MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: A Navy vessel has
intercepted a boat carrying 230 green turtles from
Tanimbar, South East Maluku, to the port of Benoa
in Bali, Antara reported on Tuesday.
Col. Pramono Hadi, chief of the Mataram Naval
Base, said the Wijijaya I ship, registered
to Bali businessman Wiji Zakaria, was stopped near
the Gili Trawangan islands.
The ship and its crew had been sent to
Mataram's Lembar Port for further investigation,
Pramono said.
The ship's captain, Wayan Sukastana, said he
was not aware of any regulation against turtle
trading and insisted that he had the permission of
the fishing agency in Tual, Maluku.
Some of the turtles had died by the time the
Navy had intercepted the boat.
