The turtles are dismembered while still alive, their protective undershells sliced off so their freshest blood can be offered to the Gods. 20,000-30,000 turtles face this cruel fate every year … the majority of them not for religious purposes, but for the flavour of their meat. The World Wildlife Fund is proposing a travel boycott of Bali, until the government does something to enforce its official ban on turtle killing. Meanwhile, the turtle traders, who rely on the meat for their livelihood, are threatening to hit back by burning the WWF office building. One prominent trader who has already been arrested insists that the turtles are sacrificed for religious purposes only, but local religious leaders tell a different story. This footage is extremely confronting.

Produced by ABC Australia