Wildlife smuggling

Wildlife smuggling

From Media Indonesia

In connection with the foiled attempt to smuggled out hundreds
of protected animals through Jakarta's Soekarto-Hatta airport,
ProFauna Indonesia, an independent wildlife protection
organization, wishes to convey the following statement:

* The recent smuggling case reflects the rampant illegal trade in
wildlife, the extent of which has not been fully uncovered.
Customs and quarantine agencies, authorized to conduct
investigations or seize contraband, have not proactively
preventing the smuggling of protected animals. Many of the
officials in charge are not well informed about which species are
protected by law. Therefore, there needs to be cooperation
between the forestry ministry's natural resources conservation
center and the customs and quarantine authorities.

* Based on ProFauna's findings, the illicit trade of wildlife
takes place at the bird markets of Pramuka and Barito in Jakarta
almost weekly. The value of animals bought and sold reaches Rp 2
billion to Rp 5 billion monthly.

* The trade in protected species at Pramuka should be sternly
dealt with. So far, operations to seize protected animals at
Pramuka have failed due to information leaks, thus indicating the
presence of organized criminals and corruption.

* Wildlife smuggling violates Law No. 5/1990 and the Convention
Against the International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora
and Fauna (CITES), ratified by Indonesia in 1978.

* Those involved in wildlife smuggling should be transparently
subjected to legal action. Prosecutors' demands for punishment
and court verdicts have so far been lenient, raising suspicion
about the presence of collusion.

HARDI BAKTIANTORO, ProFauna Indonesia, Jakarta