RI safe haven for bear trafficking<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has become a safe haven for the illegal trade of bears
\n-- both live and their body parts -- despite laws banning the
\npractice, a non-governmental organization (NGO) said on Monday.<\/p>\n
A two-year investigation by the Animal Conservation For Life
\n(KSBK) showed that the endangered local honey bear, or Helarctos
\nmalayanus, had been traded freely at local markets, with some
\nexported to neighboring countries.<\/p>\n
Bird markets on Jl. Pramuka in East Jakarta and in Medan,
\nNorth Sumatra are two locations where the bears sell for Rp 2
\nmillion (about US$185).<\/p>\n
In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, the price for a bear is about
\nRp 600,000. In Singkawang, West Kalimantan, a battalion of the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) is keeping four bears.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has also exported live bears and their body parts to
\nSingapore, Malaysia, Thailand and China.<\/p>\n
In Singapore, the gall bladder of a honey bear is sold for Rp
\n4 million, while in Malaysia, it sells for Rp 2.5 million, KSBK
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The local bear is protected under the Convention on
\nInternational Trade and Endangered Species (CITES), which
\nIndonesia signed in 1978.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Agriculture banned the trade of bears under
\ndecree No. 66\/1973. Under Article 21 in Law No. 5\/1990 on natural
\nconservation, the trading of protected animals is banned and
\nthose who violate the law face up to five years in jail and a
\nfine of up to Rp 100 million.<\/p>\n
In 1990, statistics showed that Indonesia had about 18,000
\nbears left.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has also been importing products containing the body
\nparts of protected bears from China, particularly in medicine.<\/p>\n
KSBK said that a survey conducted in 2001 and 2002 revealed
\nthat 62 percent of 124 drug stores in eight large cities, such as
\nJakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bengkulu, Pontianak, Jambi,
\nand Sintang in West Kalimantan, had sold medicine containing the
\ngall bladder and bile of bears.<\/p>\n
Among those brands are Pien Tze Huang, selling for Rp 100,000
\nto Rp 300,000 per package, which is believed to cure hepatitis;
\nTieh Ta Wan, Zhongguo Mochus for the treatment of hemorrhoids (Rp
\n15,000) and Yunan Paiyao (Rp 6,000).<\/p>\n
\"At least 55.6 percent of the stores sell medicine
\nmanufactured from the gall bladder and bile of the bear, 10
\npercent distribute the whole gall bladder, and the remaining sell
\nfarmed bear bile powder,\" Dedi Kurniawan, the KSBK bear program
\ncoordinator, told a news conference.<\/p>\n
\"This trade started in the 1980s, but nobody noticed it. Even
\nthe Ministry of Health has put its seal on the medicine's
\npackaging, thus making the drugs seemingly legal,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He said drugs containing bear parts were imported by several
\ncompanies, including PT Saras Subur Ayoe.<\/p>\n
\"This illegal trade must be stopped as it is against CITES and
\ncan push the bear into extinction. The government should not
\nissue a license to import this medicine,\" Dedi said.<\/p>\n
Citing data from the World Society for the Protection of
\nAnimals (WSPA), there are 200 bear farms with 7,000 bears in
\nChina that produce about 7,000 kilograms of bile annually.<\/p>\n
Dedi said the customs office, the Ministry of Health and the
\nMinistry of Forestry need to also coordinate with each other to
\nend the illegal trade of medicine containing parts of bears.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-safe-haven-for-bear-trafficking-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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