Dear All,
Dear All,
Apologies for the cross post. The following message I received from
the Oriental Bird Club list, but I think that this will probably
interest birding-aussers. After all, if the poachers and smugglers
clean out their own neck of woods, it is not far down to our
coastline, and we have many of the target species in our north.
Carl Clifford
HELP PROFAUNA STOP PARROTS SMUGGLING IN INDONESIASend
your
letter : http://www.profauna.org/content/en/petition_parrots.html
There are about 85 parrot species in Indonesia, 14 of them are
classified as
globally threatened. One of the regions with many parrot species is
Wallacea
which includes Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, and the Maluku Islands. 4
endangered
species in Wallacea are the red-and-blue Lory (Eos histrio),
yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea), blue-napped Parrot
(Tanygnathus lucioinensis), and black-winged Lory (Eos
cyanogenia).
Lory and Cockatoo Poaching
In 2002,ProFauna Indonesia (
www.profauna.org ) in collaboration with the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals RSPCA launched a report called “FLYING
WITHOUT WINGS” that publicised the facts that in 2001 there were
approximately 15,000 parrots caught in North Maluku in a year. The
report launch
was followed by series of campaign conducted by ProFauna Indonesia
supported by
a local organization named Yayasan KAMU. As a result, the parrot trade
in
Ternate has fallen by 95%.
After 5 years of “FLYING WITHOUT WINGS” launch, in 2007
ProFauna conducted an investigation on parrot trafficking in Sulawesi
and North
Halmahera. It revealed the evidence on the smuggling of wild caught
parrots from
Indonesia to the Philippines which report called “PIRATED PARROTS”
was launched in May 2008.
“PIRATED PARROTS” reports that about 10,000 parrots are caught
from the wild in North Halmahera, Maluku and smuggled to both domestic
trade and
the Philippines. The parrots poached in North Halmahera are; white
Cockatoos
(Cacatua alba), chattering Lorys (Lorius garrulous), Eclectus
parrots (Eclectus roratus) and the violet-necked Lorys (Eos
squamata). The Eclectus parrot is a protected species which is
prohibited
for trade.
The red-and-blue Lorys (Eos histrio), endangered species, are also
being smuggled. Fortunately, the red-and-blue Lory poaching and trade
have
decreased drastically due to active confiscation operations conducted
by the
forestry department rangers in 2005. The local authority’s regulation
in the
villages in Karakelang Island, an island in Talaud Islands group,
bordering
Indonesia and Philippines, prohibits the poaching of red-and-blue
Lory. Thus
helps reduce the trade.
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top
40% Death Rate
Most of the Indonesian parrots come from Halmahera Island, North of
Maluku.
40% of them are smuggled to the Philippines from the port in Pelita
Village,
Galela District in northern Halmahera. An illegal wildlife dealer
named Mei
Lumombo operates from there. He smuggles the birds to Balut Island or
to General
Santos, in the Philippines, using a private boat.
The sea journey alone to smuggle parrots from Halmahera, Indonesia to
General
Santos, in the Philippines takes 9 hours. The journey from the forest to
villages and to the port also takes a long time. Most boats carrying the
smuggled Indonesian parrots do not dock at the General Santos port to
unload.
The transactions are done offshore or in the sea, where the
Philippines dealers
collect the parrots from the Indonesian ships. Upon arrival at General
Santos,
the birds are sent to Cartimar market, in Manila, the capital of the
Philippines.
The parrot’s death rate is as high as 40 % by the time they arrive at
the
sales points. For every 1000 parrots caught from the wild, 400 birds
died in
vain, during the poaching, transportation and trade, due to poor
conditions and
cruel handling.
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top
Lack of Law Enforcement
The parrot smuggling to the Philippines breaks the CITES (Convention of
International on Trade in Endangered Species) agreements, ratified by
Indonesia in 1978. Most parrots are listed in Appendix II. Parrots in
CITES
Appendix II are prohibited from international commercial trade unless
they are
captive bred or permitted by the exporting country. In Indonesia the
bird trade
is controlled by the catch quota. Parrots in the trade are not captive
bred.
