00:16-00:58

Bali tourism images and markets                               VO- This is the face Bali’s anxious to show the world. An alluring blend of sun, sea, and shopping, that makes it one of Asia’s prime holiday destinations. But behind Bali’s now crowded shores, a secret battle is being waged, vastly at odds with the island’s friendly image. A shocking assault on one of nature’s icons. At first glance there’s nothing exceptional about this scene, the sizzling satay a Bali luncheon staple. Yet the choice here isn’t the usual chicken or beef, but one of the world’s most endangered species: Green sea turtle.

 

01:00- 01:09                                                                       VO Man- Is it tasty? Tasty? More than chicken and beef? Local- Yeah, I think…I like…but I don’t know…

 

01:18-02:24

Turtle swimming in sea                                                  VO- These graceful reptiles predate the dinosaurs, but today they face the same fate: extinction. From several million a few decades ago, current estimates put the number of nesting females at just a few hundred thousand worldwide, and they’re disappearing fast. It takes an adult 20 years to reach maturity and its life can span two centuries. But hunted for their meat and shells; their eggs eaten; their habitats destroyed; green sea turtles could vanish entirely in the next hundred years. And in Bali they’re slaughtered in their thousands. The reason, they’ll tell you, is religious. To Bali’s devout Hindus, the turtle represents Vishnu, God of stability, foundation of the world, seen for generations as a potent offering for ritual sacrifice.

 

 

                                                                                                Man (translated)- We use turtle when we have a wedding ceremony or tooth filing ceremony. People here are not used to cooking pork, so usually we use turtle.

 

02:48-04:03

Turtle slaughter                                                                VO- Some turtles are killed for ritual, yet as we’ll see, religion is also being used as a smokescreen to excuse what is to many, the inexcusable. A local craving for turtle meat as everyday fare. What is most disturbing is the way turtles are slaughtered. And a warning, what you’re about to witness is, to Western eyes, especially cruel and distressing. Each animal is still alive when its soft under shell is sliced away from its organs. Dismembered alive, there’s a special poignancy about the death throes of the turtle, who’ll, with its last breath, glands release tears of salt. And how ironic that the shell that protects this creature from natural predators, deals it such a cruel death at the hands of man.

 

                                                                                                Man (translated): Usually we cut here first and open it. To kill it we need to open it and stab the heart because all the important organs are inside here.

 

04:29-04:50                                                                         VO- They say stabbing the main artery at the heart is the kindest cut, the quickest death, but there are other reasons for doing so. Some argue that killing the turtle before dismembering it poisons the meat. Others admit it’s just easier to hack out half-alive flesh, and scoop up the freshest blood for their offerings.

                                                                                               

                                                                                                Old man (translated)- We usually kill the turtles for special ceremonies, apart from that we don’t kill them. In the mass media they say we slaughter turtles in Bali but that’s not true. In Bali, if not for traditional ceremonies, we would not be using turtle meat.

 

05:14-05:33                                                                         VO- In a religious context, once the meat is stripped from the shell, it’s diced and spiced into ceremonial satays, food for the Gods. But it’s a taste shared by man and, denoting wealth and prestige, turtle has become a dish of choice in Bali for almost any celebration.

 

05:35-05:57                                                                         Conservationist- It’s more of a delicacy…

VO- Like a local favourite?

Conservationist- Like a local favourite of the Balinese. If they have a feast, maybe like a wedding ceremony or something, they will provide their guests with satay turtle…It has been going on for more than a century in Bali.

 

05:59-06:20                                                                         VO- But it is, say the critics, a practice that should stop. And if the Balinese won’t do it voluntarily, then they ought to pay a price. Western environmental groups are now threating a global ‘Boycott Bali’ campaign, to persuade foreign tourists to take their business elsewhere if the turtle slaughter doesn’t cease.

