SCORPION'S PRESS RELEASE
15th of October 2015
Despite a recent damning report from TRAFFIC (http://www.traffic.org/home/2015/9/25/tens-of-thousands-of-birds-illegally-sold-on-the-streets-of.html) investigators from NGO investigate group SCORPION continue to find thousands of wild birds illegally on sale every day in Jakarta’s markets.
Senior investigator Marison Guciano said, “As soon as we see illegal wildlife for sale we send photos and reports to BKSDA, but so far no action has been taken against the dealers. I’m so sad when our law enforcement officers will not enforce the a law.”
The capture for sale of almost all birds is against the law. But dealers, who are really criminals stealing Indonesia’s wild birds, continue to offer for sale a multitude of species which no buyer will know how to care for, meaning the birds die a painful death.
Investigators report seeing eagles, kites, hawks, kingfishers among the many illegal species openly on sale. No one has ever reported seeing a uniformed BKSDA official in any market and there is no evidence of any undercover visits either.
Gunung Gea, director of SCORPION added, “We call again on BKSDA and our ministry of Environment and Forestry to intervene immediately and before there are no wild birds left in the wild. With over 20,000 wild birds illegally on sale at any one time in Jakarta the trade is open and obvious to anyone and the wild populations can never reproduce fast enough to replace these birds.
SCORPION has made numerous reports and representations to BKSDA but as far as is known no dealer has been arrested or market raided, and this is completely unacceptable.
Marison Guciano continued, “Besides which, the death rate of the birds during capture, transit, in the markets and when taken home by buyers is likely to be near 90% or more – no one is trained to care for birds like eagle, not even parrots, so they soon die. We hope our minister will see this news report and order BKSDA to begin confiscating birds and animals from dealers.”
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Pramuka market. 13th October 2015. Illegal birds openly on sale. (Photo: SCORPION)
jatinegara market. 13th October 2015. Illegal birds openly on sale.
