(MY) letters on tiger poaching

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Stop supporting poachers - New Straits Times

DATUK MUSA NORDIN,-General,

Department of Wildlife and National Parks

 

Oct 20:

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THE fate of a Malaysian tiger butchered into several pieces made the

news recently. Acting on a tip-off, the Department of Wildlife and

National Parks in Kelantan recovered a dead tiger.

A man was also arrested.

 

It is because of the villagers who informed the authorities that this

suspect had been apprehended.

 

For this, the villagers will be duly rewarded.

 

The department is the guardian of Malaysia's wildlife.

 

Among its many wards is the endangered Malayan tiger, totally

protected under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972.

 

There are an estimated 500 tigers left in the wild, and threats to the

species are many — such as habitat loss and fragmentation, loss of

prey, retaliation killing in human-tiger conflict situa-tions, and

poaching.

 

All players in the illegal trade in tigers, from the poacher, to the

middleman, to the dealer and consumer, must be duly prosecuted for the

offences they commit.

 

Those arrested in this current case must be given the maximum penalty,

if found guilty, as a deterrent.

 

The public must also not support the illegal trade in tigers in any way.

 

Do not buy tiger parts, or products claiming to contain tiger derivatives.

 

Do not patronise restaurants serving tiger meat, as this is an offence.

 

Notify the wildlife department closest to you or call the department

headquarters at 03-90752872 if you have any information on anyone

selling or trapping protected species

 

_____________________

Impose maximum penalties - New Straits Times

Oct 19:

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I REFER to the recent case of tiger poaching (NST, Oct 15). As long as

people eat tiger meat, tigers will continue to be killed.

Tigers removed from the wild because of conflict with humans or

rescued from smugglers, end up in zoos. They have almost no chance of

returning to the wild.

 

Wildlife poaching and trafficking continue as a collective result of

superstitious consumers, greedy poachers, indifferent public,

incomplete law, and insufficient law enforcement.

 

The biggest market for tiger products is in China. Tigers are almost

gone from there and the neighbouring Indochinese countries. The

poaching pressure in Malaysia on tigers and other wildlife is

increasing.

 

Last month, a tiger poacher was sentenced to seven years in jail in

Cambodia. In Malaysia, no tiger poacher has ever been penalised to the

full extent of the law, which is a RM15,000 fine and a five-year jail

term. Why? Because it is not considered a serious offence.

 

When the Wildlife Act is amended in the near future, the maximum

penalty will increase, but it would still be meaningless if the court

doesn't use it to punish the criminals.

 

Catching poachers red-handed is a difficult task. I commend the effort

of the Kelantan State Wildlife Department and members of the public

whose crucial information led to the arrest.

 

An offence was committed. The authorities made an arrest. The court's

decision will indicate how seriously crime against wildlife is

regarded in this country.

 

This will have a huge impact on the future of the Malayan tiger.

 

DR KAE KAWANISHI

 

Wildlife biologist

 

Kuala Lumpur

 

Do our part

 

I WAS saddened by the sight of a tiger reduced to butchered meat

recently. I am appalled that rampant poaching is going on under the

very noses of authorities entrusted to guard one of our national

treasures — the flora and fauna of the oldest rainforest in the world.

 

The Wildlife Department estimates there are fewer than 500 tigers left

in our forest, the largest known tiger population in Southeast Asia.

 

I urge the Government to tighten anti-poaching laws. We are losing

protected wildlife every day without increased enforcement and

stringent punishment of poachers.

 

A tiger can fetch up to RM30,000 on the black market, while the

maximum fine for poaching is RM15,000.

 

A possibility of more than a 100 per cent profit, despite conviction,

coupled with a few years in prison is not a deterrent to poachers.

 

As concerned Malaysians, we have a part to play, too. Contact the

Wildlife Department when you see protected wildlife on sale.

 

LILLIAN DANIELLE KHOO

 

Petaling Jaya

 

Pivotal role

 

WE are grateful that the local Press continues to highlight the plight

of our threatened wildlife.

 

The news of rampant poaching of our dwindling tiger population

signifies a problem that refuses to go away.

 

There is an urgent need to educate the public not to consume exotic meat.

 

We also need to revise current penalties for poachers and reward those

who tip off the authorities.

 

Foreigners setting traps in our forest points to a deep-seated problem

at our borders. Immigration and Customs play a pivotal role at

airports, ports and land borders.

 

Many of the endangered wildlife trade transcends national boundaries.

If this trade continues to thrive, our Customs and Immigration

departments will be shown to lack the competency to stem the problem.

 

BERNIE

 

Kuala Lumpur

 

Set up committee

 

ONCE again a predator at the top of the food chain, the tiger, is

taken from our jungle — this time by a heartless hunter. If this

continues, we may lose the 500 or so tigers left in the wild by the

end of this decade.

 

The Wildlife Department does not seem to have enough resources to curb

poaching. Urgent and bold steps need to be taken now, if we are to

save tigers and other wildlife from disappearing from our forests.

 

A Cabinet-level committee should be set up to look into problems

affecting endangered species in our forests. It should study the

manpower and technical needs of the wildlife department, review the

penalties for illegal hunting, and seek input from experts to ensure

effective and long-term measures to save our wildlife.

 

P. KESAVAN

 

Environment and Research Association for Consumers Malaysia

 

Petaling Jaya