 

06:22-06:40                                                                         Man- Maybe boycott, because at this time, a lot of NGOs (non-government organisations) tried to pursue it also. Add NGOs in other countries to boycott…. I do have a lot of letters from that NGO…

VO man- So a travel boycott.

Man- A travel boycott.

 

06:43-07:12                                                                        

Boat yard                                                                             VO- But the potential loss of the tourist dollar has no sway over those like Maray Lapa who make their living from the turtle trade.

                                                                                               

                                                                                                Made Lapa: We don’t depend on the tourism industry so if any country wants to boycott tourism to Bali, OK please go ahead. The one thing we want is justice.

 

VO- And justice for the traders is to do what they’ve always done, even if it means violent confrontation.

 

Lapa: We will do whatever we can. The point is if we can’t use civil methods then we will do whatever – we don’t care about any resulting problems because no-one cares about us.

 

07:40-08:18

Hindu temple                                                                    VO- And so under the watchful gaze of its ancestral spirits, Bali has become the picturesque setting for a clash of values. Western inspired concepts of environmental protection on one hand; a trade based on traditional hunting on the other. As an outsider, I’m wondering how a religion that preaches vegetarian non-violence can allow the turtle slaughter. And so, I turn to an expert for the answer. Brahman high priest, Gede Ngurah Kaleran, says Bali’s version of Hindu ritual does in fact allow for turtle sacrifice, but only for the rarest of rituals.

 

08:20-08:29                                                                         Kaleran- Not more than 300, or maximum 500 per year, is enough for the whole of Bali. Turtles.

VO man- Turtles. For sacrificing in the ceremony.

 

08:30-09:08

Turtles in captivity                                                           VO- Now aware of the declining numbers, Gede’s trying to convince his fellow Hindus to replace turtles with duck, or even cake. But it’s already too late. What started generations ago as a comparatively rare ceremonial delicacy, has broadened to everyday eating. With flippers trussed awaiting slaughter, this amateur footage captures the true scale of Bali’s turtle trade which, with each turtle worth up to 200 dollars, could now be a multimillion dollar business

 

09:09-09:23                                                                         Conservationist- …I do believe in the last data it was 9,000 in 4 months. But it’s fluctuating. We will have more than 20 thousand turtles every year coming to Bali.

 

09:31-11:02                                                                         VO- Disputing the environmentalists’ figures but admitting a large-scale hunt, the villagers of Tanjung Benoa, are Bali’s main turtle traders. Proud guardians of their culture, they insist turtle sacrifice is an essential part of Bali’s deep local traditions known as ubud. Among them, Ketut Sukarda has become the town’s unofficial spokesperson.

 

                                                                                                Ketut Sukarda: Turtles are the symbol of purity within animals according to Hindu belief. The turtle reflects the bedang nula – symbolising the boundary between earth and… ah… between earth and other realms.

 

VO- Unashamed of the trade that supplies half this town’s income, Sakarta agrees to show me the more earthly side of Bali’s unholy obsession.

 

Sukarda: Here’s one that is going to be butchered. Someone’s already booked it.

 

VO- Unhidden from passing pleasure seekers, this is Bali’s killing zone.

 

Sukarda:  The bamboo pens extend all the way down to the other end. There are still many more – this one has a caging capacity of 300 to 400 turtles.

 

VO- In here?

Sakarta- In here.

 

11:06-12:56

Turtle captivity, slaughter, and cooking                  VO- Monsoon season means there aren’t many turtles here now and Sakarta, a statistician by trade, insists there’s still no study proving Bali’s taste for turtle is driving it to extinction.

 

                                                                                                Sukarda: The people of Tanjung Benoa do not agree that cruel trades live here. We are only a minority here, only a small segment of the population of south Bali from Tanjung Benoa are involved. So for example these people catch one hundred turtles. I don’t believe that can be considered a major cause for the decline of the turtle population.

