Trade in orangutans from RI rife: Int'l Conservation group

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The populations of endangered orangutans and gibbons in Indonesia are being seriously threatened by the widespread illegal trade of the animals, a wildlife conservation group says.

TRAFFIC, a conservation group affiliated with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has urged Indonesian authorities to boost law enforcement to stop the illegal trade, which is being carried out openly in local markets.

"From the estimated population of only 40,000 Pongo pygmaeus (orangutans) in the wild, trade on Java and Bali alone may be contributing to an annual loss of up to 1,000 individuals a year, or one to three orangutans a day," said Vincent Nijman, author of TRAFFIC's report entitled: In Full Swing: An assessment of trade in orangutans and gibbons on Java and Bali, Indonesia, which was launched on Friday.

Orangutans and gibbons are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibits any international trade in these animals.

The report showed that TRAFFIC investigators found a total of 559 orangutans and gibbons were being illegally traded in bird markets during surveys from 1994 to 2003 at 35 wildlife markets in 22 cities in Java and Bali.

The actual number of animals sold at the markets however is largely unknown, the report said.

For all species, the prices of infants were considerably higher than those of adults from 1996 to 2003.

The prices of the different species of gibbon differed only slightly, with an average requested price of US$88.

The price of siamangs could reach $157, which is considerably more expensive than the smaller species of gibbon, whereas a Borneo orangutan could be sold for $406.

Under Law No.5/1990 on the conservation of natural resources and ecosystem, orangutans and gibbons are classified as protected, which forbids capturing, killing, possessing and trading. The law carries penalties as high as five years' imprisonment and fines of up to Rp 100 million ($10,455).

The problem is weak law enforcement.

However, people who hunt, keep and trade in orangutans and gibbons are rarely punished, with fewer than 10 percent of culprits actually prosecuted, the TRAFFIC report said.

In Indonesia "trade is displayed openly. It is not done in dark alleys during the night. Law enforcement is almost lacking," Nijman said.

The main threats to the apes are habitat loss and degradation, exacerbated by hunting and trade. (004)