What they say about endangered species<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The problem of endangered animals has more to do
\nwith humans than the animals themselves.<\/p>\n
Is the government doing enough to protect the country's
\nwildlife? Is it a question of economic demand? Or could it be
\nthat humans, as the dominant mammal, just enjoy prevailing over
\nother less powerful species?<\/p>\n
Dwiatmo Siswomartono, Director for Flora and Fauna
\nConservation and Nature Reserve Management, Ministry of Forestry,
\nsays there is still a deeply embedded perception among some
\nIndonesians that keeping endangered animals as pets carries
\nprestige.<\/p>\n
"The more protected is an animal, the more they will strive to
\nget one for a pet," Dwiatmo says. He adds that the attitude is
\none of the obstacles faced by the government in its efforts to
\nprotect endangered animals.<\/p>\n
Dwiatmo calls on all high-ranking government officials to
\nreject endangered animals when given as gifts, a common practice
\nof local officials or businessmen in Irian Jaya, Maluku and Bali.<\/p>\n
The public, he says, should also participate in preventing
\ntrade in endangered animals like the ones found in Pramuka bird
\nmarket in Jakarta, Ngasem market in Yogyakarta and other similar
\nmarkets in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Dwiatmo says Indonesians should show the world that they can
\nmanage sustainable animal conservation programs, especially by
\n1999 when Indonesia will host the 10th Conference of Parties
\n(COP) on Convention on the International Trade of Endangered
\nSpecies (CITES).<\/p>\n
Inanti P. Diran, president of PT Kalyana Mitra Alambhana,
\ntravel & tourist consultants, says failure in protecting
\nendangered animals has caused the country to lose important
\nwildlife species.<\/p>\n
"Don't you think it would be good for our grandchildren to
\nhave all the species we have now?" she asks. "It would be a pity
\nif our children were not able to see them."<\/p>\n
Above all, she adds, extinction of species could have severe
\nrepercussions on the ecosystem.<\/p>\n
"The government has to make sure that all the regulations on
\npreserving the species are strictly enforced, and educate the
\npublic on the very importance of preserving the environment," she
\nremarks.<\/p>\n
Ully Sigar, a singer, environmentalist and chairperson of the
\nVidi Vici music school, acknowledges the government's efforts,
\nbut says illegal poaching persists.<\/p>\n
"I don't like to make comparisons with other foreign countries
\nin terms of tackling the problem of endangered species. What we
\nhave here is already good. But we need to further intensify our
\nefforts," she says.<\/p>\n
"I think, besides pursuing the preservation of the species, we
\nneed to improve our environmental policy system."<\/p>\n
According to Ully, human and financial resources are the main
\nobstacles in efforts to preserve the environment.<\/p>\n
"We shouldn't rely only on foreign assistance. We have here
\nmany rich people. We only need to design programs and then
\npersuade them to finance these programs."<\/p>\n
Budi Nugroho, chairman of the nature lovers club of the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, claims that during his many travels he
\nhas never seen even one of the listed endangered species.<\/p>\n
"I've never seen any of the endangered species, although I
\nhave visited many forests in Indonesia," he says.<\/p>\n
"I noticed that the public are not so well informed about
\nendangered species. I think disseminating information on them
\ncould help to facilitate the efforts aimed at protecting
\nendangered animals."<\/p>\n
Education is the key, he says.<\/p>\n
"We need to educate our people on the importance of these
\nspecies. Students should be given special attention as they will
\nbecome our country's decision makers in the future. Can you
\nimagine what will be the fate of the endangered species if our
\ndecision-makers don't even know about them?"<\/p>\n
Rev. Bihelman Sidabutar, a religious figure of the Toba-Batak
\nProtestant Church, expresses concern over the decreasing
\npopulation of endangered species in Indonesia, despite its fame
\nfor its rich flora and fauna.<\/p>\n
"I have nothing to do with any endangered species
\nconservation," he says. "But as a citizen and religious worker I
\nhave the morality to encourage people, especially those of our
\nchurch's community, to help Indonesians to preserve their flora
\nand fauna and I am proud of this and enjoying its richness."<\/p>\n
He says Indonesia has many unique species now on the brink of
\ndying out. He listed the Sumatran and Javanese tigers, Sumatran
\nand Javanese rhinoceros, Sumatran tapir and many beautiful birds,
\nwhich are now either extinct or found only in zoos or nature
\npreserves.<\/p>\n
He says that in addition to improving the deployment of more
\nconservationists and environmentalists to protect forests and
\nobserve endangered species, the government should conduct more
\naggressive nationwide campaigns. These could be done with the
\nhelp of non-governmental organizations to improve public
\nawareness of the problem of endangered species.<\/p>\n
" The hunting of endangered species is mostly caused by the
\ngreat demand on the national and international markets," he says.<\/p>\n
He warns that populations of endangered species may continue
\nto fall due to swelling human communities.<\/p>\n
Many people have been forced to "explore" forest areas and
\nprotected forests to open up farming land because of the
\n"shrinking land space" in rural and urban areas.<\/p>\n
"In these cases, the church supports the forest squatters.
\nHuman life is more precious than animal life. We cannot sacrifice
\nforest squatters' lifes at the price of endangered species
\nconservation," he says.<\/p>\n
Nursyabhani Katjasungkana, a lawyer and activist, agrees that
\nthe campaign to improve the public's awareness of endangered
\nspecies should proceed, including enforcement of laws of natural
\nresources conservation.<\/p>\n
"The government should give more severe penalties against
\nendangered species' hunters, and staff of the center for natural
\nresources conservation should be given extra-pay to motivate them
\nto carry out their tasks properly," she says.<\/p>\n
Most of the center's staff were of low rank, "so it's not
\nsurprising if they someday hunt endangered species to sell them".
\n(team)<\/p>",
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