https://indonesia.wcs.org RSS feeds for WCS Indonesia 60 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16577/Pertama-Kali-di-Indonesia-Tim-Pesepeda-dan-Pejalan-Kaki-WCS-Ciptakan-Landmark-Spasial-Gajah-di-Bandar-Lampung.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16577 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16577&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16577/Pertama-Kali-di-Indonesia-Tim-Pesepeda-dan-Pejalan-Kaki-WCS-Ciptakan-Landmark-Spasial-Gajah-di-Bandar-Lampung.aspx Bandar Lampung, 23 Agustus 2020 -- Tim pesepeda dan pejalan sehat Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Indonesia Program menyusuri Kota Bandar Lampung dan berhasil menciptakan landmark spasial berbentuk gajah pada hari Minggu, 23 Agustus 2020 dalam rangka kampanye Voice of the Voiceless. Sebanyak 18 orang pesepeda dan pejalan kaki yang dibagi ke dalam tiga tim, menyusuri 22 titik koordinat di Bandar Lampung, yang lintasannya di peta membentuk landmark spasial berbentuk gajah. Penciptaan landmark spasial gajah dalam kampanye konservasi satwa liar ini merupakan yang pertama kalinya dilakukan di Indonesia. Aksi ini merupakan bagian kampanye WCS Indonesia Program bekerja sama dengan Pemerintah Provinsi Lampung, Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BKSDA) Bengkulu-Lampung, Balai Besar Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan, dan Balai Taman Nasional Way Kambas untuk membangun kesadaran masyarakat akan pentingnya menyuarakan perlindungan terhadap empat spesies kebanggaan Indonesia yang kini populasinya terancam punah yakni harimau sumatera, gajah sumatera, orangutan, dan badak sumatera. Landmark Spasial Gajah adalah simbolisasi dari prinsip koeksistensi dan berbagi ruang kehidupan bagi semua makhluk. “Kampanye Voice of the Voiceless merupakan prakarsa WCS yang diluncurkan tepat saat HUT ke-75 Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia, 17 Agustus 2020, untuk mengingatkan publik bahwa gajah sumatera, harimau sumatera, orangutan, dan badak sumatera masih berjuang untuk merdeka dari perburuan liar dan kerusakan lingkungan serta merdeka dari ancaman kepunahan,” ujar Country Director WCS Indonesia Program, Dr. Noviar Andayani. Memperjuangkan satwa liar Indonesia, lanjutnya, selalu menjadi bagian dalam tiap langkah WCS yang mencita-citakan sebuah dunia dengan ruang bagi hidupan liar untuk tumbuh dan berkembang sehat, baik di darat maupun perairan, serta dihargai dan diayomi oleh masyarakat yang mendapatkan manfaat dari keragaman dan keutuhan kehidupan di bumi. Pemerintah Provinsi Lampung menyambut baik event yang mempromosikan landmark Kota Bandar Lampung sekaligus mendekatkan publik di Kota Bandar Lampung dengan satwa gajah sumatera yang menjadi ikon Provinsi Lampung. “Pemilihan Bandar Lampung sebagai lokasi untuk menciptakan gambar spasial gajah pertama di Indonesia ini sudah tepat, mengingat Provinsi Lampung dikenal dengan julukan “Negeri Seribu Gajah,” ujar Plt. Kepala Dinas Kehutanan Lampung, Ir. Yanyan Ruchyansyah. Di waktu yang hampir bersamaan, satu tim dari Pemuda Desa Labuhan Ratu VI menelusuri jalur menggunakan sepeda gunung, melintasi jalan desa, wilayah permukiman, perladangan, persawahan dan kebun karet, membentuk landmark spasial gajah di Desa Labuhan Ratu VI, di pinggir hutan Taman Nasional Way Kambas. Rute ini melawati 23 titik yang sebagian melewati kawasan hutan di Taman Nasional Way Kambas. Menurut Prayitno, Kepala Desa Labuan Ratu VI, meskipun rasa jengkel masih ada ketika tanaman mereka dirusak gajah, masyarakat sudah dapat menerima kehadiran gajah sebagai bagian dari sejarah pembangunan di desa. Ini disimbolkan dengan patung gajah putih di desa tersebut yang disakralkan. Kelompok Sadar Wisata desa malah mengusulkan rute spasial gajah nantinya bisa dimanfaatkan sebagai salah satu atraksi wisata desa, sebagai bagian dari strategi pencegahan interaksi negatif dengan gajah melalui pendekatan wisata alam berbasis masyarakat. Kepala Seksi Konservasi Wilayah III Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BKSDA) Provinsi Lampung, Hifzon Zawahiri, mendukung aksi ini. “Peningkatan kesadartahuan masyarakat mengenai konservasi satwa liar hendaknya dilakukan melalui cara-cara yang kreatif seperti ini,” ujarnya. Hifzon berharap pesan dari pembuatan landmark spasial gajah ini bahwa kita perlu berbagi ruang hidup dengan gajah dan satwa liar lainnya akan mampu meningkatkan dukungan masyarakat terhadap upaya konservasi yang dilakukan pemerintah dan berbagai pihak di Indonesia. “Gajah sumatera menghadapi ancaman akibat perburuan dan perdagangan ilegal gading gajah. Karenanya peningkatan kesadartahuan masyarakat mengenai pelestarian satwa dan pemahaman mengenai ketentuan perundang-undangan mengenai konservasi satwa liar beserta ekosistemnya menjadi penting untuk selalu dilakukan melalui kampanye secara luas,” ungkap Kepala Balai Taman Nasional Way Kambas, Subakir. Sementara itu Kepala Balai Besar Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan, Ismanto, mengatakan, saat ini gajah sumatera di wilayah Lampung juga semakin tertekan akibat interaksi negatif antara manusia dengan satwa liar yang terjadi di sekitar kawasan hutan. Kampanye publik seperti ini, ujarnya, diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kesadartahuan masyarakat agar bisa berbagi ruang dan hidup berdampingan dengan gajah sumatera. Voice of the Voiceless memanfaatkan media sosial, khususnya Instagram, sebagai platform kampanyenya melalui penggunaan fitur-fitur yang menghibur, dengan durasi waktu mulai Agustus hingga September 2020. Sebagai pembuka, WCS menggelar kompetisi ilustrasi analog dan digital, menggandeng tiga taman nasional yaitu Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan, Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser, dan Taman Nasional Way Kambas. Kompetisi berhasil menarik minat 135 peserta dan pengumuman pemenang telah dillaksanakan tepat saat HUT Kemerdekaan RI yang lalu Kampanye segmen pertama mengambil tema perlindungan harimau sumatera, sembari memperingati Hari Harimau Sedunia yang jatuh tanggal 29 Juli 2020 silam. Pengguna Instagram dapat mencoba filter mask (topeng) harimau yang amat unik di akun Instagram WCS Indonesia (@wcs_id), yang dapat mengubah suara pengguna menjadi auman harimau, diikuti dengan seruan aksi untuk konservasi harimau sumatera. Segmen kedua menggunakan gajah sebagai topik melalui aksi pembuatan landmark spasial gajah, sembari memperingati Hari Gajah Sedunia yang jatuh pada tanggal 12 Agustus setiap tahunnya. Sementara itu, segmen ketiga mengambil momen perayaan Hari Orangutan Sedunia tanggal 19 Agustus 2020 dengan penyediaan fitur topeng orangutan bagi pengguna dan ilustrasi ancaman perburuan yang hewan ini alami. Adapun segmen keempat dibuat mengiringi peringatan Hari Badak Sedunia yang jatuh pada tanggal 22 September 2020. Segmen terakhir ini akan menampilkan permainan interaktif, dimana pengguna harus mencari badak di layar, sebagai simbol amat sulitnya menemukan populasi badak sumatera di masa kini. *** Informasi lebih lanjut silakan hubungi:Ahmad Husein Communications Manager Wildlife Conservation Society - Indonesia Program Telepon: +62 812 800 7493 E-mail/Twitter/IG: ahusein@wcs.org / @madhusein / @madhuseinbcc Sun, 23 Aug 2020 08:41:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16577 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16580/NTB-Prakarsai-SAMSAT-Perizinan-Kapal-Perikanan-melalui-PERGUB-Nomor-24-Tahun-2020.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16580 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16580&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16580/NTB-Prakarsai-SAMSAT-Perizinan-Kapal-Perikanan-melalui-PERGUB-Nomor-24-Tahun-2020.aspx MATARAM, 9 JUNI 2020 - Pemerintah Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) menerbitkan Peraturan Gubernur No. 24 Tahun 2020 tentang Sistem Administrasi Manunggal Satu Atap Perizinan Kapal Perikanan di Pelabuhan Perikanan pada tanggal 14 Mei 2020 bulan lalu. Peraturan Gubernur (Pergub) tersebut disahkan dengan tujuan: 1) mengoptimalkan pelayanan perizinan kapal perikanan; 2) mendekatkan, memudahkan, dan mempercepat pelayanan perizinan kapal perikanan di pelabuhan perikanan kepada masyarakat; 3) menertibkan pelayanan perizinan perikanan; dan 4) memberikan kepastian hukum pelayanan perizianan kapal perikanan. “Samsat kapal perikanan dibentuk di pelabuhan perikanan di setiap kabupaten/kota di NTB. Pelayanan perizinan kapal perikanan yang dioperasikan pada wilayah perikanan yang menjadi kewenangan provinsi, berbendera Indonesia, dan dimiliki orang yang berdomisili di wilayah administrasi provinsi NTB,” jelas H. Yusron Hadi, S.T., MUM, Kepala Dinas Kelautan Perikanan NTB. Yusron Hadi menerangkan, kapal perikanan yang dilayani meliputi kapal penangkap ikan, kapal pengangkut ikan, dan kapal pendukung operasi penangkapan ikan, bagi kapal-kapal dengan ukuran hingga 30 GT (gros ton). Merujuk pada Undang-Undang Nomor 25 Tahun 2009 tentang Pelayanan Publik Pasal 4 (poin l), pelayanan publik harus berazaskan kecepatan, kemudahan dan keterjangkauan. Pada kenyataannya, pelayanan publik pada perizinan kapal perikanan yang menjadi kewenangan daerah masih jauh dari azas tersebut, mengingat proses perizinan masih membutuhkan waktu lama, proses yang tidak sederhana dan multisektor, serta relatif jauh (aksesibilitas) dari keterjangkauan masyarakat yang ingin memanfaatkan perizinan kapal perikanan, khususnya nelayan kecil. Kebijakan pemerintah dalam pemberian pelayanan perizinan kapal perikanan masih belum seinovatif pelayanan perizinan pada kendaraan bermotor yang telah memiliki beragam sistem administrasi manunggal satu atap (SAMSAT) seperti SAMSAT Drivethru, SAMSAT Desa, SAMSAT Keliling, SAMSAT Corner, SAMSAT Gendong, SAMSAT Terapung, dan SAMSAT Weekend. Karena itu, terobosan perizinan kapal perikanan melalui layanan SAMSAT kepada masyarakat, khususnya nelayan kecil, diharapkan dapat memberi kemudahan dan akses proses perizinan yang lebih baik. Berdasarkan data sistem informasi kapal izin daerah (SIMKADA) tahun 2017, kapal perikanan yang memiliki izin di Provinsi NTB tercatat 264 unit kapal dari total 25.000 unit kapal perikanan. Terbitnya Pergub nomor 24/2020 ini diapresiasi banyak pihak, termasuk mitra-mitra DKP yang selama ini bekerja sama di NTB. Salah satunya adalah Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Indonesia Program. “Pergub tentang SAMSAT perizinan kapal perikanan ini akan menciptakan pelayanan perizinan kapal yang lebih tertib, efektif, dan efisien,” ujar Dr. Noviar Andayani, Country Director WCS Indonesia Program. Sistem administrasi manunggal satu atap juga akan mendorong transparansi dan keterlibatan menyeluruh masyarakat. Peraturan ini, lanjut Yani, akan memastikan bahwa seluruh kapal penangkap ikan di wilayah NTB akan terdata oleh pemerintah secara lebih baik yang diikuti juga dengan pelayanan yang lebih baik..Dengan demikian, sumber daya perikanan di kawasan tersebut dapat dikelola secara berkesinambungan. Hal ini sangat bermanfaat bagi nelayan yaitu sebagai bukti kepemilikan kapal, aman dan nyaman (legalitas) dalam melakukan aktivitas penangkapan ikan. Bagi pemerintah, data kapal perikanan merupakan data pokok perikanan yang dapat digunakan untuk berbagai kepentingan terutama meningkatkan kesejahteranaan nelayan melalui peningkatan daya saing produk perikanan dan pengelolaan sumber daya ikan secara lestari dan berkelanjutan. Jenis-jenis pelayanan perizinan dalam Pergub No. 24/2020 mencakup pengurusan izin baru dan perpanjangan izin. Izin baru meliputi pengurusan dokumen kapal perikanan, surat izin usaha perikanan (SIUP) tangkap untuk kapal perikanan berukuran di atas 5 GT hingga 30 GT, surat izin penangkapan ikan (SIPI), SIPI Andon dan Surat izin kapal pengangkut ikan (SIKPI). Layanan teknis perizinan kapal yang dapat dinikmati para pengusaha perikanan dan masyarakat melalui peraturan tersebut adalah: pengukuran fisik kapal perikanan oleh Kantor Syahbandar dan otoritas pelabuhan;  pemeriksaan fisik kapal perikanan dan alat penangkapan ikan;  penerbitan rekomendasi izin oleh Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Provinsi;  penerbitan izin kapal perikanan dan izin usaha penangkapan ikan oleh Dinas Penanaman Modal dan Pelayanan Terpadu Satu Pintu. Informasi lebih lanjut silakan hubungi: L. Wahyudi AdigunaKepala Bidang TangkapDinas Kelautan dan Perikanan NTBTelepon : 0370 632083Email : dislutkanntb@yahoo.com Dr. Irfan YuliantoMarine Cross Cutting Program ManagerWildlife Conservation Society - Indonesia ProgramTelepon: +62 811 1103 236E-mail: iyulianto@wcs.org Tue, 09 Jun 2020 01:26:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16580 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16579/Dinas-Kelautan-dan-Perikanan-Kota-Sabang-Peringati-Hari-Laut-Sedunia-Menjaga-Laut-Menuju-Masyarakat-Sejahtera-dan-Pariwisata-Berkelanjutan.