Press Release | 02 December 2007

Seconds To UNFCCC, The Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) of Department of Forestry Confiscating Many Wild Animals in Bali

Contents

• Seconds To UNFCCC, The Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) of Department of Forestry Confiscating Many Wild Animals in Bali
• For further information, please contact

Seconds to the international event of 13th Conference of The Parties (COP) of United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) in Bali next 3 – 14 December 2007, the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) of Bali confiscating wild animals kept at private residences or traded illegally in Bali. This confiscation that started on 28 November 2007 has been successful rescuing many protected animals and its parts.

This confiscation is supported by ProFauna Indonesia, Born Free Foundation and Humane Society International and has been successful rescuing 3 sulphur crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), 1 yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea), 1 palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), 1 Salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua molucensis), sea eagle (Halliaetus leucogaster), dan 6 Olive Ridley turtle (Lephidocelys olivacea). Besides those, BKSDA officers had also confiscating 1 elephant ivory priced Rp. 150 millions, 400 sea turtles eggs, 3 crocodile’s skulls, and 10 cassowary’s eggs. The officers had also confiscated many protected sea biotic.

Those protected animals and its parts were taken from many hotels, villas, art shops, as well as private residences. BKSDA and ProFauna team also visited Satria Bird Market, Denpasar, but found no protected animals there. Most of the confiscated wild animals are now kept temporarily in the Animal Rescue Center (PPS), Bali.

Formerly on 1999 the beautiful island of Bali was known as the center of green turtle trade. ProFauna’s in depth investigation reported around 27,000 sea turtles were slaughtered each year. Nowadays, sea turtle trade in Bali is decreasing a lot, but does not mean had stopped totally. This fact is proven by the confiscation of 11 green turtle in 30 October 2007 by the Indonesian Marine Army (TNI AL). Those sea turtles were imported from Banyuwangi – East Java.

Though sea turtles trade in Bali has been decreased, there are still some hotels that keeping sea turtles illegally. In this operation, BKSDA officers were successful in rescuing 6 hatchlings and 5 boxes of sea turtles’ eggs from a hotel in Tanjung – Benoa, Bali. Tanjung Benoa is known as the center of sea turtles trade in Bali.

ProFauna is supporting and is happy for this confiscating operation. I Wayan Wiradnyana, ProFauna Bali coordinator said “as the host of UNFCCC, Bali needs to show that this island which is rich of natural and cultural beauties is free from wild animals’ trade and its illegal possession”.

For further information, please contact:

Wita Wahyu Widyayandani, ProFauna Bali Representative
HP. 08179706066
email: bali@profauna.net