TANJUNG BUNGKAK ~ The Turtle Conservation and Education Center (TCEC) on Serangan Island is at risk of closure because of a lack of funding, an official said.

TCEC chief Wayan Geriya said the center was struggling because it had not been supplied with operational funds from the government or turtle eggs from Bali’s nature conservation body, BKSDA Bali.

Geriya said TCEC was a reputable conservation center that ran research projects, worked with police to stop the hunting of turtles and educated locals about the importance of conserving the endangered creatures.

“BKSDA claim we are making enough money by running turtle-release events, which tourists pay for, but the fact is the events don’t bring in enough money to run the whole center,” Geriya said.

Geriya said by working together with agencies such as Bali Police, TCEC had cut the number of turtles sold in Bali from 300,000 in previous years to just 100 in 2008.