Bakring, A friend of "Tuturuga" from Tapulaga

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Bakring, 56, poses with a bucket of feed on Sunday (21/7/2019) at an enclosure for turtle and fish in the waters off Tapulaga village in Soropia, Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi. Bakring buys turtles from local residents to combat the trade in endangered species and to help protect the environment.

Bakring, 56, does not want to be called an environmentalist or conservationist. However, for years, he has worked without pay to protect turtles, coral and mangroves. Now, he wants to "get rid of" garbage in his village.

The sun is still hiding behind the hills of Tapulaga village, Soropia, Konawe regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Sunday (21/7/2019). In the cold, Bakring rushed to finish his breakfast, a plate of instant noodles and rice. After that, he grabbed a bucket filled with a bag of fish.

"This is for fish feed and tuturuga [turtles] in cages," he said grinning.

Not long after that, he sailed toward his fish cages. Once there, he opened the bag, then grabbed the half-frozen fish he had caught a few days ago and threw them into the middle of the cage. Instantly, the turtles, kingfish and groupers that inhabit the cage scrambled for breakfast.

He then put his hand on the surface of the water. When a turtle approached, he caught it. He reached into a nearby bucket, took out a washing brush and began cleaning the turtle’s shell, which was covered with moss.

"Let me clean you up. It\'s been four months since you’ve been brushed," Bakring said.

Slowly the shell of the hawksbill turtle, which was the size of two hands, could be seen.

"Well, if it\'s clean, it\'s nice to see. They are also light when swimming," he said.

Bakring has collected turtles in his fish cage since 2015. He bought the first turtle from a resident of Mekar Jaya village, a neighboring village. At that time, he heard about residents in the village often collecting turtles caught in sero (nets) as they were fishing.

When he heard that a turtle had been caught again, he came there. Using his savings, he then bought two turtles for Rp 50,000 (US$3.57). The turtles were treated and released two years later.

He has bought and cared for at least 10 turtles. Now, there are four turtles that he has kept in cages since 2018. He obtained four of these turtles from a community near his home. The price of each turtle can be between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000.

Bakring said he bought the turtles so they would not be purchased by others. When they are in the hands of other buyers, the fate of the turtles would not last long, he said.

"Most [people] want to eat turtles, so I buy them. I can\'t bear to see the turtles being killed to be eaten. Just look at their eyes, I can\'t bear it," Bakring said.

He plans to release the four turtles this year. He will bring the turtles to the middle of the sea and free them.

"When releasing a turtle, there’s a mixed feeling of sad and happy. It’s sad to be separated from the turtles, but [I’m] happy because they can return to the sea in good health," Bakring said with a deep sigh.

Fish bomb

Being a friend and rescuer for turtles is only one of Bakring\'s activities. Long before that, starting in 2002, he has been fighting to preserve the marine environment, which had been damaged by fish bombing.

"If I wake up early, there must be fish bomb. I, who at the time was taking care of the garden, finally built a fish cage, so I have a reason to forbid people from throwing bombs nearby. Several times, I met people who wanted to detonate fish bombs, but because I said I had fish cages, they ended up canceling the plan,” he said.

Since then, his concern for the environment has increased, especially since he began to be visited by students from various universities. The students use Bakring\'s fish cage as a place to conduct research on marine activities.

The knowledge and experience of Bakring, who graduated from a Package C learning program (which means he was able to pass all school-equivalency exams but did not attend a formal school), also increases. Seeing the number of corals declining and fish decreasing, he then took the initiative to lift a small coral from the bomb-prone area to a safer place near his fish cage. He also brought Kima and several other types of sea animals. He made a beautiful marine environment that can be used for research and tourism.

Along with several residents of his village, he then worked to establish a conservation group. An area covering 1 hectare in the sea was transformed into a conservation area comprising coral, fish and their ecosystems.

Several times, temptation came to him; he has been offered money to carry out fish bombings in his area or to buy his turtles. However, Bakring did not give up. Although he only relies on the crops of the garden and the sea for his daily living, he does not feel deprived.

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Bakring

He is now doing more than ever. Since 2017, he has also started planting mangroves in the coastal villages. The vegetation has long since disappeared in the area. He got the seeds of these wave retaining plants from neighboring villages. He planted them little by little.

He also created a mangrove nursery. He gathers the seeds and sells the plants. The proceeds of the sales are used to finance cages, turtle feed or buy turtles caught by the residents.

"I used to dream of planting 100 mangrove trees in one year. It\'s been tried, but maybe it\'s not enough [time. Recently, there have been many other activities,” Bakring said with a chuckle.

Bakring\'s days are indeed very busy. He works from morning to evening. This continues from year to year. He manages turtles, fish, corals and mangroves more than he takes care of himself. He sometimes forgets to eat, so in the last two years he has been stricken with gastritis and hypertension. The two diseases now hinder his activities.

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Bakring

Nevertheless, he has not given up. He continues to take care of the fish cages, mangroves, gardens and accompanies students who come to do research and field work.

"I am not an environmentalist. It\'s normal," he said modestly.

Bakring\'s life flows like water. His activities to protect the turtles, mangroves and the environment forces him to spend a lot of money – but he never feels bothered by this.

He said: "I have nothing now. But if I die, there are [my inheritance] that people can see [turtles, mangroves, corals]. Instead of leaving a car, there is something I will leave that people remember."

Now, along the coast of Tapulaga village, people have been able to enjoy the lush beaches of mangroves. In addition to protecting the village, mangroves are also a source of education for anyone who wants to learn about the marine ecosystem.

"After this, my dream is to free Tapulaga from waste. Now, in the sea, there are no more fish but a lot of garbage," he said.

Bakring

Born: Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, 21 May 1963

Education: Package C senior high school program

Job: Fisherman

Activity: Chairman of Lestari Fishermen Group