Badung, Bali, August 15, 2026 – As part of its community service initiatives, the Faculty of Law at Udayana University organized a sea turtle hatchling release event at the Moon Cot Sari Turtle Farm in Tanjung Benoa, Badung Regency, Bali. A total of 300 hatchlings were released into the sea during the event, which took place throughout the day.
This activity represents a collaboration between the Udayana University Faculty of Law and three turtle conservation groups in Tanjung Benoa—Mooncot Sari, Deluang Sari, and Bulih Bali. It was supported by various stakeholders, including Commission II of the Badung Regency Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA), the Coastal and Marine Resources Management Center, the Bali Turtle Conservation Groups Association, the *Bendesa Adat* (Customary Village Head) and *Lurah* (Urban Village Head) of Tanjung Benoa, HIPMI and KADIN (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) of Badung Regency, the Karma Sabda Nusantara Foundation, Bali Legal Service, the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of Udayana University, and the Badung Regency Tourism Office.
The event’s organizing committee chair, Dr. Made Gde Subha Karma Resen, S.H., M.Kn., stated that the initiative was conceived to observe firsthand the challenges faced by turtle conservation groups in the field and to collaboratively seek solutions. He expressed his gratitude to all parties present and those who supported the event—ranging from Commission II of the Badung DPRD, BKSDA Bali, KADIN Badung, HIPMI Badung, the Karma Sabda Nusantara Foundation, Bali Legal Service, and the Coastal and Marine Resources Management Center, to the turtle conservation groups that consistently supported the event’s operations from morning until night. He hopes that this community service initiative will be followed up on—particularly regarding the establishment of a legal framework and assistance with the licensing process for sea turtle conservation groups—so that the ongoing conservation efforts can yield broader social and economic benefits for coastal communities.
I Made Sada, Chairman of Commission II of the Badung Regency Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), expressed his appreciation and full support for this initiative. He views the hatchling release activity as significant, not only for environmental conservation and wildlife protection but also for raising public awareness about the importance of sustainably preserving coastal ecosystems. He hopes that synergy among the local government, the DPRD, sea turtle conservation groups, indigenous communities, academics, the business sector, and relevant agencies will continue to strengthen, ensuring that sea turtle conservation in Tanjung Benoa gains legal certainty and delivers tangible benefits to coastal communities.
This event also serves as a momentum to strengthen the institutional capacity of sea turtle conservation groups in Bali. Data presented during the event indicated that approximately 100,000 hatchlings were released by conservation groups across Bali between January and August 2026. Notably, the release of 17,845 hatchlings throughout August 2026 served as a symbolic commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia’s Independence, representing the date of August 17, 1945.
Tanjung Benoa is known as an area that was dubbed “Turtle Island” during the 1980s and 1990s, as it served as a natural nesting habitat for sea turtles. Through sustainable conservation efforts, it is hoped that the area will once again become a home for Bali’s sea turtle population. The Faculty of Law at Udayana University emphasizes that this activity is not merely ceremonial but part of an ongoing commitment to support sea turtle conservation groups—particularly regarding legality, licensing, and institutional strengthening—so that efforts to conserve sea turtles and coastal ecosystems in Tanjung Benoa can proceed more strategically and deliver social and economic benefits to coastal communities.