(MY) letter to editor on monkey export ban lifted

[Guest guest]

2007/08/28-New Straits Times

 

Wildlife: Restore macaque-trade ban

By : N. SURENDRAN, Kuala Lumpur

 

 

Some baby monkeys seized by the Wildlife and National Parks

Department. The monkeys were destined for local restaurants and

overseas market.

 

 

THE recent decision of the Ministry of Natural Resources and

Environment to lift the ban on monkey trading comes as a shock to all

Malaysians who are concerned for our wildlife and abhor cruelty

towards animals.

 

These poor animals are to be seized from their habitats and sold

abroad where many of them will be slaughtered for the pot or for

medical research.

 

How could the ministry decide to send our wildlife into captivity,

torture and death?

 

The reason advanced by the ministry is that this is the only way to

control primate overpopulation.

 

But what about humane culling? Surely it is immoral and callous to

make money out of selling the monkeys, as if they were some kind of

merchandise.

 

To make things worse, the ministry will be encouraging the trade in

exotic wildlife in Malaysia and in the region.

 

Once the supply of " legitimate " macaques from Malaysia runs out,

restaurants overseas serving exotic meat will surely turn to illegal

traders in our country to satisfy the lucrative demand for monkey

meat. This will lead to a huge increase in illegal hunting of macaques

in our jungles.

 

One can only conclude that the ministry did not consider this matter

deeply enough before lifting the ban.

 

Another reason cited by ministry officials is that there have been

incidences of monkey attacks on humans in urban areas.

 

No empirical data was given as to the frequency of such attacks. In

fact, one rarely hears of such attacks.

 

In any event, mass capture and slaughter of wildlife is surely a

disproportionate reaction to isolated monkey attacks. It should also

not be forgotten that indiscriminate development and human

encroachment on monkey habitats is the real cause of these relatively

rare attacks.

 

As a species, monkeys are quite similar to humans, both at a genetic

and behavioural level. They live in close-knit family units and

communities. It is horrifying to think that these wonderful creatures

which share this world with us will soon be subjected to mass capture

and slaughter.

 

I hope the ministry will restore the ban on monkey trading. Any other

course of action will shame this country in the eyes of the world and

subject our macaques to a terrible fate.