SCORPION Foundation appreciates the Indonesian Government Agency for Natural Resource Conservation (BKSDA) in Jakarta for enforcing the law on wildlife protection. The BKSDA Jakarta confirmed to SCORPION on Tuesday (24th of November 2015) that a gibbon reported by SCORPION has been confiscated by the BKSDA Jakarta.
In a letter (No. 10/YSI-WLTMP/IX/2015) on 3rd September 2015, Scorpion Foundation sent a report and photographs from its investigation carried out on Tuesday, 1st of September 2015. The gibbon was placed in a large cage in front of a house at Jl. Katamaran Indah 6 at the Mediterrania Boulevard Housing Complex in Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta.
SCORPION also sent carbon copies of the letter to Governor of Jakarta, and three key officers at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry including the Minister, Director General of Natural Resources Conservation and Ecosystem, Director General of Law Enforcement, and Director of Biodiversity Conservation.
Due to slow process of the confiscation, SCORPION Foundation sent another letter (No: 23/YSI-WLTMP/XI/2015) to BKSDA Jakarta on 10th of November 2015 requesting to accelerate confiscation of this rare species.
SCORPION Foundation is a non-profit registered foundation working to monitor the illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia including in major cities of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, and Bali.
In the mid of this months, SCORPION also carried out intensive investigation of rare wildlife trade that helped the Jakarta Police in arresting 6 traders and buyers. (http://scorpionmonitor.org/trafficking_syndicate_of_rare_species.html)
Programme Director of Scorpion Foundation said: “The SCORPION Foundation greatly appreciates BKSDA Jakarta for confiscating the gibbon from North Jakarta because gibbons are protected under the Indonesia law and regulation. They are also listed as Endangered Species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).”
“We hope that BKSDA proceeds with legal process of this case because it is a violation of Law Number 5/1990 and Government Regulation No. 7/1999. Violators of these laws and regulations can be jailed for 5 years plus fine of IDR 100,000,000.00 (USD 7,400),” Gunung Gea added.
“Wildlife belongs in the wild. If you see protected wildlife for sale please report to SCORPION and also report to law enforcement agencies. Those who own protected animals are encouraged to immediately hand them over to the government conservation agencies (BKSDA) throughout Indonesia without delay. Keeping protected animals at home will make life uneasy under the shadow of the threat of prison and paying of expensive fines,“ Gunung Gea stressed.
Law No. 5/1990 says, every person who kills, captures, or keeps protected species can be sentenced for five years in jail plus fine of IDR100 million (US$7,400).
