Protected animals smuggling reaches $547.5m annually<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Smuggling of protected animals in Indonesia is valued at a
\nwhopping US$1.5 billion a year, with Jakarta topping the list
\nwith $1.5 million per day or $547.5 million per year, according
\nto a survey.<\/p>\n
The Gibbon Foundation survey found the practice was widespread
\nthanks to the help of government officials and military officers,
\nand poor law enforcement.<\/p>\n
\"This (smuggling) is certainly not a small case for this
\ncountry, so people must fight against it,\" foundation director
\nWillie Smits said on the sidelines of an international seminar on
\nIndonesian Wildlife in Jakarta on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Smits said it had carried out undercover interviews with
\nsmugglers in various cities during the survey.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is the biggest haven for smugglers, followed by the
\nEast Java capital of Surabaya, the Central Java capital of
\nSemarang and the North Sumatra capital of Medan, the survey
\nfound.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta the trade of protected animals centered in Jl.
\nPramuka in Central Jakarta and Jl. Barito in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Smits said birds and primates, particularly orangutan, were
\nthe most popular targets, as were reptiles.<\/p>\n
A day earlier, Ministry of Forestry forest protection and
\nnatural conservation director general I Made Subadia said the
\ntrade of protected animals had reached $600 million per year.<\/p>\n
Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and European countries
\nare popular destinations for protected animals.<\/p>\n
\"All people in the country will suffer great losses, not only
\nfrom an economic point of view, but from the extinction of
\nbiodiversity,\" Smits said.<\/p>\n
He said at least 25 species of tree and fruit could disappear
\nif one orangutan became extinct because they could only grow with
\nthe assistance of the great ape.<\/p>\n
Smits insisted that traders in big cities instead of animal
\nhunters from villages were the ones who benefited most from the
\nillegal trade.<\/p>\n
\"It is difficult to combat the illicit practice as it is
\nsupported by many government officials and military officers,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"If the government wants to eradicate the practice, they must
\ncertainly take legal action against the perpetrators and those
\nwho support it.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/protected-animals-smuggling-reaches-5475m-annually-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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