Sea turtle eggs are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Thus, their trade is prohibited.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Supervision (PSDKP) of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries recently foiled an attempt to smuggle 1,950 sea turtle eggs in West Kalimantan.

“I received a report from the head of the Pontianak PSDKP Station that the smuggling of 1,950 sea turtle eggs has been thwarted," PSDKP director general Pung Nugroho Saksono said at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Indonesia has prohibited trade in sea turtle eggs since it can disrupt their germplasm, and consequently, put their reproduction at risk.

“The sea turtles balance the habitat in the sea. They can live for decades,” Saksono said.

As per the details of the case, the 1,950 sea turtle eggs were to be smuggled out in a ship from Tambelan Island, Riau Islands, to Sintete, Sambas, and then sent to Malaysia. The eggs were likely meant to be traded for consumption or for hatching.

The smuggling attempt was thwarted by a joint team from the Pontianak PSDKP Station and the Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Office for the Sintete working area at the Kapet Sintete Public Port, Sambas district, West Kalimantan.

The evidence was secured by the Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Office for the Sintete working area.

The joint action prevented losses to the tune of Rp29.25 million (approximately US$1.788).

Sea turtle eggs are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Thus, their trade is prohibited.

Currently, the PSDKP is investigating and tracing the owners, carriers, and recipients involved in the smuggling racket.

The directorate general said it is committed to preserving and protecting sea turtles from extinction and preventing negative impacts on the habitat due to egg smuggling.

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Translator: Aji Cakti, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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