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16579 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16579&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16579/Dinas-Kelautan-dan-Perikanan-Kota-Sabang-Peringati-Hari-Laut-Sedunia-Menjaga-Laut-Menuju-Masyarakat-Sejahtera-dan-Pariwisata-Berkelanjutan.aspx Sabang, 8 Juni 2020 – Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan (DKP) Kota Sabang bekerja sama dengan BKSDA Aceh, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Indonesia Program, dan Panglima Laot; serta mitra lain termasuk Dinas Pariwisata, Geusyik, Aceh Coral Conservation, Yayasan Coral Oasis, Genpi, RAPI Kota Sabang, Rubiah Tirta Divers, Pulau Weh Dive Resort, Iboih Dive Center, Lumba-lumba Dive Center, Monster Dive Center, Kelompok Wisata Gampong Iboih dan media; merayakan Hari Laut Sedunia atau World Ocean Day 2020, 8 Juni 2020 di Pantai Iboih, Pulau Weh. Peringatan Hari Laut Sedunia di Aceh tahun ini mengangkat tema “Laot Ta Jaga, Masyarakat Sejahtera” (Laut Kita Jaga, Masyarakat Sejahtera). Tema ini bertujuan menyadarkan parapihak tentang arti penting laut dan sumberdayanya bagi kehidupan masyarakat Aceh, baik dari segi ekonomis maupun ekologis. Pemerintah bersama WCS Indonesia Program dan seluruh mitra juga secara khusus menyerukan kepada masyarakat dan parapihak untuk terus menjaga kelestarian laut dan pesisir Kota Sabang, terutama Pulau Weh. Dalam sambutannya, Wakil Ketua DPRK Sabang, Ferdiansyah, S.Kel, mengapresiasi keterlibatan semua pihak baik dari CSO, Pemerintah, sektor swasta, maupun masyarakat. “Kami berharap dari kegiatan World Ocean Day ini dapat memperkuat upaya parapihak untuk menjaga laut Kota Sabang dan dapat membangkitkan kembali wisata Kota Sabang yang sempat terpuruk akibat pandemi Covid-19.” Mewakili Pemerintah, Kabid Kelautan DKP Kota Sabang, Erry Wahyudi Daud, mengajak masyarakat untuk bersama-sama menjaga laut wilayah Sabang, terutama ekosistem terumbu karang dan menyerukan larangan membuang sampah ke laut. Peringatan ini digelar melalui serangkaian kegiatan, meliputi kegiatan bersih bawah laut (Underwater Clean Up), bersih pantai, dan pemasangan poster himbauan tidak membuang sampah sembarangan di sejumlah titik. Dengan tetap mengedepankan prosedur keselamatan pencegahan Covid-19, kegiatan dihadiri oleh 46 orang terdiri dari perwakilan dinas, organisasi lokal, dan masyarakat. Kegiatan berlangsung mulai pukul 09.00-13.00 WIB. “Melalui kegiatan ini, kami berharap masyarakat semakin sadar dan bersemangat untuk menjaga kelestarian wilayah laut dan pesisir Kota Sabang. Pelestarian laut dan pesisir Sabang menjadi kunci bagi keberlanjutan pariwisata dan pertumbuhan ekonomi Kota Sabang,” ujar Ahmad Mukminin, Aceh Marine Project Coordinator WCS Indonesia Program. Kegiatan ini, lanjutnya, merupakan bagian dari program WCS IP dalam mendukung Pemerintah untuk efektivitas pengelolaan kawasan konservasi perairan di Aceh. Provinsi Aceh memiliki potensi sumber daya kelautan dan perikanan yang tinggi. Di perairan barat Aceh, stok perikanan jenis ikan pelagis rata-rata 3.476 ton/tahun dengan potensial yield* sebesar 1.140 – 1.195 ton/tahun, sedangkan untuk pantai timur bagian utara Aceh diperoleh standing stock** ikan pelagis sebesar 2.494 ton/tahun dengan potensial yield sebesar 798 – 848 ton/tahun. Potensial yield ikan demersal di perairan pantai Barat Aceh (Kab. Nagan Raya, Aceh Barat, Aceh Jaya) dari kedalaman 20 meter sampai dengan 60 meter adalah (842 +/- 318 ton), sehingga pada kedalaman sampai dengan 20 meter diduga mempunyai potensial yield sebesar 200 ton (Identification of Pelagic and Demersal Fisheries in Aceh MCRMP, 2008). Tidak hanya itu, wilayah laut, pesisir dan pulau-pulau kecil di Aceh menyimpan potensi wisata yang luar biasa yang menjadi daya tarik wisatawan dunia. Pulau Weh Sabang adalah salah satunya. Selain menjadi lokasi letak Tugu Nol Kilometer Indonesia, Pulau Weh merupakan salah satu pulau di Provinsi Aceh yang hampir di seluruh wilayah pesisirnya terdapat ekosistem terumbu karang dengan tipe terumbu karang tepi atau fringing reef (Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Sabang, 2011). Pulau Weh juga merupakan rumah bagi beragam spesies ikan, seperti hiu, pari, lumba-lumba dan penyu. Sayangnya, ekosistem terumbu karang saat ini mengalami degradasi. Tidak saja karena kegiatan pariwisata, tapi juga aktivitas penangkapan ikan yang merusak. Pemerintah telah menetapkan Pulau Weh sebagai kawasan konservasi. Taman Wisata Alam Laut (TWAL) Pulau Weh merupakan kawasan konservasi perairan pertama di Aceh yang ditetapkan melalui Kepmen Pertanian No. 928/Kpts/Um/12/1982. Sementara bagian pesisir timur Pulau Weh juga merupakan merupakan kawasan konservasi yang ditetapkan oleh Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan melalui SK Menteri No. 57 tahun 2013 tentang Kawasan Konservasi Perairan Pesisir Timur Pulau Weh Kota Sabang di Provinsi Aceh. Selain itu, masyarakat Aceh juga memiliki sejarah panjang penerapan aturan adat dalam pengelolaan wilayah pesisir dan lautnya, termasuk di Sabang. Aturan adat melarang kegiatan perikanan yang merusak. Dibutuhkan komitmen bersama untuk menjaga laut dan keberlanjutan ekosistem laut Pulau Weh. Mon, 08 Jun 2020 02:09:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16579 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16578/Healthy-shark-populations-are-an-asset-to-the-Indonesian-economy-worth-US-22-million-per-year-according-to-recent-study.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16578 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16578&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16578/Healthy-shark-populations-are-an-asset-to-the-Indonesian-economy-worth-US-22-million-per-year-according-to-recent-study.aspx Indonesia, May 22nd 2020 - Indonesia is a global hotspot of shark and ray species diversity. Divers from all over the world come to Indonesia to have close encounters with charismatic species such as manta rays, whale sharks and hammerhead sharks. It is also possible to see species which are found nowhere else on earth, such as the Halmahera walking shark, which is found only in North Maluku. According to a recent study, approximately 190,000 dedicated ‘shark tourists’ visit Indonesia each year, with the specific intention of diving with sharks and rays. These tourists bring an estimated USD 22 million per year in to the Indonesian economy, accounting for at least 7% of Indonesia’s USD 1 billion marine tourism industry. The study identified a total of 24 important shark and ray tourism destinations throughout Indonesia. Nusa Penida in Bali; Bunaken in North Sulawesi; Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara; Raja Ampat in West Papua; and the Gili islands in West Nusa Tenggara are amongst the most popular and highest earning sites. Belongas Bay in West Nusa Tenggara is one of few places in the world where divers can see schooling hammerhead sharks, while Saleh Bay is a newly emerging destination for whale shark tourism. “The economic benefit has not optimally been earned by local communities including diving site for hammerhead sharks in Teluk Belongas Sekotong and whale shark in Saleh Bay,” said Yusron Hadi, Head of Provincial Marine and Fisheries Office, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The healthy shark tourism, he continued, will not only provide positive economic impact for local tourism destination but also for sustainable marine and fisheries development. The local government is open for any input to optimize the utilization of environment services by keeping the fisheries resources sustain and giving economic benefit for communities. Morotai in North Maluku is also an important emerging shark diving destination, with the establishment of Indonesia’s only baited shark dives, where tourists are almost guaranteed to get up close and personal with black tip reef sharks. M. Buyung Radjiloen, Head of Provincial Marine and Fisheries Office at North Maluku said, their area has also an endemic species Hemiscyllium halmahera, the ‘walking’ shark. “We suggest the government to set marine conservation area management model. For North Maluku case, a community-based marine conservation area management could be initiated,” said Buyung. The management model will enable the tourism activities to put shark conservation as a priority and at the same time to give economic value added to communities. Unfortunately, these shark and ray populations are also under threat, primarily due to overfishing. Sharks (and their cartilaginous relatives, Class Chondricthyes) are one of the world’s most endangered species groups, with an estimated 1 in 4 species threatened with extinction. The study estimates that if sharks were absent from the surveyed sites, Indonesia’s tourism industry could lose ∼25% of dive tourist expenditures per year. Based on future projections, if shark populations continue to decline, the tourism industry could suffer economic losses of more than USD 121 million per annum by 2027, as well as detrimental impacts on species, marine ecosystems, fisheries and people. Since the current annual income from shark tourism is worth ~1.5 times the value of annual shark exports, shark tourism should provide an economic incentive for shark conservation. However, the study also found a mismatch between the absolute economic value of shark and ray tourism, and its role in providing benefits to people who depend on shark fishing. Interviews with local communities in or near shark and ray tourism sites indicate that most shark fishers do not, and are not well placed, to receive direct economic benefits from shark and ray tourism. Since overfishing is the primary threat to shark populations, failure to engage with and appropriately incentivise fishers may be detrimental to Indonesia’s shark conservation efforts. This raises important issues regarding who bears the costs and benefits of conservation, and how to equitably re-distribute them. “Private companies are the primary beneficiaries of shark conservation, through tourism revenue, while fishers suffer economic losses due to shark protection and management measures. Innovative conservation financing mechanisms, such as tourism taxes and payment for ecosystem service schemes, could help to re-distribute these costs and benefits,” said Noviar Andayani, Country Director of WCS Indonesia Program. Existing financing mechanism, such as the one established on the Gili Islands, which directs dive tourist donations in to protected area management, could provide a blueprint for incentivising shark conservation. A newly developed app, called Ocean Eye, also seeks to channel donations from divers to provide financial benefits to coastal communities, which are linked directly to healthy marine animal populations. “The issue of sustainable financing for conservation is even more pressing, now that the global tourism economy has dried up due to COVID-19. Stable long-term investments will be required, that go beyond the panacea of ecotourism” said Hollie Booth from the University of Oxford, who helped to advise on the study. The national government, and Provincial governments in Aceh and West Nusa Tenggara are already making strides to protect and manage shark populations. For example, science-based quotas have been prepared and released for fishing and trade of silky sharks, while protected areas and fisheries management measures for shark and rays have recently been established in Aceh Jaya, Lunyuk and Tanjung Luar. These are in addition to existing no take zones for sharks and mantas in Komodo National Park and Raja Ampat. Additional funds invested from tourism could help to boost these efforts, so that sharks and rays are effectively protected and sustainably managed, and deliver benefits to people and ecosystems.Penelitian Terbaru: Populasi hiu sehat menjadi aset perekonomian Indonesia, bernilai 22 juta dolar AS per tahunIndonesia, 2 Juni 2020 - Sekitar 190.000 “shark tourist” mengunjungi Indonesia setiap tahun dengan tujuan untuk menyelam bersama hiu dan pari. Kelompok wisatawan ini menyumbang sekitar 22 juta dolar AS per tahun untuk perekonomian Indonesia, berkontribusi setidaknya 7 (tujuh) persen terhadap industri pariwisata laut Indonesia yang bernilai satu miliar dolar AS. Demikian ringkasan hasil sebuah penelitian terbaru yang dipublikasikan di Frontiers Marine in Science akhir April 2020 lalu.Studi ini, yang dilakukan tahun 2017 ini mengidentifikasi 24 destinasi penting wisata hiu dan pari di Indonesia. Nusa Penida di Bali; Bunaken di Sulawesi Utara; Taman Nasional Komodo di Nusa Tenggara Timur; Raja Ampat di Papua Barat; dan pulau-pulau Gili di Nusa Tenggara Barat adalah beberapa lokasi yang paling populer dan berpenghasilan tertinggi.Indonesia adalah hotspot global bagi keanekaragaman spesies hiu dan pari. Teluk Belongas di Nusa Tenggara Barat adalah salah satu dari sedikit lokasi di dunia di mana penyelam dapat melihat koloni hiu martil dan Teluk Saleh yang menjadi magnet baru untuk wisata hiu paus.“Selama ini manfaat ekonomi yang dirasakan oleh masyarakat belum optimal, termasuk kegiatan wisata penyelaman hiu martil di Teluk Belongas Sekotong, dan hiu paus di Teluk Saleh,” ungkap H. Yusron Hadi, S.T., M.UM., Kepala Dinas Kelautan Perikanan NTB. Pengembangan wisata hiu ini, lanjut Yusron, tidak saja berdampak ekonomi bagi peningkatan daya tarik obyek wisata daerah NTB, melainkan juga berdampak positif dalam pembangunan kelautan dan perikanan berkelanjutan.“Karenanya, penting bagi kami untuk membuka ruang interaksi, mendapatkan masukan terkait arah kebijakan pembangunan sektor kelautan dan perikanan melalui pemanfaatan sumber daya ikan yang berkelanjutan dengan cara mengoptimalkan pemanfaatan jasa lingkungan untuk memastikan kelestarian sumber daya ikan dalam jangka panjang dan memberikan manfaat ekonomi bagi masyarakat sekitarnya,” ujar Yusron Hadi.Selain NTB, wisatawan penyelam dapat melihat spesies yang hanya dapat ditemukan di Indonesia, seperti hiu berjalan Halmahera (Halmahera walking shark) yang terdapat di Maluku Utara. Juga di Morotai, yang menyediakan wisatawan kesempatan berenang bersama hiu karang sirip hitam (blacktip reef shark) dan Kepulauan Banda Neira dengan wisata selam bersama hiu martil. Sayangnya, populasi hiu (dan pari) ini terancam, terutama disebabkan oleh penangkapan yang berlebih (overfishing). Hiu (dan kerabatnya yang bertulang rawan, Kelas Chondricthyes) adalah salah satu kelompok spesies paling terancam di dunia, dengan estimasi satu dari empat spesies terancam punah.Kepala Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Provinsi Maluku Utara, M. Buyung Radjiloen, S.T., M.Si., menyatakan bahwa Maluku Utara merupakan provinsi kepulauan terbesar, beriklim tropis, dan memiliki stok keanekaragaman sumberdaya hayati tertinggi (mega biodiversity) dengan berbagai jenis sumber daya perikanan termasuk ikan hiu dan pari. Namun, Maluku Utara tercatat sebagai salah satu provinsi dengan tingkat penangkapan hiu cukup tinggi di Indonesia, baik sebagai hasil tangkapan utama maupun sampingan.“Padahal hiu memiliki peranan penting dalam keseimbangan rantai ekosistem di laut,” ujar M. Buyung Radjiloen. Hiu berjalan Halmahera (Hemiscyllium halmahera), misalnya, merupakan spesies endemik Maluku Utara dengan wilayah penyebaran yang sempit dan spesifik serta memiliki peranan penting dalam sistem rantai makanan di laut terutama pada struktur komunitas terumbu karang yang dangkal. Hiu berjalan ini merupakan spesies prioritas nasional yang dapat memberikan nilai tambah ekonomi bagi masyarakat.