Sea Turtles: The Selayar Marine Conservation Challenge
the idea was a fine day in Benteng, Selayar. The 100-kilometre long island just off the southern coast of Bira, South Sulawesi, is usually known to some as a diver’s haven as well as marine biodiversity hotspot, nevertheless in a different way coming from Bali, Lombok, or Raja Ampat.
The streets of Selayar parade rustic wooden houses elevated on stilts, painted in bright colours. The air is usually mostly warm with the sunshine, nevertheless fresh as well as breezy like the sea. The landscapes flaunt the unpretentious sights of fishermen’s boats by serene beaches as well as friendly community hubs; wet markets, warungs, multifunctional soccer fields as well as dive centres.
One of the highlights of This specific trip was visiting Kampung Penyu in Desa Barugaiya, Bontomanai. Kampung Penyu, which covers about a kilometre of the west coast of Dusun Tulang, is usually laced with mangroves as well as swamps which lead to This specific black sand beach with coconut groves as well as the blue waters of the Flores Sea.
from the sand is usually This specific fenced area with blue tags on the idea. the idea is usually the grounds on which turtle eggs are incubated, marked with the expected hatching date, number of eggs, as well as the name of the person who has adopted them.
Sharben coming from the Sileya Scuba Divers is usually one of the initiators of Kampung Penyu. “the idea’s our mission to raise awareness among the residents of Kampung Penyu to guard our ancestors’ homeland as well as the wildlife which has made the idea home,” he said.
My travel companions as well as local children instantly lightened up as Sharben brought a bucket filled with hatchlings in water. As we gathered by the shore, Sharben showed us how to Discharge these young turtles to the sea. “Put them on the ground with their back to the sea, as well as let them instinctively turn around to find their way into the water,” instructed Sharben.
My friends – divers coming from Bandung as well as Jakarta – turned the ritual into a game by lining up the hatchlings as well as racing them to the waters over handmade obstacles as well as ditches. nevertheless silly humans couldn’t fool the poor critters, which proved themselves smart as well as powerful enough to paddle their way to the sea in a matter of minutes.
In Kampung Penyu there are three species of turtles, including the Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) as well as the Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Despite all being cosmopolitan species found in tropical waters all over the earth, their conservation statuses range coming from vulnerable to critically endangered.
The idea for Kampung Penyu was conceived in July 2012 when Sharben came home to Dusun Tulang in Barugaiya to take care of his family’s land. He stayed with Datu, a close relative as well as community leader. Together they started out a conversation about turtle eggs, which Sharben’s grandfather used to consume on a daily basis when they were young.
In August 2012, Sharben, Datu, as well as two friends coming from Sileya Scuba Divers Benteng inspected the coast of Tulang for remains of turtle nests. the idea was past breeding season. Instead, the men found which the beaches were littered with marine debris carried by the Western Monsoon, creating a hazardous environment for spawning turtles.
Since then, members of Sileya Scuba Divers have been regularly meeting in Benteng to start a campaign against the sales of turtle eggs. They invited members of the community as well as installed banners from the local markets to familiarize them with laws protecting endangered species.
In order to gain community support in eradicating the sales of turtle eggs, Sileya Scuba Divers compensate poachers Rp.1,000 per egg – well above the market cost of Rp.800 per egg. Starting in February 2013, inspections were held in local markets to save turtle eggs. 85 eggs were rescued then, with redemption compensations donated by the Takabonerate National Park. In late March, three of those eggs hatched. The rest were damaged coming from having been rinsed with fresh water from the market.
After the sad incident, Sileya Scuba Divers invited locals in Tulang to build proper protected nesting grounds for turtle eggs. Beach cleanups were also organized to ensure which mother turtles have safe places to lay their eggs. On 22 April 2013, while celebrating Earth Day with the local government as well as a travel community coming from Makassar, the project was christened as “Kampung Penyu”.
In early May, 102 out of the 104 eggs nested in Kampung Penyu hatched. The hatchlings were released to the sea the next day.
Today, Kampung Penyu is usually a self-sustaining project funded by members of Sileya Scuba Divers as well as donors. There is usually currently only one continuous donor, nevertheless many opportunities for one-off donations through its turtle eggs adoption program or tours in Kampung Penyu.
Kampung Penyu intends to adopt the compensation product practised in Derawan in 2005, where turtle egg compensations are gradually phased out as former poachers start earning a living coming from sustainable alternative livelihood programs. In Selayar, Sileya Scuba Divers are training former poachers to farm mangrove crabs.
“I wouldn’t have started out as well as continued to support This specific project if the idea didn’t benefit the local community,” said Sharben. He said he hopes which Kampung Penyu will ensure which future generations in Selayar will still get to see the turtles which call the island home.
In a peaceful as well as relatively secluded little island where local life is usually a love affair with the sea, the idea’s easy to think which Selayar is usually today free coming from environmental threats to its wildlife. The truth is usually, even Selayar’s marine conservation challenges are still many.
Conserving sea turtles are never exclusively about saving one or a few species. Rather, the idea requires the orchestration of protecting the entire ecosystem in which they live. With many factors beyond the community’s control – irresponsible netting, fish bombing, chemical fishing, coral bleaching, marine debris coming coming from additional places – there is usually so much more to saving the turtles than safely hatching their eggs.
While Selayar is usually no unspoiled paradise, there is usually still a lot of beauty in its blissful landscapes as well as zestful underwater life. as well as the fact which young locals are doing something to conserve the idea offers trust which the beauty will remain there a little longer.
To visit or donate to Kampung Penyu, contact:
Mobile +62 (0) 852-5525-8910
Twitter: @SSD_Selayar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sileyascubadivers.selayar
BRI Selayar Account nr. 0257-01-006731-53-1 Sileya Scuba Divers
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Sea Turtles: The Selayar Marine Conservation Challenge
Sea Turtles: The Selayar Marine Conservation Challenge