RI's endangered species close to extinction - WWF.

[Guest guest]

06/04/2002

Jakarta Post

P13

© 2002 The Jakarta Post

 

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

 

An international non-governmental organization (NGO) warned on Monday

that endangered species in Indonesia were close to extinction due to

poaching and the outlawed animal trade.

Strict enforcement of the law and cooperation among all parties was

desperately needed to prevent the extinction of rare animals in the

country, said Chairul Saleh, a species conservation officer at the World

Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)'s Indonesia office.

 

Chairul said in 1978 the Sumatran tiger numbered about 1,000 throughout

the island. That number dropped drastically to 400 felines in l993

because of illicit trade and hunting.

 

" People hunt the tiger for its expensive fur, which can fetch up to Rp 8

million per feline, " said Chairul after a discussion on endangered

species by WWF, held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nusa Dua, as part of

the fourth Preparatory Committee Meeting/Ministerial Level for World

Summit on Sustainable Development.

 

The fur of the exotic Sumatran tiger was often traded in big cities

throughout Indonesia.

 

Besides the Sumatran tiger, the orangutan is also threatened. Illegal

logging in some parts of their habitat has seriously threatened the

existence of this endangered primate.

 

Chairul further said that about a century ago, some 100,000 orangutans

were estimated to be roaming the jungles of Sumatra and Kalimantan.

However, there are only some 15,000 orangutans left in these jungles.

 

" Excessive illegal logging has destroyed the orangutans' habitat, and

this could lead to their extinction, " said Chairul.

 

The lack of awareness among people on the conservation of endangered

species has also contributed to the threat of their extinction.

 

Chairul said people were still looking for hides of various endangered

species as ornaments for their homes.

 

To conserve these endangered animals, governments, NGOs and related

parties must work together, said Agus Purnomo, the executive director of

WWF's Indonesia office.

 

" Collective action is needed to deal with the problem since the

government cannot do this alone, " he said.

 

He cited one success story of a partnership between the Bali

administration and NGOs in preserving and protecting turtles.

 

The collaboration decreased the number of turtles that were traded and

smuggled over the last two years.

 

The Bali provincial administration issued a regulation in 1999 banning

the trade of turtles. In addition, the government and several NGOs have

actively approached religious leaders, including Hindu high-priest

Pedanda.

 

Hindu priests have helped convince locals that they do not have to

provide turtle meat during important religious ceremonies.

 

The combination of these steps have more or less prevented the turtles

from going the way of the do-do.

 

" Previously some 30,000 turtles were traded, but now, the estimated

trade of turtles has reached only about 1,000 per year, " said Agus.

 

Despite the collaboration, strict enforcement of the law is needed to

deter people from hunting down endangered species.

 

The Indonesian government issued several regulations, including Law

No.7/90 and Government Decree No.7/99 on the protection of endangered

species.

 

Since the law was enacted in l990, however, only one case of an illegal

killing of a Sumatran tiger has gone to trial. The violator, however,

was given a lenient sentence of seven months in jail.

 

Copyright 2002 The Jakarta Post.

 

 

 

Folder Name: Asia Conservation Tiger

Relevance Score on Scale of 100: 95

 

____________________

 

To review or revise your folder, visit http://www.djinteractive.com or

contact Dow Jones Customer Service by e-mail at custom.news

or by phone at 800-369-7466. (Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 609-452-1511

or contact your local sales representative.)

____________________

 

Copyright © 2002 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.