“Karena itu, saya mengusulkan kepada pemerintah segera menetapkan model pengelolaan kawasan konservasi perairan. Salah satu model usulan pengelolaannya dapat dilakukan dengan pendekatan pengelolaan Kawasan Konservasi Perairan di Maluku Utara yang berbasis masyarakat. Dengan demikian, hiu berjalan Halmahera bukan hanya sebagai spesies unggulan yang harus dilestarikan tapi juga dapat memberikan nilai tambah ekonomi bagi masyarakat melalui pengembangan pariwisata bahari,” jelas Buyung.Studi ini memperkirakan, jika tanpa hiu di lokasi-lokasi tersebut, industri pariwisata Indonesia berpotensi kehilangan sekitar 25% dari pendapatan wisata selam per tahun. Berdasarkan proyeksi, jika populasi hiu terus menurun, industri pariwisata dapat mengalami kerugian ekonomi lebih dari 121 juta dolar AS per tahun pada tahun 2027, serta akan berdampak buruk pada spesies, ekosistem laut, perikanan, dan manusia.Mengingat pendapatan per tahun saat ini dari wisata hiu bernilai sekitar 1,5 kali dari nilai ekspor hiu tahunan, maka wisata hiu harus memberikan insentif ekonomi untuk konservasi hiu. Namun, penelitian ini menemukan ketidakcocokan nilai ekonomi absolut wisata hiu dan pari, dengan manfaat yang diterima masyarakat yang bergantung pada penangkapan hiu. Studi ini mengungkapkan, sebagian besar nelayan hiu tidak berada pada posisi yang menguntungkan dalam menerima manfaat ekonomi langsung dari wisata hiu dan pari. Karena penangkapan berlebih menjadi ancaman utama populasi hiu, ketidakmampuan dalam melibatkan dan memberikan insentif yang tepat untuk nelayan dapat menghambat upaya konservasi hiu dan pari di Indonesia. Hal ini menimbulkan isu lainnya mengenai siapa yang menanggung biaya dan manfaat konservasi serta mekanisme pendistribusiannya secara adil.“Perusahaan swasta adalah pihak penerima utama manfaat konservasi hiu, yakni melalui pendapatan wisata, sementara nelayan mengalami kerugian ekonomi karena upaya perlindungan dan pengelolaan hiu. Mekanisme pendanaan konservasi yang inovatif, seperti pajak pariwisata dan pembayaran melalui skema jasa ekosistem, dapat membantu mendistribusikan kembali biaya dan manfaat ini,” ungkap Country Director Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program, Dr. Noviar Andayani. Isu pembiayaan berkelanjutan untuk konservasi bahkan lebih mendesak, karena ekonomi pariwisata global tengah menurun di tengah pandemi COVID-19. Investasi jangka panjang yang stabil akan jauh lebih diperlukan dari sekadar pemulihan ekowisata.Mekanisme pembiayaan yang telah ada, seperti yang ditetapkan di Kepulauan Gili, yang mengalokasikan donasi wisata selam ke pengelola kawasan konservasi, dapat memberikan cetak biru untuk insentif konservasi hiu. Ocean Eye, misalnya, sebuah aplikasi yang diinisiasi oleh Dr. Jane Lubchenco dan dikembangkan oleh beberapa peneliti, juga berupaya menyalurkan donasi dari penyelam untuk memberikan manfaat finansial bagi masyarakat pesisir, yang terkait langsung dengan populasi satwa laut yang sehat.Sejauh ini, Pemerintah pusat bersama pemerintah provinsi di Aceh dan Nusa Tenggara Barat telah melakukan upaya untuk melindungi dan mengelola populasi hiu. Misalnya, dengan menyiapkan dan merilis kuota berbasis sains untuk membatasi penangkapan dan perdagangan hiu kejen (silky shark). Pemerintah baru-baru ini juga menetapkan kawasan lindung dan langkah-langkah pengelolaan perikanan untuk hiu dan pari di Aceh Jaya, Lunyuk, dan Tanjung Luar. Sebelumnya, pemerintah juga telah menetapkan zona larang tangkap hiu dan pari di Taman Nasional Komodo dan Raja Ampat. Dana tambahan yang diinvestasikan dari pariwisata dapat membantu meningkatkan upaya-upaya ini sehingga hiu dan pari dapat dilindungi secara efektif dan dikelola secara berkelanjutan, serta dapat memberikan manfaat bagi masyarakat dan ekosistem.  Tue, 02 Jun 2020 02:29:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16578 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16581/Olam-Shares-Tech-with-Wildlife-Conservation-Societys-Landscape-Partnership-to-Tackle-Deforestation.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16581 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16581&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16581/Olam-Shares-Tech-with-Wildlife-Conservation-Societys-Landscape-Partnership-to-Tackle-Deforestation.aspx Collaboration will improve coffee farmer productivity and livelihoods while reducing pressure on the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Indonesia Over 20,000 smallholder coffee farmers in southern Sumatra will benefit from a unique collaboration whereby global food and agri-business Olam International will grant use of its platform, the Olam Farmer Information System (OFIS), to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to tackle forest encroachment in the Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBSNP) landscape in southern Sumatra. Indonesia is one of the world’s largest producers of coffee, with the majority grown by smallholder farmers in remote areas. The farmers face common challenges such as ageing trees, a lack of access to inputs, training and finance, and therefore typically have low yields. Their remoteness, and the length and complexity of the supply chain also makes traceability difficult. The Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (3,140 square kilometers) in southern Sumatra is within one of Indonesia’s main coffee producing regions, and is one of the last strongholds of the Sumatran elephant and tiger, as well as being a significant carbon sink. However, the Park is under threat, with at least 10 percent of the park area having been converted into coffee farms. In 2018, to reverse this trend, WCS convened the Bukit Barisan Selatan Sustainable Commodities Partnership (BBS KEKAL). This pioneering multi-stakeholder Partnership is based on a principle of ‘collective responsibility’, in which companies work together and in close collaboration with local and national government, farmers, and civil society to find new ways to protect the Bukit Barisan forest while also improving livelihoods. The partnership is supporting farmers operating in the ‘first mile’ of the park buffer zone to transition to deforestation-free coffee production, alongside national park conservation and restoration efforts. This enables companies to actively address deforestation and protect biodiversity while supporting farmers and the sustainable development of the coffee sector. Olam initiated engagement to minimise the risk of coffee from deforested areas in the park finding its way into its supply chain, in recognition that only by acting in collaboration with stakeholders across the landscape and by actively supporting farmers around forest areas can a lasting, economically viable solution to this challenge be found. A critical step towards the success of the partnership is the ability to map farms, understand farmer needs and track volumes and origins of coffee entering supply chains from around the national park. Olam developed the Olam Farmer Information System (OFIS) in 2014, with a GPS mapping system, so that smallholder supply chains could be geo-spatially identified and productivity support be more tailored to individual farmer needs. To date 370,000 farmers across multiple crops in Olam’s supply chains have been registered. Through this collaboration, the BBS KEKAL project teams, led by WCS, will use OFIS to survey participating farms on the forest frontier, recording and monitoring data on farm boundaries, coffee yields and productivity, the number and age of coffee trees; economic, social and health infrastructure; and the surrounding ecosystem. This will allow the partnership to deliver tailored training and incentives to farmers for the production of legal and deforestation-free coffee. At the same time, this will enable participating companies to reduce their risks of sourcing from the national park, while supporting solutions in priority areas. Financing for Olam’s participation in the partnership has been provided by technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), including a grant from the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in Asia. ADB’s technical assistance will enable OFIS registration and capacity building training to smallholder coffee farmers in Indonesia, as well as Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Vietnam. The technical assistance complements ADB’s $88 million loan to Olam International in March 2018. Commenting in New York during UN Climate Week, President and CEO, Wildlife Conservation Society, Cristián Samper, said: “Halting the loss of the world’s forests is increasingly urgent. BBS KEKAL demonstrates how companies must work together and in collaboration with government and NGOs to find new solutions to address deforestation. Only with collective action and by supporting farmers in vulnerable areas can we secure the future of this vital landscape. Olam’s involvement in this partnership is catalytic in moving from commitments to action”. Co-Founder and Group CEO, of Olam, Sunny Verghese added: “Sharing our digital capability with WCS is one of the ways we are trying to re-imagine global agriculture and food systems for the better. This collaboration exemplifies how NGOs and corporates can work together to multiply positive impacts for farmers and our planet, while at the same time lowering the associated costs and risks for each party. More importantly it accelerates efforts to create a living landscape where deforestation is halted, land is regenerated and farmers can prosper.” ### About BBS KEKAL The Bukit Barisan Selatan Sustainable Commodities Partnership (Kemitraan Komoditas Lestari) (‘BBS KEKAL’) is an innovative landscape partnership, led by WCS, between local and national government, companies, communities and civil society to protect the forests of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP) and support improved farmer livelihoods across the landscape in southern Sumatra. BBS KEKAL is supported by IUCN, KfW on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Partnerships for Forests, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Nestlé, Trillion Trees, Sumatran Tiger Project GEF-UNDP, and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Read more about BBS KEKAL here, and here and about the Collective Statement of Intent, signed by 16 organisations in April 2018: World’s Leading Coffee Companies Commit to Tackle Deforestation in Indonesia: Association of Coffee Suppliers Lampung (Asosiasi Suplier Kopi Lampung; ASKL), Berindo Jaya (Neumann Kaffee Gruppe), Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park Authority, Enveritas, Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung, PT Indo Cafco (ECOM), Jacobs Douwe Egberts B.V., Karya Bakti Ulubelu Farmer Group, Lampung Barat District Plantation Office, Louis Dreyfus Company, PT Mayora Indah, Nestlé S.A., Olam International, Sucden Coffee B.V., Yayasan Inisiatif Dagang Hijau (IDH), and Wildlife Conservation Society About Olam International Limited Olam International is a leading food and agri-business supplying food, ingredients, feed and fibre to 19,800 customers worldwide. Our value chain spans over 60 countries and includes farming, processing and distribution operations, as well as a sourcing network of an estimated 4.8 million farmers. Through our purpose to ‘Re-imagine Global Agriculture and Food Systems’, Olam aims to address the many challenges involved in meeting the needs of a growing global population, while achieving positive impact for farming communities, our planet and all our stakeholders. Source: https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/13113/Olam-Shares-Tech-with-Wildlife-Conservation-Societys-Landscape-Partnership-to-Tackle-Deforestation.aspx More information on Olam can be found at www.olamgroup.com. Olam is located at 7 Straits View, Marina One East Tower #20-01, Singapore 018936. Telephone: +65 63394100, Facsimile: +65 63399755. Fri, 11 Oct 2019 11:51:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16581 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16582/Puluhan-Bagian-Satwa-Liar-Dilindungi-Berhasil-Diamankan-Gakkum-di-Jawa-Timur.