EAZA Tiger Campaign 2002/4
Target projects: Project 2
Curbing Wildlife Crimes in Sumatra
This project is being implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Programme, in collaboration with relevant national and local authorities and NGOs.The Sumatran tiger population has declined rapidly in recent years and shows signs of an even greater rate of decline. Tigers and prey species are being hunted at unsustainable rates across Sumatra. In spite of having protected areas, there are still tiger parts on sale in Sumatran cities and poachers are not prosecuted. Between 1970 and 1993 Indonesia supplied nearly half of an estimated 8,951 kg of tiger bones exported to East Asian countries, all exported illegally. Despite the amount of effort and funding that have gone into protection including numerous arrests, there have only been a handful of cases that have been successfully prosecuted in Indonesia.
The Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Programme proposes to address this threat by:
- Establishing an independent Wildlife Crimes Unit in order to put an end to uncontrolled sales of tiger parts involving members of government and non-government bodies. They will be trained on a range of issues related to hunting and the wildlife trade. The unit's main activities will be working with brokers to monitor trade, patrolling markets and other trade points, arresting violators, confiscating evidence, and ensuring that legal prosecution is carried out properly.
- Providing financial and legal support for the prosecution of poachers, as well as working with law enforcement officers to monitor and support law enforcement. Five high profile court cases a year will build a strong portfolio of legal precedents which can be used for future cases.
- Promoting public awareness of tiger trade prohibition, including working with the media to publicise arrests and court proceedings. Public awareness materials such as posters, leaflets, insertion papers and stickers will promote and 'socialise' protection law.
