Indonesia seeks to maximize use of its fauna resources

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia must maximize the potential of its abundant fauna resources for commercial and research purposes, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said yesterday.

But first Indonesia must make an inventory of its diverse biological resources, LIPI's head of the biology research center, Soetikno Wiryoatmodjo, said while opening a seminar on Indonesia's vertebrate animals in Bogor, West Java.

"We need to gather as much information as we can about the fauna population and habitat in this country," he told the seminar, which has been jointly organized by the Zoology Museum of Bogor and the Western Australia Museum.

Information about the fauna resources in Indonesia is still sorely lacking, although it has the potential to benefit society and mankind, Soetikno said.

The more information obtained, the better scientists will understand the fauna and also preserve their habitats and interactions with their environment, he said, stressing that this is important to assist in their preservation.

A complete inventory will also help LIPI to certify any export of animals.

Meanwhile, Prof. D.J. Kitchener, a research staff member of the Western Australia Museum, said field expeditions involving 32 scientists from Australia and Indonesia going back to 1987 have yielded a substantial amount of samplings.

The results of the survey, Kitchener said, which was completed according to the scientific method and procedure, was shared while the specimen will be stored at Bogor Zoology Museum. (prs)