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16582 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16582&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16582/Puluhan-Bagian-Satwa-Liar-Dilindungi-Berhasil-Diamankan-Gakkum-di-Jawa-Timur.aspx Gakkum Seksi II & Polhut wilayah Jabalnusra melakukan operasi tangkap tangan (OTT) kepada tersangka berinisial B dengan barang bukti puluhan bagian satwa dilindungi seperti kulit harimau, macan tutul, burung merak dan rusa. B merupakan jaringan dari tersangka U & R yang ditangkap dua hari sebelumnya di Yogyakarta, dengan barang bukti berupa dua ekor kulit macan tutul (kondisi basah) serta beberapa bagian macan tutul, macan dahan serta harimau sumatera. Bogor, 12 Agustus 2019 – Gakkum Seksi II dan Polhut wilayah Jabalnusra (Jawa, Bali, Nusa Tenggara) berhasil melakukan operasi tangkap tangan (OTT) kepada seorang tersangka berinisial B (31 tahun) dengan barang bukti berupa puluhan bagian satwa dilindungi di Jawa Timur pada 7 Agustus 2019. Aparat berhasil mengamankan empat lembar kulit harimau dalam kondisi masih basah, tiga lembar kulit kepala harimau, sembilan buah kulit kepala harimau yang dijadikan reog, satu buah kulit ekor harimau, satu lembar bagian kulit harimau, satu kantong potongan kecil kulit harimau, dua lembar kulit kepala macan tutul, satu buah kulit macan tutul yang telah dijadikan reog, beberapa ikat bulu burung merak hijau dan biru, serta dua buah tanduk rusa. Satwa-satwa tersebut – harimau (Panthera tigris), macan tutul (Panthera pardus), burung merak hijau (Pavo muticus), burung merak biru (Pavo cristatus) dan rusa (Cervus timorensis) - merupakan satwa yang dilindungi oleh perundang-undangan Republik Indonesia. Dua diantaranya yakni harimau dan burung merak hijau berstatus terancam punah dalam daftar Lembaga Konservasi Dunia IUCN*. Penangkapan dilakukan di toko kerajinan reog yang merupakan milik tersangka B. B merupakan jaringan dari U (24 tahun) & R (23 tahun) yang ditangkap dua hari sebelumnya di Yogyakarta, dengan barang bukti berupa dua ekor kulit macan tutul (kondisi basah) serta beberapa bagian macan tutul, macan dahan serta harimau sumatera. Mohammad Nur, Kepala Balai Gakkum Jabalnusra menyatakan, “Dari dua operasi yang kami pimpin ini, kami masih melakukan pengembangan penyidikan untuk mendalami jaringan lain yang berhubungan dengan para pelaku kejahatan terhadap satwa dilindungi ini. Operasi-operasi yang kami lakukan adalah bentuk nyata komitmen kami dalam memberantas perdagangan satwa liar.” Selanjutnya tersangka akan diproses dan dikenakan pasal tindak pidana memperdagangkan, membawa satwa dilindungi pasal 40 (2) jo pasal 21 (2) huruf a Undang-Undang Nomor 5/ 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumberdaya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya dengan hukuman pidana penjara paling lama 5 (lima) tahun dan denda paling banyak Rp. 100.000.000,00 (seratus juta rupiah). Dr. Noviar Andayani, Country Director Wildlife Conservation Society – Indonesia Program (WCS-IP), menegaskan, “Kami sangat mengapresiasi upaya Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan dalam mengungkap sindikat perdagangan satwa liar di wilayah Pulau Jawa. Harimau dan macan tutul adalah predator tertinggi di masing-masing rantai makanan, sehingga keberadaannya sangat penting dalam menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem. Kami berharap agar proses hukum dapat berjalan seadil-adilnya agar pelaku dapat mendapat hukuman yang setimpal dan menimbulkan efek jera.”   Mon, 12 Aug 2019 10:21:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16582 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16583/Pemimpin-Daerah-dan-Institusi-Terkait-Tandatangani-Piagam-Komitmen-Pemberantasan-Penangkapan-Ikan-Ilegal.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16583 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16583&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16583/Pemimpin-Daerah-dan-Institusi-Terkait-Tandatangani-Piagam-Komitmen-Pemberantasan-Penangkapan-Ikan-Ilegal.aspx Sejumlah pimpinan lembaga yang tergabung dalam Forum Koordinasi Pimpinan Daerah (FORKOPIMDA) Kabupaten Kepulauan Selayar menandatangani Piagam Pa’jukukang sebagai komitmen pemberantasan penangkapan ikan ilegal dan merusak (illegal & destructive fishing). Penangkapan ikan ilegal dan merusak merupakan ancaman utama dari keberlangsungan sumber daya dan mata pencaharian nelayan di Kepulauan Selayar, Sulawesi Selatan. Kepulauan Selayar, 2 Agustus 2019 – Sejumlah pimpinan instansi daerah yang tergabung dalam Forum Koordinasi Pimpinan Daerah (FORKOPIMDA) Kabupaten Kepulauan Selayar melakukan penandatanganan Piagam Pa’jukukang di Kantor Bupati Kepulauan Selayar pada hari Senin, 29 Juli 2019. Penandatanganan komitmen pemberantasan penangkapan ikan ilegal dan merusak ini dilakukan oleh Bupati Kep. Selayar, Ketua DPRD Selayar, Kapolres Kep. Selayar, Kajari Selayar dan Bandim 1415 Kepulauan Selayar, beserta instansi-instansi terkait lainnya. Piagam Pa’jukukang mencakup definisi dan kategori pelaku serta poin kesepakatan dari instansi terkait untuk melakukan pengawasan dan memberikan sanksi tegas kepada pelaku sesuai ketentuan undang-undang yang berlaku. Bupati Selayar, H. Muh Basli Ali, menyambut baik piagam yang merupakan nota kesepahaman antar pihak, “Saya mengharapkan setiap desa dibuatkan dan dipasangkan pintu gapura atau semacamnya, terkhusus daerah pesisir bertuliskan "Anda memasuki kawasan bebas destructive dan illegal fishing" sebagai bentuk implementasi komitmen sampai ditingkat bawah.” “Piagam ini merupakan bentuk kerjasama yang baik antar instansi baik pemerintah daerah, aparat penegak hukum maupun DPRD untuk mengeradikasi ancaman penangkapan ikan ilegal dan merusak. Komitmen ini juga langkah penting untuk menjamin kesejahteraan masyarakat di Selayar yang sangat bergantung pada laut sebagai sumber pangan dan penghidupan. ”Selama ini, praktek illegal fishing di Kepulauan Selayar meliputi penangkapan ikan yang tidak sesuai dengan jalur penangkapan, tidak memiliki izin tangkap serta penggunaan alat tangkap dan alat bantu yang tidak ramah lingkungan. Termasuk di antaranya ketidaksesuaian zona daerah penangkapan pukat cincin berdasarkan Permen KP Nomor 71 Tahun 2016, pelarangan penggunaan kompresor, penggunaan bahan peledak, dan bahan kimia beracun berdasarkan Undang Undang No. 45 Tahun 2009 tentang perubahan atas Undang Undang No. 31 Tahun 2004 tentang Perikanan. Praktek tersebut sudah sampai pada taraf mengkhawatirkan sehingga untuk menekan dampak kerusakan yang ditimbulkan, memerlukan komitmen banyak pihak. Piagam Pa’jukukang mendeklarasikan kesungguhan komitmen tersebut. Kepala Balai TN Takabonerate, Ir. Faat Rudhianto, S.Hut, M.Si, IPM, menyatakan, “Ini adalah momentum yang luar biasa, monumental. Piagam Pa’jukukang ini menunjukkan kemajuan koordinasi dan komunikasi yang luar biasa antar-semua pihak terkait untuk bersama-sama membangun komitmen pemberantasan illegal fishing dan destructive fishing di wilayah Kabupaten Kepulauan Selayar, dimana di dalamnya terdapat Taman Nasional Taka Bonerate yang merupakan kebanggaan masyarakat Selayar, Sulawesi Selatan, dan Indonesia. Dengan komitmen para pihak tersebut, diharapkan TN Taka Bonerate aman dari kerusakan sehingga kawasan konservasi ini dapat menjalankan fungsinya dengan baik sehingga masyarakat setempat dapat memanfaatkan taman nasional ini untuk keberlangsungan kehidupan mereka secara turun temurun, menjaga ketahanan pangan, dan kegiatan ekowisata dapat berjalan dengan baik karena terumbu karang terjaga. Tasrif Kartawijaya, Program Manager untuk TN Takabonerate dari WCS Indonesia Program menyatakan, “WCS mengapresiasi langkah maju yang diambil oleh para pimpinan daerah untuk melindungi ekosistem laut di area Selayar yang terancam akibat aktivitas penangkapan ikan ilegal dan merusak. Kami mendukung Taman Nasional Taka Bonerate dengan meningkatkan pengelolaan taman nasional yang lebih efektif.” Sat, 03 Aug 2019 02:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16583 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16584/Hari-Harimau-Sedunia-Aksi-Kita-untuk-Harimau-Kita.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16584 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16584&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16584/Hari-Harimau-Sedunia-Aksi-Kita-untuk-Harimau-Kita.aspx  Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan (TNBBS) menjadi salah satu Tiger Conservation Landscape (TCL) yakni bentang alam yang dapat mendukung kelestarian harimau sumatera. Namun, keberadaan harimau sumatera di kawasan ini masih dihadapkan pada berbagai ancaman di antaranya adanya aktivitas perburuan, perdagangan ilegal, perambahan, pembalakan liar, dan konflik dengan manusia.  Dalam rangka merayakan Hari Harimau Sedunia atau Global Tiger Day yang jatuh setiap tanggal 29 Juli, Balai Besar Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan (TNBBS) bekerja sama dengan Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) dan Sumatran Tiger Project GEF-UNDP menyelenggarakan rangkaian kegiatan kampanye Tiger Day 2019 yang diadakan sejak 17 – 29 Juli 2019. Kampanye yang bertajuk “Aksi Kita untuk Harimau Kita" bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat terhadap pentingnya perlindungan satwa liar khususnya harimau sumatera. Lampung Barat, 29 Juli 2019 – Balai Besar Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBTNBBS) bekerja sama dengan WCS-IP dan Sumatran Tiger Project GEF-UNDP menyelenggarakan rangkaian Kampanye “Global Tiger Day 2019” di beberapa daerah di Lampung. Acara ini diselenggarakan dalam rangka memperingati Hari Harimau Sedunia atau Global Tiger Day yang jatuh setiap tanggal 29 Juli. Kampanye yang bertajuk “Aksi Kita untuk Harimau Kita" bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat akan pentingnya perlindungan satwa liar khususnya harimau sumatera bagi ekosistem sekitarnya. Kampanye “Global Tiger Day 2019” ini merupakan rangkaian acara yang diawali dengan kegiatan road show dalam bentuk Wildlife School Visit di sekitar Resor Tampang, Kabupaten Tanggamus dan Resor Way Haru, Kabupaten Pesisir Barat pada 17 dan 23 Juli 2019. Kegiatan dilanjutkan dengan perkemahan yang dilaksanakan pada hari Minggu-Senin, tanggal 28-29 Juli 2019, di Bumi Perkemahan Kubu Perahu yang berada di Resor Balik Bukit, Kabupaten Lampung Barat. Rangkaian kampanye diakhiri dengan acara puncak pada tanggal 29 Juli 2019, yang dibuka secara resmi oleh Asisten II Pemda Kabupaten Lampung Barat. Kegiatan pada acara puncak berupa pentas seni drama dan tari kreasi Pramuka Saka Wanabhakti binaan BBTNBBS, jungle tracking siswa SD-SMP, melukis harimau, pertunjukan drama dan tarian kreasi dari Pramuka Saka Wanabhakti, serta aksi kampanye di Taman Hamtebiu. Kampanye ini terselenggara berkat dukungan juga dari Disney Conservation Fund, TFCA Sumatra, dan PILI. Dalam perayaan acara puncak Kampanye “Global Tiger Day” pada 29 Juli 2019, Amri, S.H., M.Hum., selaku Kepala BPTN Wil. II Liwa, TNBBS menyatakan, “Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan merupakan salah satu Tiger Conservation Landscape (TCL) yakni bentang alam yang dapat mendukung keberadaan dan kelestarian populasi harimau sumatera. Upaya konservasi harimau sumatera di TNBBS berkontribusi penting bagi penyelamatan populasi harimau sumatera secara keseluruhan.” Amri menambahkan, “Berdasarkan hasil survey di site monitoring harimau sumatera TNBBS tren populasi meningkat dari tahun 2014 sampai 2018 dengan estimasi jumlah populasi pada tahun 2014 = 28 individu, tahun 2015 = 32 individu, tahun 2016=37 individu, tahun 2017 = 40 individu, tahun 2018 = 40 individu.” Sedangkan berdasar data patroli tim TNBBS dan para mitra yang telah menjelajah 36 ribu km, sejak tahun 2013, telah ditemukan kurang lebih 105 jerat harimau dan mamalia besar. Selain itu, penanganan konflik manusia dan harimau juga menjadi fokus utama kami. Tercatat sebanyak 225 kasus konflik telah ditangani dalam kurun waktu 2008 – Juni 2019. Upaya-upaya ini dilakukan sebagai bentuk komitmen kami dalam rencana peningkatan populasi harimau yang telah dicanangkan oleh Pemerintah Indonesia.” Bupati Lampung Barat, Parosil Mabsus dalam sambutannya menyampaikan bahwa Lampung Barat telah mendeklarasikan diri sebagai kabupaten konservasi. Karenanya upaya pelestarian satwa khususnya harimau sumatera menjadi salah satu bagian dari program pemerintah daerah. “Pemerintah Kabupaten Lampung Barat mengharapkan dukungan dari para pihak termasuk taman nasional dan mitranya dalam rangka penyelamatan populasi harimau sumatera serta peningkatan kesadaran masyarakat,” jelasnya. Meski demikian Regional Coordinator Sumatran Tiger Project GEF-UNDP, Nani menyampaikan, ternyata masih ditemukan berbagai ancaman terhadap keberadaan harimau sumatera di kawasan ini seperti adanya aktivitas perburuan dan perdagangan ilegal, perambahan, pembalakan liar, serta konflik dengan manusia akibat berkurangnya habitat dan jumlah satwa mangsa.” Operasi sapu jerat secara intensif perlu diiringi dengan sosialisasi kepada masyarakat sekitar terkait perlindungan kawasan, satwa dan tumbuhan yang dilindungi, serta prosedur penggunaan senjata api. Kampanye penyadartahuan ini penting dilakukan dalam rangka membangun kesadaran dan mengajak masyarakat untuk turut menjaga kawasan hutan yang menjadi habitat alami harimau sumatera dari ancaman kerusakan. Sebelumnya, Pemerintah Indonesia telah menargetkan peningkatan populasi harimau sumatera sebanyak dua kali lipat pada 2022 – sebuah target yang tertuang dalam National Tiger Recovery Program (NTRP) 2010-2022. Untuk menelaah kembali efektivitas aktivitas konservasi dalam mencapai target tersebut, Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup & Kehutanan (KLHK) dan para mitra mengadakan Sumatra Wide Tiger Survey (SWTS), suatu survei distribusi harimau sumatera skala pulau yang dimulai sejak tahun 2007-2009 dan dilanjutkan pada tahun 2018-2019. Hasil survei SWTS 2007-2009 pada 60% habitat harimau di sumatera mengungkap bahwa 72% dari wilayah survei masih dihuni oleh harimau sumatera. ”Menurut data Lembaga Konservasi Dunia IUCN*, jumlah harimau sumatera hanya berkisar 400 – 600 ekor saja. Satwa terancam punah ini pun dikategorikan kritis (Critically Endangered) menurut Daftar Merah IUCN. Tantangan yang dihadapi dalam upaya pelestarian harimau adalah hilangnya habitat alami harimau, dan terutama ancaman perburuan. Perburuan ini tidak hanya terhadap harimau itu sendiri, tapi juga perburuan terhadap satwa mangsanya seperti rusa dan babi hutan. Pemburu banyak menggunakan jerat untuk menangkap harimau dan satwa mangsanya. Penggunaan jerat ini sangat berbahaya karena sifatnya tidak pandang bulu. Satwa apapun bisa terjerat, dan sudah terbukti merupakan hal yang mendorong kepunahan megafauna di daratan Asia. Di Indonesia sendiri, harimau sumatera dilindungi dalam Undang-Undang Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam dan Ekosistemnya,” ungkap Firdaus Affandi, BBS Landscape Manager, WCS-IP. Lebih lanjut, Firdaus mengatakan, “Harimau sumatera merupakan subspesies terakhir yang tersisa di Indonesia setelah punahnya harimau bali dan harimau jawa. Tentu kita tak ingin kehilangan lagi satwa kebanggaan masyarakat Indonesia ini. Melalui kampanye ini, kami ingin mengajak masyarakat untuk ikut serta berkontribusi dalam melindungi harimau sumatera. Pada rangkaian kampanye ini, kami juga mengajak teman-teman dari Pramuka Saka Wanabhakti sebagai generasi muda untuk menyuarakan pesan lestari bagi kelangsungan harimau kepada khalayak yang lebih luas.” “Sebagai generasi penerus, banyak cara yang dapat kita lakukan untuk berkontribusi melestarikan harimau sumatera. Hal ini bisa dimulai dari aksi kecil namun berdampak besar seperti ikut serta menyebarkan informasi pentingnya keberadaan harimau sumatera di ekosistemnya. Kita dapat menyampaikan pesan melalui berbagai media dan aktivitas yang dikemas secara menarik seperti pentas drama, tarian kreasi, maupun kegiatan perkemahan,” ujar Medi Yansah, anggota Pramuka Saka Wanabhakti Tanggamus. Tue, 30 Jul 2019 08:01:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16584 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16585/Penetapan-Kawasan-Ekosistem-Esensial-Rote-sebagai-Habitat-Kura-Kura-Leher-Ular-Rote.