Sirombu is a district in West Nias Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, which is located on the west coast of Nias Island is bordered by the Indian Ocean, Kecamatn Mandrehe, and District Lölöwa’u. Sirombu is only ± 76 km from Gunung Sitoli which can be within ± 2.5 hours. Travel through the sea can also be made to have the Port of Sirombu Sea.

Sirombu sub-district within the area of 223.80 km ² is located in the coordinates 00 59 10.0 N and 97 30 04.0 E.

Sirombu is the capital district Tetesua, where there are in the offices of government. Before the tsunami Sirombu market is located in the coastal area of the Village Sirombu a distance of 4 km from Tetesua. Sirombu market has now relocated about 100 meters from the office in camat Tetesua built by IOM (International Organization for Migration) as much as 100 units loods closed. There is only 1 weekend each day that opened Saturday at the Pekan District Sirombu Beringin or Harimbale Mbawa tie is 12 km from Tetesua.

After conducting deep investigation in 2002, ProFauna Indonesia introduces several campaigns in Yogyakarta. The condition is different from Bali. BKSDA and Police in Bali gives positive respond but in Yogyakarta the trade in souvenirs made from hawksbill carapace is continually done freely.

From the monitoring and investigation done by ProFauna, trade of hawksbill products is done in open way in several locations such as in Malioboro and Kotagede. In Kotagede more than 9 shops in Modorakan and Kemasan Street found to sell thousands souvenir made from hawksbill carapace in form of bracelets, rings, hair sticks, hair combs, hair clips, accessories boxes, body belt, ashtrays, and etc.

The souvenirs are promoted by displaying them in the glass display so all the shop visitors are able to see it and buy it freely.

The strict law enforcement is not yet done by BKSDA in combating trade on hawksbill. ProFauna report about the hawksbill trade has been reported two years ago, and it is hope the Indonesian government would take real actions to combating the hawksbill trade. BKSDA Yogyakarta has introduced preventive and persuasive efforts by giving warnings to the souvenir hawksbill trader, but the fact shows trading on hawksbill still continue run up to this time. It is time for the government to take more strict action.

Two months after the launching, in 6 May 2003 BKSDA (forestry department) of Bali and Polda (Police base in province level) Bali cooperated with ProFauna Indonesia conducting a law enforcement action by confiscating souvenirs made from hawksbill parts in Kuta and Denpasar. In this join operation thousands of souvenirs made from hawksbill are confiscated and burn away.

The second operation done in 4 June 2003 at an accessories shop located at Sulawesi Street, Denpasar, confiscate hundreds of souvenirs made from hawksbill parts.

The strict action done by the BKSDA Bali and Polda to confiscate products contains hawksbill in Bali receiving positive responds from mass media and public in Bali. Now trade in hawksbill is no longer done openly.

There are many ways used by the business men in hawksbill trade to defeat the officials’ government to ship hawksbill carapaces intercity and abroad. The intercity distribution mostly applied is by using bus or travel and post service. As done by Darsono, the craftsmen of hawksbill in Kotagede, the stockpile of hawksbill supplied from Bali are sent by travel service or bus Denpasar-Yogyakarta destination. The packing method is simple, it is put inside the cartoon box and it is guaranteed there will be no further question from the travel agent, bus or post office. The distribution using this method is relatively safe and cheap.
To ship abroad, exporter usually falsified the export document by stating the exported items as the unprotected buffalo horns. Other method is by placing inside the hawksbill carapace into other stockpiles consists of sea harvest such as mollusk and pearls. The turtle carapace are inserted between others items in one container. This method will minimize the further inspection of custom official and quarantine. The safer method is by shipping it in the form of ready stock souvenirs. It can be in the form of bracelets necklaces, rings and etc. The custom officials would regard the contents of the container as handicraft made from buffalo horn. Moreover, when the custom and quarantine official are successfully bribed everything will work smoothly.

If trade of hawksbill carapace from Indonesia to abroad done secretly and relatively in small quantity, it does not happen as for its eggs. In Malaysia and Indonesia border names Entikong in Kalimantan, trade of hawksbill eggs happen freely. At Entikong market there are four turtle eggs traders who sell the eggs for average of 4000 eggs during a week or totally about 12.000 eggs. During a month there are about 48.000 eggs sold at Entikong.
Most of the eggs buyers are Malaysian. In Saturday and Sunday, many of Malaysian shopping at Entikong Market and usually they always buy turtle eggs. The eggs cost for RM 1/pieces.
According to the eggs trader at Entikong, the control of turtle trade in Malaysia is very strict. If they are caught to sell turtle eggs they will be charged for higher fining. They do not dare to sell turtle eggs directly to Malaysia but sell it around the border area. But the smuggling of turtle eggs to Malaysia happen mostly in the sea, such as done on Tanjung Datu waters.
In many areas in Indonesia, the beaches where sea turtle used to laying eggs are rent out to private organizer. This condition happens in Sukabumi West Java, Sambas in West Kalimantan, Riau, and many other areas. This is ironic because all species of sea turtle are already protected by Indonesian law, including their parts such as eggs. According to Act No. 5 1990 trade on protected animals is protected. But trade of turtle eggs in Indonesia happen widely in almost places where there is turtle live. It seems there is no action from government to overcome the illegal trade in this turtle eggs.
The consumers of turtle eggs are not only Indonesian, but Malaysian and Singaporean obtained by smuggling process. In Natuna Region, of Riau Province there are some islands where turtle used to lay eggs such as in Sedanau Island, Laut Island, and Ranai Island. The local government gives the authority to manage the concession of the turtle eggs through auction process. The local price is Rp 800-1000/egg. The investigation on the field proved the eggs also sold to Malaysia and Singapore.
As the example of case of turtle trade is like in Paloh district of Sambas Region in West Kalimantan. In Jeruju village of Paloh district about 33, 6 km from Teluk Kalong Port, there is turtle eggs agent names Sepek (H. Atni). Sepek as hired the turtle location to lay eggs from the local government in Sambas in Tanjung Selimpai and Tanjung Kemuning.
The concession price of the location is Rp 50.000.000/year. The price of hawksbill eggs from agent is Rp 900/egg and green turtle price is Rp 1.500/egg in local market. Turtle eggs price in Malaysia is 70-80 cent/egg. The traders prefer to sell hawksbill eggs to abroad because the consumers think the protein content is higher rather than other eggs from other species.
The shipment method is simple, by placing the eggs inside the open box, in order to supply fresh air so the eggs will be always fresh during two weeks. To ship eggs to Malaysia by carrying it in the ship using border route such as Temajuk (Indonesian teritory) then ship along Melano (Malaysia territory).
Although in the concession statement the local government said to the private contactor should always leave half of the turtle eggs (example 10 eggs) in each nest in order to hatch, but in fact this obligation is difficult to control. Often the contractor only left 1-2 eggs in each nest. On the other hand the survival ability of the hatchlings in nature is low, as stated by some expert; from 1000 of turtle eggs only 1-3 hatchlings survive to reach adult. ProFauna Indonesia views the concession system of turtle eggs use implemented by some local governments in Indonesia, the contribution is not effective for turtle conservation in nature. The money paid t the local government from the concession of turtle eggs is also relatively small; it just paid for Rp 50.000.000/year in Sambas West Kalimantan. Instead, turtles are able to lay thousands of eggs during the night.