JP/5/KAKAK

JP/5/KAKAK

White cockatoo population dwindling

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post/Surabaya

The population of White Cockatoo (Cacatua alba) in North Maluku
is dwindling due to uncontrolled poaching. More than 500 of them
are traded in Jakarta and other places annually, say an
environmental group.

Chairman of Pro Fauna Indonesia Rosek Nursahid, in a press
release made available to The Jakarta Post on Thursday said the
organization had arrived at the figure after conducting research
on the bird species in North Maluku over the past four years.

Rosek said that the Directorate General of Forest and Nature
Preservation of the Ministry of Forestry had issued a zero quota
on the capture of the species in the province in 2001.

However, in the same year after the quota was issued, there
were at least 138 White Cockatoos shipped to Ternate, the
province's capital, to be sold.

Nearly 96 percent of the them arrived through Bastiong port
and the remainder through Kota Baru and Dufa-Dufa ports. An
average of 552 cockatoos are caught and traded illegally every
year.

Most of the cockatoos are poached on Halmahera island,
especially in the Oba, Weda, Payahe areas, as well as on other
islands including Bacan, Mandioli and Obi.

The poaching was authorized by the local government
conservation agency, by issuing poachers with permits despite the
zero quota on the capture of the cockatoo by the forestry
ministry during that time, said Rosek.

The birds were reportedly sold to brokers in Ternate for Rp
60,000 (US$6.6) each.