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16585 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16585&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16585/Penetapan-Kawasan-Ekosistem-Esensial-Rote-sebagai-Habitat-Kura-Kura-Leher-Ular-Rote.aspx Kura-kura leher ular rote (Chelodina mccordi) (Foto: Maslim As-singkily/WCS-IP) WCS menyampaikan selamat kepada Nusa Tenggara Timur yang telah menetapkan KEE Rote dalam upaya melindungi habitat kura-kura leher ular rote (Bogor – 11 Juli 2019) – WCS Indonesia menyampaikan apresiasi yang tinggi kepada Pemerintah Nusa Tenggara Timur yang telah menetapkan Kawasan Ekosistem Esensial (KEE) Lahan Basah sebagai habitat kura-kura leher ular rote (Chelodina mccordi) di Kabupaten Rote Ndao pada 18 Juni 2019 yang lalu. Direktur WCS Indonesia, Noviar Andayani sangat menyambut baik penerbitan SK Gubernur tentang KEE di Kabupaten Rote Ndao. Noviar mengatakan, ”Penerbitan SK tersebut merefleksikan komitmen dan keseriusan pemda untuk melindungi kura-kura leher ular rote yang saat ini tidak dapat ditemukan lagi di berbagai ekosistem perairan Pulau Rote, yang menjadi habitat alami satwa endemik dan ikonik pulau itu”. Sebagai habitat terakhir yang masih layak, penetapan ketiga danau (Peto, Lendoen dan Ledulu) sebagai KEE merupakan upaya yang sangat baik yang dilakukan oleh Pemerintah Nusa Tenggara Timur dalam melindungi habitat terakhir kura-kura rote. “Kami juga menyampaikan penghargaan yg tinggi kepada BBKSDA NTT, Balitbang LHK Kupang dan Dinas Lingkungan Hidup NTT atas semua upaya yang telah dilakukan untuk memulihkan populasi satwa itu di alam”. “Sebagai mitra, WCS IP siap mendukung BBKSDA dan Pemda NTT membawa pulang kura-kura leher ular rote dari berbagai lembaga ek-situ di luar negeri untuk menjadi populasi tangkar yg siap direintroduksi ke Pulau Rote. Kami berharap komitmen ini didukung semua pihak, terutama masyarakat sekitar habitat kura-kura leher ular yang menjadi pemangku terpenting dalam upaya pemulihan satwa itu di alam. Kami percaya melindungi kura-kura leher ular rote dan habitatnya berarti melestarikan sumber air yg sangat vital bagi kehidupan masyarakat Rote Ndao” Sementara itu, Direktur Jendral KSDAE KLHK, Wiratno menyampaikan bahwa pengelolaan Kawasan Ekosistem Esesnsial harus dilakukan bersama pemda dan masyarakat dengan mempertimbangkan nilai-nilai adat dan budaya. “Pengelolaan KEE juga harus memberikan manfaat ekonomi, terutama kepada masyarakat” jelas Wiratno. Kepala Dinas Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan Provinsi NTT, Ferdy J. Kapitan, menyatakan bahwa penetapan KEE ini merupakan wujud dari komitmen pemda untuk menjaga dan melestarikan kekayaan alam yang dianugerahkan Tuhan dan diharapkan akan memberi dampak pada peningkatan ekonomi dan kesejahteraan masyarakat melalui pengelolaan ekosistem hewan langka ini sebagai salah satu destinasi wisata baru di NTT. Sebagai penjabaran lebih lanjut dari Keputusan Gubernur tersebut, pengelolaan KEE akan dilaksanakan secara intensif berkolaborasi dengan Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan, Pemerintah Kabupaten Rote Ndao, Perguruan Tinggi, masyarakat setempat, WCS dan instansi terkait lainnya. “Bagi kami, menjaga dan melestarikan kura-kura leher ular rote yang merupakan spesies endemik ini tidak hanya sebuah kewajiban atau keharusan, tetapi menjadi suatu kebutuhan yang akan terus berlangsung dari generasi ke generasi, baik pemerintah, swasta maupun masyarakat” Jelasnya. Sementara itu, Kepala BBKSDA NTT, Timbul Batubara menyampaikan bahwa kura-kura leher ular rote merupakan satwa endemik rote yang keberadaanya kini sudah sulit di alam. Spesies ini telah dilindungi sejak tahun 2018 berdasarkan Permen LHK No 106. ”Penerbitan SK Gubernur nomor 204 tahun 2019 merupakan hal yang luar biasa. Kami sangat berterimakasih. Ini merupakan jembatan dalam pengelolaan habitat kura-kura leher ular rote yang harus dilakukan secara terintegrasi antara berbagai pemangku kepentingan. Dengan adanya SK ini, semua pihak harus bekerja bersama-sama demi kelestarian kura-kura leher ular rote” jelas Kepala BBBKSDA NTT, Timbul Batubara. Menurut Timbul, BBKSDA dan Balitbang LHK Kupang didukung oleh WCS Indonesia dan Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) telah mulai menginisiasi program reintroduksi kura-kura leher ular rote sejak 2016, sebagai bagian dari upaya pengembalian populasi satwa dari kepunahan lokal. WRS telah berkontribusi untuk meningkatkan populasi kura-kura leher ular rote melalui program pembiakan agar dapat direpatriasi dan diintroduksi kembali ke Pulau Rote. Kura-kura leher rote juga menjadi salah satu bagian dari koleksi Singapore Zoo pada bagian RepTopia sebagai bagian dari penyadartahuan spesies ini terhadap publik. “WRS berkomitmen penuh dalam mendukung konservasi kura-kura leher ular rote dan siap untuk melakukan pendampingan dalam pengelolaan fasilitas koloni asuransi yang kini dimiliki oleh BBKSDA NTT. Hal ini merupakan contoh nyata dari One-Plan Approach to Conservation, di mana seluruh pihak berkolaborasi dengan tujuan besar untuk memastikan masa depan kura-kura unik ini di rumah aslinya di Pulau Rote,” ujar Dr. Sonja Luz, Director, Conservation & Research, and Veterinary Services, WRS. Penetapan KEE ini merupakan awal dan batu loncatan bagi upaya pemulihan kembali populasi kura-kura rote di alam. Masih diperlukan upaya-upaya kongkrit dan berkesinambungan untuk dapat mencapai ini. Komitmen pemerintah daerah dan berbagai stakeholder menunjukan masa depan yang baru bagi kura-kura endemik rote ini. TENTANG KAWASAN EKOSISTEM ESENSIAL Kawasan Ekosistem Esensial yang disingkat KEE adalah ekosistem di luar Kawasan Suaka Alam dan/ atau Kawasan Pelestarian Alam yang mempunyai nilai penting yang secara ekologis menunjang kelangsungan kehidupan melalui upaya konservasi keanekaragaman hayati untuk kesejahteraan masyarakat dan mutu kehidupan manusia yang ditetapkan sebagai kawasan yang dilindungi. INFORMASI MENGENAI KURA-KURA LEHER ULAR ROTE Kura-kura leher ular Rote (Chelodina mccordi) adalah salah satu dari 32 spesies kura-kura di Indonesia dan masuk ke dalam daftar 25 kura-kura paling langka di dunia (Turtle Conservation Coalition, 2018). IUCN sejak tahun 2018 telah menetapkan populasi Chelodina mccordi di Pulau Rote dengan status sangat terancam punah-kemungkinan punah di alam (CR-PEW). Danau Lendoen sebagai salah satu danau yang menjadi bagian dari Kawasan Ekosistem Esensial (KEE) Pulau Rote Ndao, Nusa Tenggara Timur. Foto: WCS-IP. Fri, 12 Jul 2019 04:34:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16585 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16587/DNA-Based-Technology-as-a-Wildlife-Conservation-Strategy-to-strengthen-related-genetic-research-that-supports-the-officials-in-handling-wildlife-crimes.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16587 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16587&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16587/DNA-Based-Technology-as-a-Wildlife-Conservation-Strategy-to-strengthen-related-genetic-research-that-supports-the-officials-in-handling-wildlife-crimes.aspx Depok, 19 December 2018 – The University of Indonesia and Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia (WCS Indonesia) with the support from the British Embassy and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry will host a national seminar entitled “Enabling Time Critical and Policy-Driven Wildlife Genetics Studies” on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at The Margo Hotel, Depok. The seminar is designed to provide fresh thinking in how the latest advances in genetics research can be used to assess the conservation status of highly threatened species, such as Sumatran elephants, support law enforcement agencies in combatting wildlife crime and much more. A range of national and international experts will deliver keynote speeches to over 150 participants. “Tackling the multi-million dollar Illegal Wildlife Trade in Indonesia requires a multi-faceted response. This includes using new tools and approaches - wildlife forensics and DNA-based techniques,” said Dr Abdul Haris, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia. “DNA can be obtained from a variety of sources including hair, feaces, urine, feathers, shed skin and saliva. Samples can be taken from seizures of trafficked wildlife or from animals in the wild.” In Indonesia, wildlife genetics has recently been used to: identify species from confiscated wildlife body parts, such as bear bile, canines, claws, elephant ivory, seahorses, tiger bones, canines and claws, detected in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport; calculate the population size of Sumatran elephants in Way Kambas National Park revealing that this small protected area contained 10-17% of the entire island-wide population and the threat posed by poaching of males on population structure; and, confirm the locations of the last remaining Sumatran rhinos in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The techniques for using DNA-based analysis are important for protecting Indonesia’s rich and unique wildlife. For example, it can significantly contribute towards accurate and data-driven settings of quotas for the sustainable use of wildlife in Indonesia (under Government Regulation No. 8 Year 1999 on the Species Utilization). The techniques are critical for improving law enforcement efforts against wildlife crimes by providing additional evidences to prosecute IWT actors and help government agencies to better understand where losses are occurring, especially for transnational wildlife trafficking. DNA analysis also makes it easier for law enforcement officials to trace the origin of animals that have been traded. Recent advances in wildlife genetics have been able to trace back confiscated wildlife to their source populations, such as linking back African elephant ivory seizures in Singapore and Hong Kong to forest populations in Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville. Indeed, an MoEF and the Attorney General’s Office Taskforce, with WCS support, has being conducting assessments of confiscated wildlife stockpiles across Sumatra. If this evidence has already been used in court, then the Taskforce is destroying it. However, as they now focus their attention on conducting these assessments in Kalimantan, Java, and other islands, it will be critical to ensure that the genetic information from these stockpiles is analysed and documented before being destroyed. The Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Country Director, Dr Noviar Andayani said, “Research on biodiversity conservation is limited and treated as a lower priority in molecular biology institutions. This seminar has been designed to bring together and enhance the understanding and capacity of Indonesian scientists to undertake time-critical research in wildlife genetics with the aim of improving the conservation of our country’s protected species. Our goal is to formulate the first national consortium in order to strengthen wildlife genetics research.” The British Embassy Jakarta is funding the event. British Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Rob Fenn added, “As a mega-biodiversity country, wildlife DNA detection plays an important role for wildlife conservation and biodiversity in Indonesia. We hope that this seminar can encourage more parties to be involved in wildlife conservation activities in Indonesia and support law enforcement to put a stop to all illegal wildlife trade.” Wednesday 19 December’s seminar is the first of three-days-activities on Wildlife Genetics Studies. On the second and third day, the seminar will continue with focus group discussions and training to develop a National Wildlife Genetics Consortium roadmap that increases coordination between multiple institutions and is capable of addressing the legal and illegal wildlife trade through supporting law enforcement actions and CITES monitoring. ### DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a type of biomolecule that stores and encodes the genetic instructions of each organism and many types of viruses. These genetic instructions play an important role in the growth, development and function of organisms and viruses. BAHASA INDONESIA  Aplikasi Teknologi Berbasis DNA* sebagai Strategi Konservasi Satwa Liar untuk MemperkuatPencegahan Kejahatan terhadap Satwa LiarDepok, 19 Desember 2018 - Universitas Indonesia dan Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia (WCS Indonesia) dengan dukungan Kedutaan Inggris menyelenggarakan seminar nasional bertema Teknologi Genomik dan Forensik Molekular Satwa Liar pada hari Rabu, 19 Desember 2018 di The Margo Hotel, Depok. Seminar ini bertujuan untuk memperkuat riset terkait genetika satwa liar yang dapat mendukung aparat penegak hukum dalam menangani kasus-kasus kejahatan terhadap satwa liar. Beberapa pembicara nasional dan internasional akan berbagi pengetahuan, pengalaman, serta informasi seputar penggunaan teknologi DNA sebagai strategi konservasi satwa liar kepada 150 peserta.