JAKARTA: The meat of a slaughtered endangered giant leatherback turtle was allegedly sold in a market in Sosorgadong in the Central Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra.
Weighing over 200kg and more than 2m in length, the female turtle was about to lay eggs at Binasi beach when it was killed, allegedly by a local resident, on Monday.
According to The Jakarta Post, Binasi Beach Conservation Group chairman Budi Sikumbang said the turtle species was sought after by hunters in Central Tapanuli.
The group had recorded at least three cases of leatherback turtles being hunted for meat in recent years. Of the three cases, two of the turtles were saved, while one was slaughtered.
“This is the second time we have found a slaughtered leatherback turtle,” Budi said.
On Monday, upon receiving information about a turtle landing and that a hunt was on, the group and the Indonesian navy went to the beach.
“We went alongside members of the Indonesian navy to verify the information we received regarding the hunt.
“However, the turtle was already dead when we arrived,” he said.
Based on information the group gathered, they identified the culprit and that the meat was sold for 25,000 rupiah per kilogramme.
Secretary for the Western Beach Conservation Community, Prima Pohan, said that authorities need to be stern in upholding the law to protect the turtles.
“We hope the authorities will crack down on turtle hunting,” Prima said, adding that the local administration needed to take effective measures against the illegal activity.
North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency head Hotmauli Sianturi said the turtles were sometimes caught by fishermen and sold at markets.
He said there was no accurate data on leatherback turtles in North Sumatra, because the species constantly migrated from one region to another.
“They sometimes end up on foreign shores, so it’s difficult to keep a census of the population.”
Those charged with turtle hunting risk jail of up to five years or a 100 million rupiah fine if found guilty.