The Vulnerable sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus is the largest of the toothed whales and used to be a prime target of the whaling industry. It was added to Indonesia's protected species list in 1980, but fishermen in Lembata Island kill up to 40 sperm whales annually, with no legal basis for the killing.
Sperm whales are captured by men who jump from wooden boats and drive bamboo harpoons into the whale's back. This traditional hunting has made whaling in Lembata the focus of several high-profile articles and documentaries. This coverage, and the rise in tourism in Indonesia, has increased interest in the hunting of sperm whales and trade in sperm whale parts. Sperm whales are included on Appendix I of CITES and export and import permits are required for any cross-border trade. Indonesia has never reported the legal export of sperm whale parts to the CITES Secretariat, and the sale and export of sperm whale parts is illegal.
In May–June 2023 we surveyed curio, antique and traditional Indonesian art shops in Bali for sperm whale parts. Bali is one of Indonesia's premier tourist destinations and known for its trade in animal curios (Nijman & Nekaris, 2014, TRAFFIC Bulletin, 26, 31–36). Over the same period, we searched the internet for offers of sperm whale parts by Indonesian-based traders.
In six shops in Ubud and Sanur we found eight small containers made from sperm whale teeth, three single teeth, one necklace containing 12 teeth, and five combs made from bone; all were said to have been sourced from Lembata. The shops we visited target international tourists. None of the traders mentioned CITES or the protected status of sperm whales in Indonesia. One trader wrongly stated that Indonesia has no legislation in place for whales and others indicated that exporting these items would not be a problem as tourists do it all the time.
Online, traders in Bali offer rings made of sperm whale teeth, and cigarette pipes, bracelets, figurines and combs made from bone. These include offers on private sellers’ websites and on e-commerce platforms Bukalapak.com and Tokopedia.com, which in their terms and conditions preclude the sale of protected wildlife.
At the Bale Nagi Festival on 11–15 April 2023, a local government-sponsored event in eastern Flores, a delegation from Lembata was selling sperm whale curios and promoting them as souvenirs. Media reports give indications of other local government-supported initiatives to promote the sale of sperm whale curios to tourists. This violates Indonesia's domestic legislation as well as the rules and intentions of CITES. We urge the national government to provide clarity on the legality of subsistence hunting of sperm whales, and the national and local governments in Bali and other Lesser Sunda Islands to take swift action against the commercialization and internationalization of the sale of sperm whale parts.
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