Orangutans face extinction as rain forest destroyed<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta\/London<\/p>\n
The orangutan is facing extinction due to the destruction of the
\nrainforest in Indonesia and Malaysia to set up oil palm
\nplantations, a new research report reveals.<\/p>\n
The \"Oil for Ape Scandal\", published on Friday by Friends of
\nthe Earth and the world's leading orangutan conservation groups,
\nconcludes that without urgent intervention the palm oil trade
\ncould cause the extinction of Asia's only great ape within 12
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Palm oil is found in many products on supermarket shelves,
\nfrom bread and margarine to lipstick and soap.<\/p>\n
\"Despite being warned for years by environmental groups that
\noil palm plantations are associated with rainforest destruction
\nand human rights abuses, most United Kingdom companies don't even
\nknow where their palm oil comes from,\" the report says.<\/p>\n
The report states that almost 90 percent of the orangutan
\nhabitat in Indonesia and Malaysia has now been destroyed. Some
\nexperts estimate that 5,000 orangutan perish as a result, every
\nyear. The researchers found that oil palm plantations have now
\nbecome the primary cause of orangutan decline, wiping out its
\nrainforest homes on Borneo and Sumatra.<\/p>\n
\"New evidence shows that orangutan rescue centers in Indonesia
\nare overflowing with orphaned baby orangutans rescued from
\nforests being cleared to make way for plantations. The Indonesian
\ngovernment is now planning to convert a large part of Tanjung
\nPuting National Park, the world's most famous protected area for
\norangutan, into an oil palm plantation.<\/p>\n
Research in the UK by Friends of the Earth found that at least
\n84 per cent of UK companies were failing to take effective action
\nto ensure they did not buy palm oil from destructive sources and
\nnot one single UK supermarket knows where the palm oil originates
\nfrom in the products it sells.<\/p>\n
The story of corporate failure on palm oil is repeated across
\nEurope.<\/p>\n
The European Union is the world's biggest buyer of palm oil.<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago the United Nations published the Kinshasa
\nDeclaration, an action plan backed by the UK Government to save
\nthe world's great apes from extinction.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government signed on to this agreement, but so
\nfar the Malaysian government has failed to do so. Friends of the
\nEarth and the orangutan conservation groups are urging both
\ngovernments to adopt and implement the declaration and end the
\nconversion of orangutan habitats into oil palm plantations.<\/p>\n
They also say that the failure of European companies to take
\naction shows that they cannot be trusted to act responsibly. They
\nare calling on European Governments and the European Commission
\nto legislate to stop European companies acting in such a damaging
\nway.<\/p>\n
\"Governments that provide a market for palm oil must set up
\nlegislation to make their corporations responsible and
\naccountable for their impacts. If not, it is we who will have to
\nexplain to our children that the orangutan became extinct, not
\nbecause of a lack of knowledge, but because of corporate greed
\nand a lack of political will,\" said Ian Redmond, Chairman of the
\nApe Alliance.<\/p>\n
Rully Syumanda of the Indonesian Forum of the Environment
\n(Walhi) added: \"We cannot win the battle to save the Indonesian
\nrainforest while companies in consuming countries continue to buy
\npalm oil from sources linked to human rights abuses and species
\nextinction. The Governments of these countries must legislate and
\nforce these companies to stop acting so destructively.\"<\/p>\n
Research by Friends of the Earth shows that the forest fires
\nthat ravaged the island of Sumatra in August, and continue to
\nburn today, were mostly set by palm oil companies clearing land
\nto set up their plantations. It is estimated that one third of
\nthe orangutan population on Borneo was killed by the forest fires
\nand haze of 1998.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/orangutans-face-extinction-as-rain-forest-destroyed-1447893297",
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