Dive training agency SSI and freediving organisation AIDA International have issued statements following the detention of an instructor trainer in Indonesia for allegedly killing and eating an endangered hawksbill turtle.
Chinese national Wei Shang (also named ‘Wilson Shang’ in some reports) was detained by Indonesian immigration authorities on 14 September after video emerged of a diver being filmed hunting the turtle with a speargun.
Photographs of the turtle being subsequently cooked and consumed were also posted on social media platforms.
Shang is registered as an active AIDA freediving instructor trainer and also an SSI Master Instructor and Assistant Instructor Trainer.
Although he has denied involvement in the killing of the turtle, he was detained by Indonesian authorities in Makassar airport while waiting to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur, and subsequently transferred to Sorong, where police are continuing their investigations.
In a statement posted on social media, AIDA International said it had suspended Shang’s instructor trainer status while it conducts a formal investigation.
The organisation said it ‘shares the anger and disgust its community has expressed over the killing of a sea turtle’ and condemned ‘the deliberate killing or mistreatment of protected marine life without qualification’.
AIDA said its instructors were expected to comply with applicable laws and ‘act as ambassadors for the oceans’, but stressed that the suspension was a precautionary measure and did not amount to a finding of guilt regarding the allegations.
In a similar statement posted on Facebook, SSI said that it had also opened an investigation into the incident through its Quality Management System.
‘We strictly condemn the mistreatment of marine life under any circumstances,’ said the statement. ‘Under SSI standards, all members are bound to follow the Responsible Diver Code, requiring compliance with all applicable regulations, statutes, and codes.
‘SSI Instructors are expected to lead by example, follow local laws, and act as true ocean ambassadors who treat the underwater world with utmost respect.’
Police investigation
Indonesian police have meanwhile expanded their investigation into the alleged incident, which is reported to have taken place between 8 and 11 September near the Fam (also known as Pam) Islands in Raja Ampat.
The police said that Shang was diving with two other people at the time of the alleged incident, and have also investigated the homestay where Shang was reported to have been staying.
Southwest Papua Police spokesperson Commissioner Jenny SA Hengkelare said investigators were examining photographs, video footage and electronic information which showed a speargun being aimed at the turtle’s neck.
She also told local media outlets that investigators (translated from Indonesian) ‘secured evidence in the form of a cooking pot, five chopsticks and a black glove during the examination of the site.’
‘The police have also obtained a number of pieces of evidence in the form of electronic information and/or electronic documents, including video recordings suspected of showing hawksbill turtle hunting activities and photos depicting activities after the animals were allegedly cooked and consumed.’
Indonesian authorities have said that Shang will remain detained in Sorong while the investigation continues, but as yet he has not been formally charged.
If prosecuted and convicted under Indonesian conservation legislation, he could face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
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