Five more species on export quota list
JAKARTA (JP): Five more Indonesian animal species have been added to the export quota list set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), an official said yesterday.
The inclusion would be effective starting Sept. 20, head of the city forestry office, Purwadi Mangunwardoyo, said.
The five species include four birds, Gelatik (Padada Oryzipora), Pancawarna (Leionthrix argentaurius), Beo biasa (Gracula Religiosa), Cucak rawa (Pycnonotus zeylanicus), and one reptile, Labi-labi (Callagur borneonsis).
Purwadi said the five species were listed in Appendix II CITES for the animal quota export list deliberated last June at the Conference of the Parties X (COP X) CITES in Harare, Zimbabwe.
"The inclusion of the species in the export list is intended to help preserve their existence," he told The Jakarta Post.
Under the quota list, any export distribution of the species is subject to approval from the country of origin and the countries of destination, he said, without giving details of the total number of Indonesian animal species on the list.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesia's exports of living creatures reached US$7.62 million between January and April this year.
"People involved in this export business must be aware of the danger of animal extinction," he said.
Purwadi said that, in cooperation with the Nature Conservation and Forest Management Directorate General, his office would continue applying strict control over the distribution of the animal species in the export quota.
"It's very important for the public to know about the quota rules for animals, because people, especially businesspeople, tend to export living creatures freely. They do not care about the preservation as long as they make a lot of money," he said.
Nature conservation director Dwiatmo Siswomartono said earlier there were still deeply embedded perceptions among Indonesians that keeping endangered animals as pets carried prestige.
"The more protected an animal, the more they will strive to get one for a pet," Dwiatmo said.
Purwadi admitted that the five species did not belonged to the rare-animal classification and have not been listed as endangered species in Indonesia.
"It's quite easy to find them in Indonesia, but in India, Africa or other countries, those species are considered as protected animals because their numbers are very small," he said.
Purwadi also said that his office is continuing its joint operations against illegal animal market distribution with the customs and excise directorate general and the flora-fauna quarantine agency.
"Over the past eight months, we've already confiscated 109 protected animals, ranging from birds to mammals, in several markets throughout the city," he said.
They were confiscated from several fauna markets, including Pasar Pramuka, East Jakarta, and Pasar Barito, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, and from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, which is known as a transit site for animal smuggling.
"The sellers of the protected animals, who were caught in the operations, will be processed according to the existing law. Their cases are currently being handled by the Jakarta Police," he said. (07)