Introducing the Bali Sea Turtle Society

Marine conservation is important to us, especially as we rely on healthy seas to produce our prawns. Find out how the Bali Sea Turtle Society strives to that!

Who are the Bali Sea Turtle Society (BSTS)?

Founded in 2011, the Bali Sea Turtle Society in a non-profit and non-government organisation that aims to protect the sea turtles and raise the awareness of their endangerment. The reason for their establishment lies within Bali’s infamous reputation for sea-turtle trading, which prompted the Society to take action. They are successfully combatting this issue by constantly involving both the local community and even the international community.  They do this by frequently visiting schools, organisations and running conservation campaigns within their centre. As more and more people are becoming aware of their efforts, the Society are also able to fund various projects such as rescue, nest protection, relocations and releases.

Despite the Society being away from Kalimantan, marine life is important to Indonesia. This is because it is a country that prides itself on its ocean biodiversity. So naturally, this passion is shared with our farmers, who actively try to protect the environment they work with, the ocean being crucial. From that perspective, it is clear to see why our farming community proudly support the efforts of the Bali Sea Turtle Society.

Image: Newly hatched turtle. Credits: BSTS

What difference does the BSTS make?

BSTS has the following 3 projects in order to promote awareness of sea turtles…

1. Nest Production

This sees the protection of the eggs until they hatch, and the baby sea turtles are released to the sea.

The Society starts off by recording the number of sea turtles coming to lay eggs, including the location, species, curve carapace length, clutch size and flipper tag number for each individual sea turtle. They also record the number of successful hatchings and the number of stranded sea turtles found on the beach to monitor and observe the specie population.

The Society then relocates the sea turtle eggs from the location on the beach where the turtles have laid their eggs to a protected hatchery, the centre on Kuta Beach. Here, they place the eggs in thermoregulated sands and prep them for their release to the sea. This is done due to the various threats that endanger the eggs in their original nesting locations such as erosion, high tide, traffic of tourists, feral dogs and irresponsible human action such as the trade.

In regard to trade, the Society also help the management authority to rescue and release confiscated turtles that were to be traded. Likewise, during the west monsoon season BSTS rescues sea turtles that have been stranded on the beach.

Lastly, once the eggs are hatched, the Society releases the baby turtles with the help of tourists at sunset. This is because the water is cool enough for the sea turtles to swim in.

Image: Mother Turtle observing her eggs. Credits: BSTS

2. Human Education Program

BSTS regularly encourages support from community groups, schools and various organisations in Bali and around Indonesia, to spread information regarding sea turtle protection. This is because Indonesia has the longest coastline in the world with a lot of natural resources and varieties of wildlife. So, this activity focuses more on the role in which coastal communities could play in conserving that all-important environment.

3. Campaigns

By being situated on the sands of Kuta beach overlooking the Indian ocean, BSTS works alongside the tourists. At the centre, the tourists can see the efforts they do as well as release a baby turtle at sunset. This event is not only listed as a must-do when in Bali, but also allows the Society to raise awareness with the international communities as well.

Why should we support them?

BSTS have taken it upon themselves to conserve the marine environment in Indonesia and protect the various species of sea turtles that are within Indonesia’s coastline. Without their presence, sea turtle trading could have depleted the specie population significantly! It is for this reason that they deserve our support. On a larger scale, it is fair to say that they work tirelessly towards the protection and conservation of an ecosystem that contributes towards our environment. This is why we, at The Happy Prawn Co., support them. We work alongside the environment and understand the need to ensure that steps are taken to conserve it, especially as the environment is an essential instrument in traditional farming.

Five fun facts about sea turtles!

1. There are 7 sea turtle species in the world and 6 of which can be found in Indonesian
2. Turtles will breed between 30 to 50 years of age and in every two to eight years, depend on the condition of the animal.
3. Adult turtles will migrate up to 3500km away from their feeding area in order to breed
4. Turtles will lay between 80 to 120 eggs the size of a ping pong ball.
5. Hatchlings have a natural instinct to go to the sea after they are hatched and are helped by the moon on the horizon.

Image: Young turtle being released to the sea. Credits: BSTS

The Happy Prawn Co. have proudly supported BSTS since 2014.

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About The Happy Prawn Co.

The Happy Prawn Co. is an independent, ethical brand producing 100% natural, 100% traceable Black Tiger prawns from Indonesia. Aimed at seafood lovers and foodies alike, the brand officially launched in 2018, but it’s the result of more than a decade’s dedication.