Fw: primfocus: Primate Freedom Tour begins in Indonesia

[Guest guest]

Indonesian Daily News, Surabaya

February 1, 2001

 

Animal conservationists tour plazas

 

SURABAYA - Endangered animal species should be protected by law

but the conservation effort must begin with people, a protester

said.

 

" That is why traders of endangered animals must realize that

they are making profit from killing nearly extinct species, "

Suparno, the spokesperson of the Animal Conservation For Life

(KSBK), a non-governmental organization, said.

 

" We also suggest that people refuse to buy endangered animals, "

he added.

 

The protesters said they would take their message to shopping

malls in Surabaya.

 

Suparno said that shopping malls are potential places where

trade of endangered animals besides aviary markets.

 

" Our protests here are aimed to encourage awareness among

people that many animals are in danger of becoming extinct, "

Suparno said, " especially primates. "

 

It is also ironic, he said, that many endangered primates are

traded for nominal amounts of money.

 

Of the existing 195 primate species in the world, he said, 37

are found in Indonesia. " 20 species can only be found in

Indonesia, " he added.

 

But some Indonesian primate species are under threat of

extinction because of illegal animal trade, he said.

 

The theoretically outlawed trade has posed a serious threat

for primates, he said, because 99 percent of the traded

animals were caught in their natural habitat.

 

He also said that Indonesia has the longest list of extinct

animals.

 

The KSBK protest in Surabaya was part of their Java rally

protest dubbed Primate Freedom Tour, he said, which passes

through six cities.

 

" It started on January 29, in Malang and will end on February

10, in Bandung, " Suparno said.

 

Among the cities visited, he said, are Yogyakarta, Jakarta and

Bogor as trade of endangered species is especially high in

major cities.

 

During their rallies at shopping malls, the conservationists

distributed brochures with 2 out of all 30 participants in

monkey costumes.

 

Suparno added that funds to run their tour had come from

members' donation.

 

In East Java, Suparno said, transactions of primates could be

seen in Ngawi, a city located west of Surabaya.

 

" Along the roads in Ngawi, a lot of traders offer hundreds of

primates for sale to passers by, " Suparno said.

 

About six primates, he added, are sold every week in Ngawi

with 28 as a monthly average.

 

Based on KSBK's data, about 630 primates have been sold so far

in the province.

 

Each primate has various price tags with the lowest being

Rp100,000 and the highest attached to Gibbon between Rp700,000

and Rp1million for one.

 

" We believe that nationally the number of primate trade has

reached thousands, " Suparno said.

 

He also said that Law No. 5/1990 on conservation of biological

species threatens violators with a fine of Rp100 million or

five years' imprisonment.

 

" Unfortunately, it seems that the government doesn't pay

serious attention to this matter and tends to neglect it. We

believe that many primate species will be extinct in the years

to come if the government continues to disregard the problem, "

Suparno said.

 

He also said that the most the government would do is

confiscate the traded primates without concrete penalties for

both sellers and buyers.

 

" We hope the government will enforce the law to prevent the

extinction of the primates, " Suparno said.