(MY) stiffer laws

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Stiffer laws to protect endangered animals - Malaysiakini.com

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz

Dec 22, 05 4:52pm

 

The authorities will be able to put a stop to the exploitation of

totally protected animals by theme parks and private zoos if a

completely revamped version of the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act is

approved.

 

Although endangered animals are seized upon entry into the country,

those that have been successfully smuggled through are rarely accorded

protection.

 

Many have ended up for display or used as circus acts by commercial

and public establishments despite Malaysia being a signatory to the

1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

 

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry parliamentary secretary

Sazmi Miah (right) said such abuses will reduce significantly if the

Wildlife Protection and Conservation Act is passed by Parliament.

 

" Protected species, when brought into the country, we cannot do

anything. We also don't have a clause on the display of (endangered)

animals in our present act. That's why we have asked for a revision.

 

" There'll be provisions against the private or public display of

endangered animals. The (zoos or theme parks) would also have to have

the relevant permits, certain conditions met for the well-being of the

animals and so on, " he said when contacted.

 

Sazmi was commenting on the recent case of six orang utans that were

confiscated and returned to Indonesia last week after authorities

confirmed them to be of the endangered Sumatran species (pongo

pygmaeus abelii).

 

Animals on show

 

Recognised as 'critically endangered' in Cites' Appendix 1, trade in

Sumatran orang utans is prohibited save for scientific research or

conservation purposes. Indonesia has stopped their export since 2000.

 

For years, however, they were featured in shows at the Kuala Lumpur

Bird Park, with the master of ceremony purportedly introducing them as

an 'endangered species' found 'only in Sumatra'.

 

The shows were abruptly called off on April 9 this year after a member

of the public made a complaint. The six were then returned to the

Malacca-based private theme park, A'Formosa Resort, before being

confiscated in mid-July by the authorities and kept at the Malacca

Zoo.

 

A seventh orang utan was found to have been in the possession of the

Johor Zoo for an unknown period of time.

 

Sazmi said he hoped to get feedback on the revamped version of the

Wildlife Act from the Attorney-General's Chambers and the relevant

ministries early next year before tabling it in Parliament in the

second sitting.

 

The revamp is the result of discussions with non-governmental

organisations and other stake-holders into the various loopholes and

other inadequacies of the present act, he added.

 

Another feature of the proposed act is severer penalties for the

smuggling and trading of endangered animals, he said.

 

Under the current act, offenders are fined between RM6,000 and

RM10,000 and could be jailed from five to 10 years.

 

" We're thinking of imposing a mandatory jail sentence, higher (fines),

and whipping, for that matter, " said Sazmi.

 

Probe over by January

 

Defending the harsh punishment, he said people had to be taught the

immense value of wildlife and the seriousness of their loss.

 

" We cannot put a value on tigers, for example, because we cannot

rebuild them, and we cannot grow them like we grow trees. Once they're

lost, they're lost forever.

 

" We're looking very seriously at the protection and conservation of

wildlife, " he added.

 

The concept is to manage people instead of managing wildlife because

we feel its people who need to be educated and need to know, he said.

 

Commenting on the investigations into the smuggling and trading of the

Sumatran orang utans, Sazmi said he hoped they would be completed by

the end of January.

 

The process has to be completed before any conclusions or judgements

can be made on any party, he said.

 

 

However, he stressed that nobody will be protected should they be found guilty.

" We cannot say yet that anybody is in the wrong. Like I said,

investigations need to be done as to who brought them in. If A'Famosa

is the one who brought them in, they will get it. "