 

VO- But that’s a doubtful claim when you see this. There’s yet to be a definitive study in Indonesian waters, but it is already known that in several parts of the archipelago, hunting and egg eating have cut turtle numbers by up to 90% in the past four decades. Some turtles are undoubtedly used for ritual. That’s a business in itself. But many are also processed in Bali’s backroom factories for everyday food. And some, like Sakarta, ascribe turtle the powers of a natural Viagra. But it’s hard to raise a laugh amid the grisly evidence of turtle slaughter.

 

12:58-14:02                                                                         VO man- Could some people look at that and they see them cut piece by piece. It looks very cruel.

Sakarta- Maybe we need to quickly cut.

VO- Already horrified by the cruelty, activists like Windia Adnyana, accuse Bali’s turtle traders of using religion as an excuse for simply making money.

Adnyana- Is this really because of ritual, or something to do with business? And I know it’s clear, this is business, entirely business.

VO- And you don’t have to go far to discover what he means. Turtle is good business in Bali for one good reason: its good taste. And for generations now, Balinese have been tucking into turtle whenever they can.

 

14:05-14:28

Cooking turtle meat                                                        VO man- Is it popular in Balinese? Many people like it?

Local- Yeah, many people.

VO- It may not look like much, but this satay seller alone sells 10 kilogrammes of turtle meat a day, and there are scores like her. Turtle is now pervasive culinary fare and just about every Balinese, even those fighting the trade, have eaten it.

 

14:29-14:48                                                                         Conservationist- I haven’t tasted that for years, I’ve forgotten the taste but I think it’s tasty. And a habit is not easy to overcome, you know like smoking. It’s just the same.

VO man- Just the same? And that’s the campaign you’re fighting!

Conservationist- Yes, it’s a campaign of changing behaviour and that’s not easy.

 

14:54-16:20

Turtle swimming in sea                                                  VO- The World Wildlife Fund has had some success. Last June it convinced Bali’s governor to scrap a quota which allowed the island five thousand turtles a year for ritual sacrifice. It was a quota green groups say was never enforced and used to cover the true scale of the trade: between twenty and thirty thousand turtles every year. Now the trade is officially illegal and this man Widji Zakaria, Bali’s biggest turtle trader is the first to be charged and brought to court under the new laws.

                                                                                               

                                                                                                Widja Zakaria: I can’t comment – my deepest apologies.

 

VO man- And I believe the people in Tanjung Benoa are quite angry at the moment are they? How are they reacting to the coverage?

 

Widja: No, that’s not true. Don’t blow this issue out of proportion. That’s not true.

 

VO- Widji’s arrest is a landmark victory for the Green campaign. But in Indonesia’s notoriously corrupt courts, punishment is uncertain. And today, his case is again mysteriously adjourned. Widji, or ‘Wewe’ as he’s known, insists the trade is solely for traditional purposes.

 

16:22-16:43                                                                         Wewe- You’re from Australia? Okay, I know the Australians, the Aborigines, ate penyu (turtle).

VO man- True.  But that’s traditional.

Wewe- But not in Bali to eat. Only for…(demonstrates ritual)

VO man- Only? But a very big number.

Widja: We use it for traditional purposes before we sacrifice it. We make offerings first – we are not turtle slayers.

 

16:55-18:08                                                                         VO man- Defending their cultural right to take turtle, the men of Tanjung Benoa are resisting the new law. They’ve held rallies at the WW office where they threatened to burn the building and even rape staff, then attack the police station. They angrily denied using tradition, the sacred adat as cover.

 

                                                                                                Man: People are accusing you of hiding behind adat.

`                                                                                              Widja: That’s just not true. If you’re a trader and no-one buys your product then why would we look for it? It’s as simple as that.

                                                                                                Man: But people say it’s worth millions.

                                                                                                Widja: So are people talking about millions of rupiah – or is it millions of dollars? If it is then all the people of Tanjung Benoa would be rich.

 

And Wewe’s not just fighting in court. He’s cleverly rallied 22 traditional councils to support continued turtle hunting as an integral part of Balinese tradition.

