Unchecked illegal trade goes on in Birds of Paradise

Unchecked illegal trade goes on in Birds of Paradise

By Simon Sinaga

TIMIKA, Irian Jaya (JP): It is easy to locate exotic birds
such as parrots and cockatoos for sale in a back section of the
bustling Timika market. But the much sought-after Bird of
Paradise from the southern part of Irian Jaya is not sold openly.

A few discreet inquiries, however, and one bird trader offered
to have a Bird of Paradise, known here as cendrawasih, home
delivered. The trader said he would wait for local people to
offer him one, or ask cash-poor locals to venture into the jungle
to hunt for one of the 42 species of the endangered bird.

Traders also often head to houses in upmarket neighborhoods
where the owners might be open to buying stuffed cendrawasih at
prices ranging from Rp 700,000 to more than Rp 1 million. And
prices can be twice as much depending on the size and rarity of
the species.

"Trade and hunting of the Bird of Paradise and other exotic
birds is intensifying. Hunters and traders vary from ordinary
individuals, traditional people, state officials and big
traders," the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for Timika said in
a statement promoting a Bird of Paradise awareness campaign.

"Even though it is protected under Indonesian law and its
survival is endangered in Papua, the bird is threatened by
lucrative and irresponsible trade."

The WWF Bioregion Sahul division for Irian Jaya only opened
its Timika office three months ago. Staff member Julens Waromi
said Timika is increasingly important because this boom town of
Mimika regency could well become a major exit point for illegal
wildlife trade.

It already is for birds. Abel Refasi, head of Mimika forestry
agency, said most birds taken out of Irian Jaya were shipped out
of Timika. "There is just no control of the bird trade at
Timika's public sea ports," he said, attributing the problem to a
shortage of manpower and facilities.

He added that many birds were also brought in from Agats and
other places in Merauke regency.

Plumage

The Bird of Paradise, which lives in a range of territories,
from coastal mangrove forests to cool mountain areas, has been
admired for hundreds of years for its beautiful plumage.

Aristocrats in Turkey and France, who wore their feathers as
fashion accessories in the 16th century, thought the plumes came
from mythical birds which were immortal. Chinese traders reported
that the birds lived in the air and always turned to the sun,
only descending to the Earth to die.

Europe used to be the main market for the plumes, used for
women's hats and accessories. Trade in the plumes reached its
peak in the late 19th century. Plumes from more than 50,000 birds
were exported every year, generally to Paris for capes and hats.

By the 1920s, with the bird population decimated, the Dutch
stopped the trade. The most common species, living in the
lowlands, are the largest and smallest birds, with yellow heads
and mantles composed of short soft feathers. These birds make
loud gong-like calls.

Among the very rare species, which are also the ones most
desired by traders, are the white-tailed, or ribbon-tailed, and
the Blue Bird of Paradise.

The recovery in bird numbers did not last long. The Indonesian
government only officially outlawed trade in the birds and
certain species of parrot and cockatoos in 1990. These species
have also been listed under the CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species) as prohibited for
international trade.

And as Irian Jaya becomes more open to outsiders, bird hunting
is on the rise. Those involved in the hunts reportedly include
local people, military and police personnel, government officials
and professional bird traders.

The modus operandi has always been for outsiders to buy from
local people, or have locals catch the birds by paying them a
pittance. Locals are needed because the birds are notoriously
skittish.

Local people sell the birds for as much as several hundred
thousand rupiah to as low as Rp 100,000 (less than US$10),
depending on individual knowledge of the birds' value and urgency
for cash.

Local people also use the plumes as headdresses and
accessories at tribal gatherings and cultural events. WWF's
Waromi said use by local people for cultural rituals is not
prohibited under the law.

"It has been like that for a long time. The use is minimal and
happens only at certain times of the year. Not all local people
use plumes at cultural ceremonies and gatherings," he explained.

It is trade by outsiders that poses a danger to survival of
the Bird of Paradise and other species.

"Every time a navy ship leaves Irian Jaya, it is like a zoo of
birds inside," a source close to the military said.

While birds such as parrots and cockatoos largely end up in
the domestic market, overseas trade of the Bird of Paradise has
continued. The WWF said the Bird of Paradise were shipped to Riau
islands and Batam before proceeding to Singapore to supply the
black market there.

The WWF Bioregion Sahul division last conducted a population
survey of the Bird of Paradise in 1994. It estimated the
population in Yappen Waropen, the regency that faces Cendrawasih
Bay where the birds are supposedly most common, at 6.3 birds per
100 hectares.

Multiplying it with the size of the bird areas in Waropen and
nearby forests, the total comes to 13,185 birds.

Based on the 1994 survey, it is assumed that the total
population of the birds in Irian Jaya reaches no more than
50,000. If half of that total is female, we can expect 25,000
hatchlings every year, and assuming 20 percent of them reach
maturity, there is an increase of 5,000 birds a year. However,
should disturbance of the birds' natural habitat and hunting
continue at the present level, 10,000 birds will disappear every
year, meaning there will be only 2,500 Bird of Paradise remaining
in 2004, a WWF statement warned.

There does not appear to be any attempt by anyone or local
authorities to check the illegal transportation or trade of the
birds out of Indonesia's eastern-most province. Waromi said that
during his two year stint as WWF officer in the Wamena highlands
and now Timika, he has failed to see any effort to curb illegal
bird capture and trade. "It is as free as the birds fly," he
said.

The ruggedness and remoteness of many parts of Irian Jaya have
always been an excuse for lack of control relating to many issues
in the region. Local officials have continued to complain of
manpower and financial shortages preventing them from curbing the
trade. The increasing attention on the part of Papuan politicians
and lawmakers on local popular politics has added greater
ignorance to the birds' future.

It is not only the Bird of Paradise species that smugglers and
bird traders covet from Irian Jaya. Parrots, cockatoos and
cassowaries have been popular at bird markets in Jakarta and
Surabaya.

Continued trade in the birds worries people like Waromi and
Refasi because of its effect on the local culture.

"It has been a symbol of pride for locals and others who have
been living on this Papuan land. The loss of the bird is the loss
of the very identity of Papuans," said Waromi.