Bali ‘a major hub’ for illegal trade in endangered primates

Activists claim Bali was one of Indonesia’s main hubs in the illegal trade of endangered primate species, with 200 animals trafficked from Java and in Bali every month since 2010.

Rosek Nursahid, the chairman of ProFauna Indonesia, said at a campaign to stop the illegal trafficking of primates at Renon Park in Denpasar on Sunday that the organization was investigating the issue.

“We still have no idea about the motives behind the illegal trafficking of endangered primates,” Nursahid admitted.

A Javan lutung sells for Rp 200,000 (US$23.40) while an orangutan can be bought for more than Rp 2 million and the Javan slow loris for Rp 1 million, he claimed.

The campaign, organized by ProFauna Indonesia and the International Primate Protection League (IPPL), was attended by dozens of young people carrying large banners urging a halt to the illegal trade of protected primates.

The participants also staged theatrical performances depicting the suffering of caged primates. Some of them were dressed in animal costumes and masks.

There are 25 primate species across the world that face extinction in the wild, four of them endemic to Indonesia: the Sumatran orangutan, Siau Island tarsier, Javan slow loris and the pig-tailed langur.

Recently, two residents of Lumajang, East Java, were found to be transporting Javan lutungs through the Gilimanuk Ferry Port in Jembarana, West Bali, which links Java and Bali.

“In general, seaports, ferry ports and airports in Indonesia are not able to stem the trafficking of protected animals,” Nursahid said.

Most port officials only examined passengers’s identity cards but not their belongings,” he said.

“The animals were placed in boxes and went unnoticed. In addition to primates, smugglers also sell rare raptor species and other protected bird species,” Nursahid added.

ProFauna said trade in primates was limited to conservation institutions and zoos under the permission of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA).

Those found in possession of protected primate species face criminal charges under the natural resource conservation and ecosystem law and could face five years in prison and Rp 100 million in fines.

ProFauna is conducting a series of programs to educate the police, authorities and schools on the importance of identifying and protecting endangered primate species.

Luh De Suriyani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Mon, 07/04/2011 11:12 PM