“Penanggulangan perdagangan satwa liar ilegal di Indonesia memerlukan berbagai pendekatan baru, misalnya penggunaan teknologi terkini yakni forensik satwa liar berbasis DNA,” kata Abdul Haris, Dekan Fakultas MIPA Universitas Indonesia. “Penelitian melalui DNA satwa bisa didapatkan dari beberapa sumber seperti darah, rambut, kotoran, urin, tulang, dan juga air liur. Sampel-sampel yang dikumpulkan dari barang-barang sitaan maupun populasi satwa liar di alam.”Di Indonesia, genetika satwa liar dapat digunakan untuk:Mengidentifikasi jenis satwa dari bagian tubuh satwa yang disita, seperti empedu, taring, cakar beruang, gading gajah, kuda laut, tulang, taring, dan cakar harimau yang sering disita di Bandar Soekarno Hatta;Mendapatkan data akurat jumlah satwa liar, seperti gajah sumatera di Taman Nasional Way Kambas yang menjadi tempat tinggal 10-17% dari populasi seluruh gajah sumatera dan saat ini mendapat ancaman terhadap keberlangsungan populasi karena perburuan terhadap gajah;Memastikan apakah satwa liar yang sulit teridentifikasi, seperti badak sumatera, masih tersisa di habitatnya dan tidak salah teridentifikasi sebagai spesies lain seperti tapir.Lebih dari itu, teknik-teknik penggunaan analisis DNA ini sangat penting terhadap penegakan hukum terhadap perlindungan satwa liar di Indonesia. Analisis DNA dapat menyediakan data akurat terhadap pengaturan kuota untuk pemanfaatan satwa liar yang berkelanjutan di Indonesia (di bawah PP 8/ 1999 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa Liar) dan CITES. Selain itu, teknik DNA ini juga diharapkan dapat memperkuat penegakan hukum dengan memberi bukti tambahan yang memperberat tuntutan terhadap pelaku kejahatan, terutama pada kasus-kasus perdagangan satwa liar ilegal transnasional. Analisis DNA juga memudahkan aparat penegak hukum untuk menelusuri asal satwa yang telah diperjualbelikan. Contohnya, gading gajah afrika yang disita di Singapura dan Hongkong ternyata berasal dari populasi gajah di Gabon dan Kongo-Brazaville. Setelah kesuksesan pemeriksaan benda-benda sitaan yang berasal dari satwa liar di Sumatra, pemeriksaan akan berlanjut ke Kalimantan, Jawa, dan pulau-pulau lain sehingga sangat penting untuk memastikan bahwa semua informasi genetik dari pemeriksaan barang sitaan tersebut dianalisis dan terdokumentasi dengan baik sebelum dimusnahkan oleh satgas gabungan antara Kejaksaan Agung (Kejagung) dan Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup (KLHK) dengan dukungan dari Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Direktur WCS Indonesia, Noviar Andayani mengatakan, “Penelitian konservasi keanekaragaman hayati di Indonesia masih sangat terbatas dan belum menjadi prioritas di lembaga-lembaga penelitian biologi molekuler. Seminar ini diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kapasitas ilmuwan Indonesia dalam melakukan penelitian genetika satwa liar dan memperbaiki pengelolaan konservasi spesies yang dilindungi secara nasional dan/ atau terdaftar di CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) dan terbentuk konsorsium nasional untuk memperkuat riset terkait genetika satwa liar.”Kedutaan Inggris mendanai rangkaian kegiatan tiga hari ini. Wakil Duta Besar Inggris untuk Indonesia, Rob Fenn menambahkan, “Sebagai negara megabiodiversitas, pendeteksian menggunakan DNA satwa liar memegang peranan penting untuk konservasi satwa dan keanekaragaman hayati di Indonesia. Kami berharap seminar ini dapat menginspirasi lebih banyak pihak untuk terlibat dalam kegiatan konservasi satwa liar di Indonesia dan mendukung penegakan hukum terhadap kasus kejahatan dan perdagangan satwa liar.”Seminar pada hari Rabu, 19 Desember ini merupakan rangkaian pertama dari kegiatan tiga hari mengenai Teknologi Genomik dan Forensik Molekular Satwa Liar. Pada hari kedua dan ketiga, seminar akan dilanjutkan dengan diskusi kelompok terarah (focus group discussion – FGD) dan lokakarya untuk membentuk konsorsium nasional yang terdiri atas berbagai pihak seperti pemerintah, akademisi, peneliti, dan mahasiswa, untuk meningkatkan koordinasi antar institusi dalam menyelesaikan isu-isu perdagangan satwa liar legal maupun ilegal melalui penegakan hukum dan pengawasan CITES. ###*DNA (bahasa Inggris: deoxyribonucleic acid), atau Asam deoksiribonukleat adalah sejenis biomolekul yang menyimpan dan menyandi instruksi-instruksi genetika setiap organisme dan banyak jenis virus. Instruksi-instruksi genetika ini berperan penting dalam pertumbuhan, perkembangan, dan fungsi organisme dan virus. Wed, 19 Dec 2018 08:46:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16587 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16588/WCSs-Irma-Hermawati-and-Musir-Riswan-Receive-Disney-Conservation-Hero-Awards.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16588 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16588&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16588/WCSs-Irma-Hermawati-and-Musir-Riswan-Receive-Disney-Conservation-Hero-Awards.aspx (NEW YORK - November 23, 2015) - WCS (Wildlife conservation Society) announced today that Irma Hermawati and Musir Riswan of WCS’s Indonesia Program have both been honored with a Conservation Hero Award from the Disney Conservation Fund. The award recognizes local citizens for their efforts to protect wildlife and wild places, and to engage communities in conservation.    Recipients from around the world were nominated by nonprofit environmental organizations, and each honoree and his or her nominating organization will share a $1,500 award from the fund.   Irma Hermawati is a lawyer by training and currently serves as the coordinator and legal advisor to WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit in Indonesia where she is dedicated to combating the illegal wildlife trade. To date, she has assisted in more than 150 cases regarding tiger, elephant, and primate trafficking, and has succeeded in increasing the rate of wildlife crime prosecution by 75 percent in Indonesia. Her work has led to a demonstrable reduction in illegal wildlife trafficking.   Musir Riswan works with the WCS’s Wildlife Response Unit, helping communities manage conflicts with wildlife. He pioneered the use of a 'tiger-proof enclosure,’ designed to keep livestock safe from tigers and reduce the incidence of tigers entering villages. Musir also teaches community members to safely respond to conflicts with wildlife. His efforts are helping to conserve the unique and endangered species of Sumatra while also protecting communities that call the forests home.  “I express my appreciation to WCS for the recommendation and Disney Fund for this award. This award will encourage me to fight more for wildlife existence,” said Irma Hermawati. “Thank you to Disney for this award and I hope it can motivate us to enhance our performance to preserve our nature – since that is our collective responsibility,” added Musir Riswan.   The Disney Conservation Fund focuses on protecting wildlife and connecting kids and families with nature. Since 2004, Disney has honored more than 100 Conservation Heroes from around the world for their extraordinary conservation efforts.  “Thank you to the Disney Fund for recognizing these two outstanding individuals with this honor,“ said WCS Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science John Robinson. "Each in their own way continues to demonstrate how conservation can make a positive difference to both wildlife and people. WCS is proud to have these worthy recipients of the Disney Conservation Hero Award on its staff and thankful for the work they do.”    For information on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature and a complete list of 2015 Conservation Hero Award recipients, visit Disney.com/Conservation.  Fri, 26 Feb 2016 01:25:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16588 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16589/Major-Illegal-Tiger-Skin-Trader-Arrested-in-Indonesia.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16589 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16589&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16589/Major-Illegal-Tiger-Skin-Trader-Arrested-in-Indonesia.aspx New York (December 15, 2015) – The Criminal Investigation Division of the Indonesian National Police and the WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU) announced today an enforcement action against a major tiger skin trader and an intermediary who offered tiger skin products to potential buyers. Both were  arrested in Jakarta, on December 11, 2015. The trader has been selling tiger skin products and other protected wildlife to suppliers and buyers located in Java, Bali, and Sumatra. He is known as a reptile skin (crocodile and snake) craftsman, but was also selling products made from protected wildlife such as tiger and leopard. WCU identified the selling of tiger skins through online research and found the suspect selling wallets made from tiger skins. The trader’s operation involved a large number of protected wildlife items including four complete tiger skins, seven tiger feet, two tiger tails, one kg of tiger bone, and accessories made from tiger skin such as 13 tiger skin wallets. Other illegal wildlife items included a stuffed Hawksbill sea turtle, stuffed crocodile head, a helmeted hornbill casque, a sea turtle carapace, seven crocodile skins, and two bear fangs. A rhino horn was also found at the crime scene, and the police will check its DNA to determine its authenticity.   The trader chose specific parts of complete tiger skins to create 10-15 wallets and confessed to using 11 full tiger skins in the past year. The skin from the tiger’s head is used for Reog Ponorogo—a traditional dance from East Java— which features a tiger mask made of the skin from an actual tiger’s head and peafowl feathers. To avoid detection, the trader camouflaged the shipment of wallets and accessories with furniture. Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are a critically endangered tiger sub-species and can only be found in Indonesia. Sumatran tiger poaching and trading is prohibited under Indonesian law. Violators are subject to a maximum of 5 years in prison and a fine of USD 10,000. Adjunct Police Commissioner Sugeng Irianto said, “We continue to investigate the source of tiger skins and other protected animals, including the price of these products in the domestic and international market. For legal purposes, we will work with the lab at the Eijkman Institute to determine the authenticity and species of the evidence.” Noviar Andayani, Country Director of the WCS-Indonesia Program said, “We see that law enforcement does not only reflect the Indonesian government’s strong commitment, but also demonstrates a strategic move to stop the tiger trade chain from South Sumatra. WCS has committed to sustainably supporting the government to protect key wildlife such as the Sumatran tiger through multi-layered efforts, from wildlife protection in its habitat to technical support in effective, fair and transparent law enforcement.” “This is a major arrest in that individuals causing great damage to the tiger population have now been taken out of the trade chain,” said Joe Walston, WCS Vice President of Field Conservation.“WCS pledges its continued support to the Indonesian authorities in a relentless pursuit of the individuals and groups engaged in these illegal activities.” WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit is supported by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, Fondation Segré, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Multinational Species Conservation Funds, AZA Tiger Species Survival Plan’s Tiger Conservation Campaign, and the UK Government's IWT Challenge Fund. Tue, 15 Dec 2015 18:43:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16589 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16586/Poop-Scoop-Estimating-Population-Size-of-Sumatran-Elephants-in-Way-Kambas.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16586 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16586&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16586/Poop-Scoop-Estimating-Population-Size-of-Sumatran-Elephants-in-Way-Kambas.aspx The status of Sumatran Elephant has been escalated from endangered into critically endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2012. This mostly because the Sumatran Elephants have significant reduction in population number as indicated by the loss of over 69% of its potential habitat in just one generation (the last 25 years). Currently, all elephants in West Sumatra have been extirpated, nine populations in Lampung have been lost, and six out of nine forest blocks that had elephants in 2007 in Riau had gone extinct. With total Sumatran Elephant around 2,400 – 2,800 individuals in 2007, that number most likely has been reduced to its half in current time. In order to determine whether Sumatran Elephants categorized as critically endangered, scientists work hard to count elephant individual in wild places. Not only just number – by establishing this research – scientist and conservationist can design the right protection mechanism for saving this animal. But how do actually scientists conduct their research in estimating population size of Sumatran Elephants? Surprisingly, the scientist can get much information from elephant’s poop. In the research recently held by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Indonesia Program along with their counterpart, Eijkman Institute, it reveals that the population of elephant can be estimated by using their poop. The project which hosted in Way Kambas National Park divided into two parts, the dung collected by WCS field staff then transported to Eijkman Molecular Institute for further examination in Jakarta. WCS team has collected 310 dung sample followed by scraping dung’s slime using plastic spoon. The dung’s slime then inserted to tube contain with special liquid named Queen’s Buffer to preserve the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). After that, DNA test conducted to extract samples in order to discover population estimation of the elephants. The process – named mark-recapture statistical approach – revealed an elephant population of 247 individuals in Way Kambas National Park in 2010 with a range of estimates of 220 to 278 individuals. “If we look back in 2002, though using different technique, we estimate Way Kambas population to be 180 elephant individuals with a range of estimates 144 to 225. The data suggests that the population has remained stable or possibly increased,” said Wulan Pusparini and Simon Hedges, from WCS. Aside of its advantages to count population, elephant’s poop could also used to discover the spread of age and sex in the population. Sex ratio determined by using DNA technique as well. From elephant individuals identified in Way Kambas, it can conclude that there are 1:6.4 male/ female sex ratios of elephants. Different from two methods above which using DNA based analysis, age analysis method carried by measuring circumference of dung bolus size then yielded following result: 34% are adults, 43.7% are sub-adults, and 22.3% are juvenile. Way Kambas can be a role model for other Sumatran Elephant range area to conduct similar estimation population research. This is because Way Kambas is the only place in Sumatra where the scientifically trusted research of population estimation is successfully conducted from few places which also inhabited with Asian elephant. Additional InformationSumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus ssp. sumatranus) is the subspecies of Asian Elephant, one of two species of elephant in the world. They dwell in lowland forest of Sumatra in province of Riau, West Sumatra, and Lampung, most of it is outside a protected area.  