Credit: Indonesian-charm.blogspot.com

As a result of human activity, the green turtle population in the Berau marine conservation area off East Kalimantan has faced a decline of about 70 percent in the past decade. In 2002, there was an approximate 100,000 to 150,000 turtles in the conservation area but by 2010, the numbers had fallen to between 30,000 and 50,000. In recent years, the Berau administration has given approval to a series of development projects in the area in response to the increasing number of tourists frequenting Berau. This led to the development of beach resorts on selected islands within the conservation zone, including Derawan and Sangalaki islands, which ultimately destroys the nesting grounds for turtles that lay their eggs there (Mattangkilang , 2012).

The conflict between development and conservation is evident in the Berau marine conservation area as the two goals are mutually antagonistic. When human interests take precedence, conservation efforts are pushed down to a lower level of priority. Thus, development plans are advanced at the expense of conservation.