 

18:10-19:28

Turtle boats and hunters                                              Adnyana- Ritual, in this island, is very important and of great sensitivity, so we understand that, and now they realise that, for the ritual thing…so is very difficult.

VO man- It really could become a fight of traditional Balinese power against conservation and government.

VO- But the local turtle traders are asking the world to see things from their point of view. Wewe’s clearly more relaxed back on his home turf. He wants me to meet the men whose livelihoods depend on hunting turtle, and doesn’t try to hide the fact that his fleet can haul in big loads.

 

Widja: A boat like this can take fifty turtles… This one can take ninety.

 

VO- These men have come from across the archipelago to work on Wewe’s turtle boats. Unskilled and with few choices, they are at the bottom of the nation’s tough labour pyramid. And they’ll do just about anything to make money.

 

Widja: Before you used to be reef bombers and pirates, yeah? And how is it now? We’re not violating the law. We’re looking for turtles instead of stealing. We’re asking permission to go to work, then we can work.

 

19:49-20:12

Turtle boats and hunters                                              VO- Wuliyadi is the skipper whose 93 turtles landed him and Wewe in court under the new ban. They both now face hefty fines and possibly even jail. Their main complaint is that green groups are taking away their livelihoods, without providing them and the town of Tanjung Benoa with any commercial alternative.

 

                                                                                                Muliadi: If we’re forced to stop, what else can we do? Maybe bombing (reefs) is worse than hunting turtles.   

20:20-22:54

Turtle boats, ceremony                                                 VO man- But can you understand why people, particularly outside people, want to stop the trade in turtles? Because the numbers look like they’re going down and it looks very cruel.

 

                                                                                                Muliadi: I don’t understand why people care about the turtles and don’t think about the fate of the fishermen.

 

VO- An experienced skipper, Wuliyadi insists that in their far-flung feeding grounds, turtles are still plentiful.

 

Muliadi: As long as I’ve been looking for turtles I don’t think they’ve been disappearing. That’s why I say if people say the turtles are extinct, we fishermen are willing to take them to the turtle grounds.

 

VO- But with hunting and mass tourism driving turtles from Bali’s beaches, Wuliyadi and his men are forced further and further to sea, in their barely seaworthy boats, to catch their quarry. On the other side of town, blood sacrifice opens another Hindu ceremony. Wearing his other hat as a university lecturer, Sakarta joins his colleagues to bless the new campus shrine. It’s a solemn occasion and a reminder of Bali’s deeply rooted identity. But it’s also an occasion to witness Bali’s bad habit. These are all members of the university’s animal husbandry faculty, yet they see nothing wrong with tucking into turtle meat, and neither does the Dean.

 

Dean: A holy sacrifice has already been blessed because the animal was blessed by a holy person before it was sacrificed – then its soul will come back at a higher level so if it’s being used for a traditional ceremony it’s allowed.

 

Sakarta and his colleagues seem to relish their role in helping this turtle onto its higher plain. He says that if studies can prove the practices driving turtles to extinction, Tanjung Benoa may be prepared to review the hunt. But not yet.

 

22:57-24:40

Beach ceremony                                                              Sakarta- Yes, I promise to stop, 100% I promise to stop, but not quickly. Over a long time. Until my men have new jobs.

VO- Trying to lead the change by example, high priest Gede is keeping at least one turtle from the knife. It’s a ritual of hope, and for protection he scratches on a sacred symbol.

Kaleran- …being protected when he’s out there.

VO- This is the closest Bali’s tourists get right now to the debate raging behind their banana loungers. But their views will soon count if foreign green groups proceed with their boycott threat.

VO man- If you found out that they were endangered and the population is declining, and that there is also a large number killed…

Tourist- But then the government should make a rule to prevent the killing of them. Not only this government, but all around.

VO- Protected by Gede’s prayers, at least one turtle is spared the satay stick. But if Bali doesn’t change its eating habits, its buoyant tourist industry may not be so lucky.