Sumatran Elephants’ weight varies from 2.25 to 5.5 tons per individual. This huge mammal can grow up to 2 to 3 m from shoulder to toe. Sumatran Elephants explore long road while looking for foods to nourish their bodies. Elephants do not sleep much. From their consumption on roots, grasses, fruit, and bark, an adult elephant as much as 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food, they can “produce” poop around 50 kg in a single day.  Wildlife Conservation Society is an international NGO with conservation program in 60 countries and headquartered in New York, USA. WCS-Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) is a representative office in Indonesia under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) framework with Directorate General of Forest Protection and Natural Conservation (PHKA) Environmental and Forestry Ministry, Republic of Indonesia. In order to save Sumatran Elephants in Way Kambas, WCS-IP has been working with Way Kambas National Park located in Lampung Province since 2000. Wed, 12 Aug 2015 05:22:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16586 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16590/Indonesian-National-Police-Seize-Major-Shipment-of-Pangolins-Arrest-Smuggler.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16590 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16590&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16590/Indonesian-National-Police-Seize-Major-Shipment-of-Pangolins-Arrest-Smuggler.aspx NEW YORK (April 27, 2015) – The Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Division (BARESKRIM MABES POLRI), the Government of Indonesia, and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU) today announced the seizure of a shipment of pangolins headed to China and valued at approximately 1.8 million US dollars (USD). The pangolin smuggler involved in the case has been arrested.  This is the largest case of pangolin smuggling in Indonesia since 2008 when the Indonesian National Police, supported by WCS’s WCU, arrested two smugglers and confiscated 13.8 tons of frozen pangolins in Palembang.  The seizure took place on April 23, 2015, at the Belawan seaport in Medan, the largest city on the island of Sumatra. Belawan Seaport is notorious for being an import and exit point for illegal wildlife trafficking. The haul included 5 tons of frozen pangolins, 77 kilograms of pangolin scales, and 96 live pangolins. A smuggler, identified by the initials SHB, has been arrested in the case. SHB allegedly dealt and exported pangolins that he ordered from local dealers in Aceh and north Sumatra. Under Indonesian law, trafficking of pangolins, their parts and by-products is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of USD $10,000.  In recent years, the price of pangolin has increased sharply in the international market, driven by demand from China. Based on current black market prices, the value of the seized shipment is 1.826 million USD. Pangolin scales (considered to have healing qualities by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners) are valued at USD $3,000 per kg, pangolin meat (considered a delicacy) at USD $300 per kg, and live pangolins at USD $992. Smugglers also ship pangolin innards, including fetuses, for traditional medicinal purposes.  Based upon evidence gathered during the arrest, the shipment was headed to China. In order to avoid police and customs detection, the suspect had exported the shipping container that held the pangolin cargo from a secondary port to a cargo ferry offshore, where it was obscured among other containers. The cargo ferry then docked at Belawan port where the container was to be transferred to a vessel destined for China via Haiphong Seaport in Vietnam. The exporter also shipped live pangolins to Penang, Malaysia through a remote seaport in Medan. There are eight species of pangolins (Family: Manidae) still in existence worldwide. Four of the species are of Asian origin including the Sundanese Pangolin (Manis javanicus), which is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The pangolin's large scales are made of keratin, the same material as fingernails and rhino horns, and account for 20% of its weight. Deputy Director Tipidter, CID of the Indonesian National Police, Police Senior Commissioner Didid Widjanardi said, “Pangolins are protected under Indonesian law. The Indonesian National Police and WCS’s WCU have done a great job in tackling pangolin smuggling since 2008. We will continue our collaboration in the future through preventive actions, which is important to saving pangolins in their habitat.”  WCS Executive Director for Asia Programs Joe Walston said, “This is a major breakthrough, both in terms of the enormous size of the shipment and in terms of the increasing sophistication of collaborative methods used by Indonesian authorities in making the bust. WCS is committed to supporting the Government of Indonesia in dismantling this insidious illegal trade.”  WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit is supported by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, Fondation Segré, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Multinational Species Conservation Funds, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Mon, 27 Apr 2015 23:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16590 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16591/Major-Tiger-Trader-Busted-in-IndonesiaFaces-5-Years-in-Prison-and-10000-USD-Fine.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16591 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16591&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16591/Major-Tiger-Trader-Busted-in-IndonesiaFaces-5-Years-in-Prison-and-10000-USD-Fine.aspx Tiger middleman arrested selling endangered Sumatran tiger parts and protected wildlife including a stuffed tiger, a stuffed Javan leopard, and four stuffed sambar deer Arrests made by South Sumatra Military Police, South Sumatra Provincial Natural Resource Conservation Office, with technical assistance from WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit Wildlife Crimes Unit connects two middlemen that operated in Jakarta and Southern Sumatra Suspect allegedly sold 100 stuffed tigers over last ten years  NEW YORK (February 12, 2015) – The South Sumatra Military Police, South Sumatra Provincial Natural Resource Conservation Office (BKSDA), and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU) announced today the recent arrest of a major wildlife trafficker illegally trading in tiger parts and other protected wildlife in Indonesia. The suspect has allegedly sold more than 100 stuffed tigers over a ten-year period. The trafficker, identified as KSM allegedly traded the illegal goods to buyers in Southern Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and to a tiger “middleman” in Jakarta. KSM has since confessed that he purchased tiger skins and stuffed tigers in Lampung, Bengkulu, Jambi, and North Sumatra to supply demand in Jakarta and Java. The arrest took place during a transaction involving the shipment of one stuffed tiger, one stuffed Javan leopard, and four stuffed sambar deer worth $16,000 USD on the illegal market. The suspect was apprehended in the city of Palembang, the provincial capital of South Sumatra, located approximately 200 kilometers from the northern part of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The park is one of the most important sites globally for Sumatran tigers. The suspect’s arrest concluded a long investigation that began in 2009 with the arrest of a middleman by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Indonesian National police assisted by WCU.  Following that arrest, authorities pursued KSM –who they linked to the middleman in a continuing investigation. Noviar Andayani, Country Director of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Indonesia Program said, “We see that law enforcement does not only indicate the Indonesian government’s strong commitment, but also demonstrates a strategic move to stop the tiger trade chain from South Sumatra. WCS has committed to sustainably supporting the government’s efforts to protect key wildlife, such as the Sumatran tiger, through a multi-layered effort, from  protection in its habitat to technical support in effective, fair and transparent law enforcement.” Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae), are a critically endangered tiger sub-species that can only be found in Indonesia. Poaching and trading of these animals is a violation of Indonesian law, with violators subject to a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Nunu Anugrah, Head of the BKSDA, said, “We are committed to preserving protected species in Indonesia through systematic conservation efforts based on education, public awareness, and law enforcement. BKSDA aims to ensure that the law enforcement process against the perpetrators of protected wildlife runs optimally and provides a deterrent effect. Such a deterrent is critical to conserving priority programs—such as Sustaining Wildlife Populations and Habitats— that aims to increase the population of 35 priority species (including the Sumatran tiger and elephant) by 10 percent in the next five years.” “This arrest of a major trader in tigers and other wildlife by Indonesian authorities is showing the world that Indonesia is serious about protecting this species from wildlife trafficking,” said Joe Walston, WCS Vice President of Field Conservation.  “We commend our partners in making these arrests.” WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit is supported by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, Fondation Segré, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Multinational Species Conservation Funds, MacArthur Foundation, and USAID-Change for Justice. ### Wed, 11 Feb 2015 23:32:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16591 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16592/Indonesian-Mountain-Weasels-Activity-Recorded-for-the-First-Time-by-Camera-Trap.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16592 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16592&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16592/Indonesian-Mountain-Weasels-Activity-Recorded-for-the-First-Time-by-Camera-Trap.aspx For the first time, Indonesian Mountain Weasel which is little known in distribution, population and ecology was documented through camera trap in Leuser, Sumatra. Mountain weasel (Mustela leutrolina), the small carnivore, was recorded on February 15, 2013, in Leuser Ecosystem Area through camera trapping activity by Gunung Leuser National Park (TNGL) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Indonesia. Previously, until 2008 there were only five records of mountain weasel in the form of specimen in Sumatra and nine records in Java, restricted at high altitude above 1,400 asl. M. leutrolina which was photographed in eastern part of Leuser Landscape has discovered at 2,596 m. Thus, it is now safe to assume that the species can be found at high altitudes above 1,400 asl.   The paucity of mountain weasel records indicates how difficult this species is to find using conventional survey techniques. Its threats cannot be meaningfully assessed so it is categorized on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Data Deficient until further study allows an informed judgment. “Whether this is because there is not much study specifically for it, or because of a real rarity is unclear,” said conservation species specialist from WCS, Wulan Pusparini.   A camera-trap provided two photographs (six seconds apart) of M. lutreolina in the eastern part of Leuser Landscape, inside the designated Gunung Leuser National Park.  “The camera trapped was initially used for capture-recapture study of Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris in January – July 2013 at animal heights above 45 cm. However, the weasel seems to have been interested in the equipment and climbed the background of one camera-trap’s mount, so the weasel was photographed,” said Marsya Sibarani, Sumatra Program staff from WCS.   Beside mountain weasel, at least one other small carnivore record from survey is Collared Mongoose (Herpestes semitorquatus) was camera trapped through three photographs; a duo on February 7, 2013 and a single on August 6, 2013. Gunung Leuser National Park is nested within the vast Leuser Landscape in northern Sumatra (27,000 km²), selected for conservation and restoration of the Leuser biodiversity and ecosystem as mandated by the Presidential Decree No. 33/1998. Wed, 04 Feb 2015 05:01:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16592 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16593/Tiger-Traders-Busted-in-Indonesia.