From the interviews with some animal traders in Cartimar market in
Manila,
the Philippines, ProFauna uncovered that some of the birds smuggled from
Indonesia were intended for export to other countries and to be
labelled as
captive-bred. It is therefore necessary for the Philippines authority
to control
and check the parrot breeding centre and the source of parrots for
export.
The illegal trade of protected parrots violates the Indonesian
legislation of
the 1990 (a wildlife law concerning Natural Resources and the Ecosystems
Conservations). Accordingly, the perpetrators are liable to a maximum
five-year
prison term and a maximum 100 million Rupiah fine. Unfortunately, the
Indonesian
governments has not enforced the law because many protected parrot are
still
being smuggled abroad and sold openly in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.
At least once in every two weeks there is a freight vessel that dock at
Surabaya sea port, transporting illegal parrots. There are about 30
birds of
various species being smuggled to Surabaya per shipment. From the data
collected
by ProFauna about animal markets in Java and Bali, the domestic trade
in parrots
is still at a high level. The most wanted species is the black-capped
Lory
(Lorius lory), the second is the sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua
galerita) and the third is the Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus).
Tri Prayudhi, ProFauna’s Campaign Officer stated, ” The Navy of
Indonesian
Armed Force (TNI) and the Indonesian Marine Police must improve the
patrol of
marine boundaries between Indonesia and the Philippines seas and the
route used
for wildlife smuggling from Indonesia to Philippines”. ProFauna strongly
recommends that both Indonesian and the Philippines governments
implement and
enforce their wildlife laws.
In addition to the necessity of law enforcement to stop the illegal
parrot
trade, ProFauna urges the Indonesian government to raise the status of
white
Cockatoo (Cacatua alba), endemic species of Northern Maluku as
Indonesian
protected species.
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top
What you can help?
You can help us stop Indonesian parrots poaching and trade by sending
letters
to the addresses below and signing out petition. Show your deep
concern to
parrots trade as reported in ProFauna’s PIRATED PARROTS. Based on
the findings outlined the letter, we humbly but urgently request that
you:
Demand the Republic of Indonesia government to stop parrots smuggling
to the
Philippines by conducting confiscation operation in North Halmahera
dealers and
improve the patrol of marine boundaries between Indonesia and the
Philippines
and the route used for wildlife smuggling from Indonesia to the
Philippines.
Urge the Forestry Ministry of Republic of Indonesia to control,
investigate,
and seize protected wildlife, especially parrots, from traders in the
animal
markets in Surabaya and Pramuka market in Jakarta.
Resommend the Forestry Minister to raise the protection status of White
Cockatoo (Cacatua alba) many of the species are caught for trade and the
mortality rate in parrot trade is very high. Nevertheless, white
cockatoo is not
protected.
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top
Send your letter to the following addresses:
MS Kaban, Menteri Kehutanan Republik Indonesia Gedung Manggala
Wanabhakti
Blok I, lantai 4 Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jakarta Pusat 10270. Phone
021-5731820,
Fax 021-5700226 e-mail: ,
,
Jendral Polisi Soetanto, Kepala Polisi Republik Indonesia MABES POLRI
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3 Kebayoran Baru Jakarta Selatan. Phone 021-7390306,
3848537
e-mail:
Please copy carbon your letter to ProFauna address below, as we are
forwarding the sent letters to the Forestry Minister and the Federal
Police of
the Republic of Indonesia. Your support will help the conservation of
Indonesian
parrots in the wild.
ProFauna Indonesia Jl Raya Candi II no 179 Klaseman, Malang-Indonesia
Phone 0341-570033, Fax 0341-569506 Email
Send
your
letter :
http://www.profauna.org/content/en/petition_parrots.html==============================www.birding-aus.org
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