Turtle poaching: Chinese face trial in Indonesia

Jakarta, June 15: Twenty-three Chinese fishermen face possible jail terms in Indonesia over allegations they caught and slaughtered hundreds of rare turtles, state media reported.

The Chinese were detained by customs police in waters off northeastern Borneo island on May 8, Suryadi, a conservation official, was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

Suryadi said the fishermen had caught and killed 387 critically endangered turtles, including Green and Hawksbill turtles.

''The action of the foreign fishermen is harming our conservation efforts,'' Suryadi was quoted as saying.

Charges against the group had been filed at the Tarakan district court and they faced a maximum five years' jail if found guilty under Indonesia's biodiversity conservation law, the official said.

Local officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Indonesia has one of the richest marine environments in the world, but many areas suffer from unregulated fishing with law enforcement often lax in the huge tropical nation made up of more than 17,000 islands.

Reuters

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