WILDLIFE POACHING RAMPANT IN ACEH

BANDA ACEH, May 22, 2013: The death of Jack, a Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) seized by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Aceh on Wednesday, May 6, 2013, reflects a crisis in animal poaching in the Province, and the failure of BKSDA to address it.

"We strongly deplore BKSDA's failure to protect wildlife in Aceh in line with its responsibility. Orangutans are an endangered species protected by Law No. 5 of 1990 on Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems," said Badrul Irfan, head of Forum for Orangutans Aceh (FORA).

According to data from the Sumatran Orangutan Quarantine Centre in North Sumatra, between 2002 and April 2013 261 orangutans were dealt with by the Centre, after being seized from people holding them illegally – in addition to orangutans born in the Centre. Of those, 143 – more than half – came from Aceh and 118 from other Provinces.

"Of the 143 orangutans confiscated in Aceh, not a single case has been prosecuted. After the confiscation no attempt has been made at enforcement against the perpetrators. This is a key issue for FORA, and contributes to our view that BKSDA is not doing its job," said Ratno Sugito, Action Coordinator for FORA.

FORA's view is that BKSDA Aceh has acted to silence cases. There is a strong suspicion that this has occurred with many cases involving the trafficking of wildlife in Aceh. They include poaching of Sumatran elephants, trafficking of ivory, trade in Sumatran tigers, Sumatran rhino, rhino horn and Sumatran orangutans.

In response, FORA and other wildlife watchdogs in Aceh wrote a letter to the head of BKSDA Aceh dated January 4, 2012, asking for a meeting to discuss the scale of killing of protected species within its jurisdiction. But to date there has been no response to the letter.

It is time for BKSDA Aceh to catch and prosecute the perpetrators of illegal wildlife trade in Aceh. The Ministry of Forestry should also play a role through its Technical Management Unit. FORA demands that the Director General of the Department of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation fulfils its mandate to protect wildlife and habitats, and maintain the biological functions of natural resources.

We also appeal to the general public not to take part in the trade or possession of protected species.

About Forum for Orangutans Aceh

FORA consists of NGOs, businesses and academics in Aceh Province who document and oppose the destruction of wildlife habitats, especially of the Sumatran orangutan. Deforestation in Aceh, in particular driven by the large-scale oil palm plantation sector, has been a major contributor to the decline of Aceh's endangered species.

 

FORA also opposes mining activities in critical habitats. FORA carries out advocacy against trafficking and poaching of Sumatran orangutans in Aceh Province and at the national level. 

 

 

Tom Johnson

Forest Campaigner