IUCN honours Bali quarantine office for rescuing trafficked birds

“This award encourages us to maintain integrity and strengthen cooperation with stakeholders. Protecting wildlife requires collective efforts to preserve Indonesia’s rich biodiversity,” office head Heri Yuwono said here Monday.

The recognition from the IUCN Species Survival Commission Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group honors the office’s efforts to stop wild-bird smuggling in cooperation with other agencies.

Bali’s strategic location and high flow of goods and passengers make it a key area requiring strict monitoring of wildlife trafficking, Yuwono said.

“Through close monitoring at major entry points, including Gilimanuk and Padangbai ports, and air and sea cargo routes, our team has consistently intercepted birds transported without valid health certificates or other documents,” he said.

The enforcement also aims to prevent the introduction and spread of animal pests and diseases, including dangerous zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza.

Preventing bird smuggling is also vital to biodiversity protection, Yuwono said, as overhunting songbirds can decimate wild populations and disrupt ecosystem balance.

Wildlife confiscated from traffickers that is deemed fit for release will be returned to its natural habitat, including areas within West Bali National Park.

“This is consistent with global conservation strategies to protect Asian songbird species from extinction,” Yuwono said.

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Translator: Ni Putu Muliantari, Uyu Liman