Bali's Killing Field for Green Sea Turtles

[Sydney]

In Australia there is a television program called Foreign Correspondent, it deals with foreign affairs, some large, some more obscure.

Last Wednesday night's episode covered the attrocious turtle killing in Bali. They actually showed footage of one turtle being ritualisticly cut apart alive.

They placed the turtle upside down on a tall cyilinder, "blessed it," then proceeded to insert a knife into the creature's side. The turtle's head suddenly jerker up, it's beak gasping in pain. The killer moved the knife down, cutting open all of the animals's side, then kept cutting all the way around until the chest plates could be removed to reveal the turtle's internal organs.

By this time, the turtle's head was shuddering, tears literally streaming from it's wide, frightened eyes.

The suffering was far from over. The killer then systematically removed the organs, leaving the heart completely intact until last. The turtles live for 10 minutes during the process, something that would be beyond our imaginations.

Watching the footage was one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen, it was terrible watching this poor gentle creature being cut apart while alive, it's face and beak jerking, the tears streaming.

If anyone was planning on a holiday to Bali, reconsider.

BALI - BALI'S KILLING FIELD
Reporter: Evan Williams

LEAD STORY
EPISODE 34
SERIES 10 - 09/05/01

Synopsis:

Bali means cheap holidays in the sun, nice food and a bit of local culture thrown in, right? How about ritual slaughter of an endangered species on a massive scale, the magnificent green sea turtle? Something the tourists most definitely don't get to see … although they can taste turtle at any street satay stall. The turtles, which can normally live for a couple of centuries, are dismembered while still alive, their protective undershells sliced off so their freshest blood can be offered to the Gods. Between twenty and thirty thousand turtles die like this every year … the majority of them not for religious purposes, but for the flavour of their meat. The World Wildlife Fund is proposing a travel boycott of Bali, until the government does something to enforce its official ban on turtle killing. Meanwhile, the turtle traders, who rely on the meat for their livelihood, are threatening to hit back by burning the WWF office building and raping its staff. One prominent trader who's already been arrested insists to Evan Williams that the turtles are sacrificed for religious purposes only, but local religious leaders tell a different story.

Be warned … this footage is extremely confronting.

[Melvin:squeeking paramite]

oh,sydney thats really sad and weird...ugh,I can imagine the poor turtle and its pain...ugh,it hurt to read about it let alone see it...the poor little turtle..their so cute...oh...eeeeeeeee!!!I mean,theres like no animal rights charges against them? This may sound weird but I think I'd rather see it happen to a human...sad,very disturbing...so,do thy show this show in America or not?what are some others like?Just as cruel or not?
I wonder if the ban will come through or if this'll continue...

[ May 11, 2001: Message edited by: Melvin:squeeking paramite ]

[Lantra]

sydney thats horrible!!! if i ever go there i will personally shut that place down. how you ask lets just say explosives are invovle. well sort of. just kidding althoguh that is a dreadful story and i really would love to shut that place down.

[Elum]

I am really having a spaz. Turtles are by far my favorate animals. RELIGIOUS MY ASS! That is just sickening. No creature should have to go through anything like that, ever. Maybe the lord didn't let the poor guy go through any pain.

I get stuff from the world wildlife fund every month, because when I was little me and one of my friends were animal freaks, and we would mail them our allowance every month.

But I think something should be done about the green sea turtles. They are very endangered, and that is just...ugg..there isn't even a word for how horrible that is. The people who do it must be retards, I couldn't live with myself if I even thought about doing something like that. And green sea turtles are soo beautiful.

[lady_elum]

oh my god... that is so sick. what's "religious" about killing another creature...?? I don't even know what to say about that. If that happened to a human it would be ALL OVER the news and everyone would be freaking out.

[Godd]

I think it's sad to think that in order to be a better human , even spiritually, you'll have to risk the balance with nature . I don't think those people can be truly happy thinking they have to do that to be succesful. It's so sad. And unfair.

[DarkHoodness]

. . .

- DH

[One, Two, Middlesboogie]

My God, that is sickening. How could any human do that?

[Silversnow]

Good lord!! How.... Creepy, sad and completely unecessary!! Poor turtle, *sob*. Religious? Religious?!! How about LIGHTING UP A CANDLE OR TWO!!!!!?

[Sl'askia]

That is just horrible, if that happened here in the US the animal rights groups would be on them like locests on a field of crops.

[Osiris The Fleech]

Auugh??!! I hope the "religious" people get imprisoned OR slaughtered by WAR TURTLES!!!!

[Sl'askia]

my boyfriend brought up an interesting point on this last night, one that I don't believe any of us have thought about (i know i didn't). It is this:

We are quick to point fingers and degrade what other countries do to animals, yet within our own countries we are doing things to animals just as bad if not worse to animals(ie slaughter houses, research labs).

Now here's an example:

He told me that in Europe (I dont remember what country it was), there is a dish called 'Pati'(i dont believe I have spelled it right, but it is made out of goose liver). What they do is take a goose, put a funnel in is mouth, and shove food down its throat until it is stuffed. They wait awhile, then they shove more food down its throat.(the goose is alive during all this) They keep doing this until the goose's liver swells, then they kill the goose and take out the liver and make it into the 'Pati'.

Now that example is somewhat 'tamer' then what happened to the sea turtle, but it proves the point. We do just as bad things to animals within our own countries.

[ May 13, 2001: Message edited by: Dragadon ]

[Danny]

this is all horrible! religion? why can't we do without it?

don't tell us these sickening things, i feel so impotent because i can't do anything to stop it...

[Sydney]

That's a point Dragadon, but what is your boyfriend suggesting we do about the turtle killings? Just sit back and relax because our countries are also involved in animal cruelty?

I think what makes this killing worse is the fact that Green Sea Turtles are an endangered species, that's why the WWF is so fired up over it. Not to mention the way in which these animals meet their death, it is far crueler than any western way of killing. These animals can live for two-hundred years, they shouldn't end like this.

The fact is that this behaviour is unnaceptable, even the religious leaders i Bali agree that the turtle killing is not necessary.

There's a lot of animal cruelty in the world, just because some of it happens in other countries is no reason to hold our tongues.

[Sl'askia]

he wasn't sugguesting that we should turn a blind eye to it, he just felt that everyones replies to this was kind of one-sided and just wanted to let ppl know that such things happen within our own countries. Yes he does want this to stop, but we all know that the Animal Rights group and there allies can only do so much, that and many ppl either don't care or turn a blind eye to it.
If you ask me...

*Nadia and Cili look at each other* Ut oh..

the world would have been a much better place if humans...mumpf!*gets gagged by Nadia*

Nadia: sorry Drag, but you were 'bout to go into a speech ppl would rather not hear, couldn't let you do that.

*grumbles*

(heh sorry 'bout that, sometimes I get carried away when it comes to 'humans and the earth' topics. I have to check myself sometimes to keep from offending ppl. Which is usually why I don't reply to topics like this.)