. economy, tradition vs. modern ideas and more. All these questions are played out in other forms throughout Bali and Indonesia.
