Bali police have rescued 21 endangered green sea turtles from a poacher on Tuesday. The turtles are being cared for at a local conservation center and will be returned to the wild once they fully recover.
Authorities raided the home of a 46-year-old man after receiving multiple reports from locals about suspected illegal trade in turtle meat for consumption. Bali police discovered a mix of small and large turtles in a maintenance pool at the property. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of five years and a fine of 100 million rupiah ($6,792).
This incident follows a rescue operation earlier this year, during which Indonesian authorities saved 43 turtles from poachers during a routine navy patrol across Bali waters.
The population of green sea turtles, one of the largest sea turtle species, has experienced a significant decline in recent years. This is due to factors such as hunting, loss of beach nesting sites, getting caught in fishing gear, and ingesting large amounts of plastic waste in the oceans.
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