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16593 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16593&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16593/Tiger-Traders-Busted-in-Indonesia.aspx Two traders arrested for selling endangered Sumatran tiger parts including a whole skin, a stuffed head, and stuffed paws Arrests were made by West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Ministry of Forestry and the Indonesian Police (Lampung office), with technical assistance from WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit Traders face maximum of 5 years prison and a fine of USD $10,000   NEW YORK (October 30, 2014) – The West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Ministry of Forestry, the Indonesian Police (Lampung office), and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Crimes Unit announced today enforcement action against two wildlife traffickers trading tiger parts online.   The operation involved a shipment of one whole tiger skin, two stuffed tiger paws, one stuffed tiger head, and a tiger claw. The first arrested trader, Wdy allegedly trades tiger parts trader for purported mystical purposes and advertises his products through social media. The second trader, Smr is an alleged online trader of tiger skin, stuffed tiger, bear, and lion for home decoration. He offered the stuffed tiger for USD $5,000-7,000.   The arrests took place in the city of Banda Lampung and Merak seaport respectively. Bandar Lampung is the provincial capital of Lampung, around 90 km from Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, one of the most important sites globally for Sumatran tiger, the critically endangered tiger sub-species found only in Indonesia. The Merak seaport on the island of Java, just across the Sunda Strait from Lampung, is an important hub between Sumatra and Java and a popular exit point for smuggling wildlife.   Andre Ginson, SH., Section Head at BKSDA West Java’s Serang office, said: “We really appreciate WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit’s technical assistance which made this arrest possible, and especially for always providing us with accurate information on tiger trafficking. We hope our collaboration between the Ministry of Forestry and WCS to combat illicit trade of tiger will continue.”   Adjunct Senior Commissioner Sulistyaningsih, Spokesperson of the Lampung Police, said: “The tiger trader broke Indonesian Law No. 5 year 1990 by selling protected wildlife parts. The trader will be charged a maximum of 5 years prison and a maximum fine of USD $10,000.”   Joe Walston, WCS Vice President for Field Conservation said: “These recent arrests send a clear message to wildlife traffickers that Indonesia is serious about wildlife crime. We commend the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Ministry of Forestry and the Indonesian Police Lampung Office for working to save Indonesia’s wildlife heritage from illegal wildlife trafficking. Collaboration with Indonesian authorities is crucial in enforcement actions like these.”   WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit is supported by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Asian Elephant Conservation Fund and Great Apes Conservation Fund, the AZA Tiger Species Survival Plan Tiger Conservation Campaign, and San Diego Zoo Global. Thu, 30 Oct 2014 22:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16593 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16594/How-Karimunjawa-National-Park-turned-from-a-leaky-ship-to-a-model-fishery.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16594 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16594&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16594/How-Karimunjawa-National-Park-turned-from-a-leaky-ship-to-a-model-fishery.aspx As recently as 2004, Karimunjawa National Park was considered as a ‘paper’ park with grim prospects for improvement. Almost 10 years later, Dr. Stuart Campbell revisits the changes that have turned this protected area off the coast of Java into a growing success story.  At a recent workshop I attended, a comment was made that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) traditionally have been set up to protect biodiversity. Whilst this view is likely justified by the development of global MPAs since the 1970s, increasingly in the past few decades they have increasingly been tailored to promote fishery production and recovery. WCS’ focus has very much put fisheries protection and sustainability at the forefront of MPA development. This is because when WCS started working in Karimunjawa National Park (a MPA off the coast of Java) in 2002, we witnessed the live reef trade operating full swing without regulation, with large boats entering the park to be loaded with live grouper and snapper for export to Hong Kong.  From ‘conservation fortresses’ to rights-based sustainable fisheries  Today, the focus seems to be shifting to fisheries management, often single species approaches that include rights-based allocation of particular species, to support ecosystem based approaches including gear restrictions and spatial closures. The recent re-focus on fisheries amongst donors and some NGOs possibly reflects a weariness with the lack of demonstrated benefits that the ‘no take areas at all costs’ approach has had on fish stocks in, in Indonesia in particular.  In 2009, when a couple of Australian researchers came to Karimunjawa Marine National Park to investigate the marine ecosystems, they were shocked to witness destructive muroami fishing that exploited a wide range of fish species. Other impacts ranged from anchor damage on corals to widespread use of blast fishing and cyanide.  Indeed, after 7 years of working in Karimunjawa with my team, we seemingly had a serious failure on our hands. It was time to learn from our contribution to this failure: fish stocks in decline, weak law enforcement on poaching, and poor relationships with local communities.  Turning the ship around  During those years, we had collected standard fisheries landing/catch data with local fishers, so we knew which fisheries were in trouble. This meant we could identify solutions in term of fishing gear and other restrictions that would potentially help fishery recovery.  We decided to directly invest in community-based programs and stop funding non-community based workshops—although there was no guarantee of success. Working with communities, and helping them with a range of livelihood programs from reef fish mariculture to building tourism enterprises and attempting to re-stock wild populations of grouper with cultured juveniles, the knowledge gained by these programs began to be used in innovative ways.  For example conflicts among spear and handline fishers for certain reef fish species have been resolved by village laws enabling some level of protection to wild populations of squaretail coral trout (Plectropomus areolatus), camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion) and tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus), from exploitative fishing gears such as spear guns.  Data from WCS and the government on these fishes was used to shape the laws introduced. The laws adopt a ‘rights-based approach’, where local fishers only have access to nominated species though a range of controls. Already local fishers are reporting up to 10% increases in the abundance of the squaretail coral trout and camouflage grouper on some reefs. Communities in 2012 also agreed to double the area of no take zones, which now cover around 20% of reef habitats in Karimunjawa and are being enforced by communities and government rangers.  Market incentives that promote sustainability  So while we have helped fishers in Karimunjawa to achieve some success, it is ever important that we learn from these approaches. Part of the solution we believe is to work with fishers, buyers, traders and exporters, to identify potential species for improved management and marketing opportunities for direct income benefits to local fishers. On a recent trip to Karimunjawa, my staff examined the park in terms of its potential to deliver improved fisheries management through privileged or rights-based approaches.  These approaches may not necessarily follow standard ‘western techniques’ such as setting fishery quotas. They may have to be tailored to local circumstances, such as controlling fishing effort through gear and boat usage in certain fisheries to build stocks and fisheries sustainability.  One example is the deep sea red snapper fishery of Karimunjawa, where fishers set large traps outside the park at a depth of 50-100m for export to other Asian countries. This fishery may have potential for a rights-based approach due to its limited access and selective gears used.  As we chase the supply chains emanating out of Karimunjawa for this and other fisheries, I reflect on how Karimunjawa is so different to those days in 2004 when ships set for Hong Kong, were loaded up with live reef, caught using cyanide in the park. Local fisher co-operatives now use floating fish cages to ‘grow up’ reef fish from cultured juveniles, which are onsold for profit.  Karimunjawa is now a model MPA for Indonesia, due in some part to the effort by WCS and the government to shift our focus to community and market-based solutions, to build back depleted fisheries. My hope is that by 2024, local village laws have helped to replenish reefs with teeming snapper and grouper populations and that local fishers not only have privileged rights to their local fisheries, but are receiving added market value for their precious catch, enabling sustained and improved catches. Sun, 17 Nov 2013 22:22:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16594 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16596/Driven-to-Protect-A-family-conflict-bred-from-protecting-a-Sulawesi-marine-sanctuary.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16596 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16596&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16596/Driven-to-Protect-A-family-conflict-bred-from-protecting-a-Sulawesi-marine-sanctuary.aspx Maxi Lahading, the 56-year-old retired head of Bahoi village, works every day to catch fish for his income. He also has voluntarily maintained the Bahoi marine sanctuary for about 10 years. Maxi also monitors the village fishing grounds surrounding the sanctuary for signs of illegal fishing and over the years has educated, confronted and reported violators using dynamite, cyanide and illegal boats and nets.  Tough love Through Maxi’s faith and belief in the protection of oceans’ natural resources, his tough but simple approach promotes and educates local communities and fishers to ‘worship’ the sea so the area retains and improves its functions as a breeding ground for fish and as a ‘fish bank’ for supply to local fishing grounds.  Family feud According to Maxi, protection of the sanctuary has not been easy, and in 2007 he confronted his brother-in-law who was fishing in the marine sanctuary area using fish poison. With a heavy heart, Pak ‘Maxi’ realised he must “take a firm stand against his in-laws and rebuke and forbid them from future indiscretions”.  Up till then he had been living with his parents in law, but the conflict meant he was forced to move and he currently lives with his sister and her parents. Nowadays he is known and feared by most rogue fishers inside and outside his village, is chairman of sanctuary management board, has stopped, prosecuted and resolved violations through village laws and is respected by the community for the boost in fisheries and tourism the sanctuary has delivered.  With WCS help, the district government of North Minahasa has decided to incorporate Maxi’s MPA within the establishment of a 32,000 hectare district-level MPA that encompasses all 17 community-based MPAs of North Sulawesi. This will provide support for the work Maxi has been involved with over the past 15 years, since USAID initiated the community-based project back in 1998 – an awesome outcome for long-term conservation of northern Sulawesi reefs. Tue, 12 Nov 2013 22:24:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16596 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16597/A-sanctuary-revived-North-Sulawesi-LMMA-Network--Lihunu-Village.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16597 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16597&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16597/A-sanctuary-revived-North-Sulawesi-LMMA-Network--Lihunu-Village.aspx WCS has also assisted the district government of North Minhasa and other relevant government agencies to commit to a planning process to establish a 32,000 hectare MPA that encompasses community based MPA sanctuaries in the region  Lack of ‘respect’ for marine wildlife fuels conflict  After a promising start, the sanctuary’s management activities ceased due to lack of outside and internal support from 2005 to 2010. But with increasing foreign and domestic tourists coming to the village, and a largely unregulated fishing industry, a number of serious conflicts occurred between fishers and local people.  This has been fueled by an ingrained habit of eating turtle meat for meals or during parties, with outsiders also catching dugong and turtle using gill nets. This has angered locals who respect marine fauna and see it as a benefit for local tourism.  A new start  With the success of improved management of nearby Marine Sanctuaries, and as part of WCS’ aim to reinvigorate the North Sulawesi local marine managed area (LMMA) with provincial and district governments, in January 2013 a community forum in Lihunu village agreed to initiate a re-building of their Marine Sanctuary management.  With new village regulations legislated, and with support from WCS in ecotourism enterprise training and management planning, communities are now better able to conserve their marine resources from the increasing pressure of tourism and fisheries.  With government participation, prospects of scaling up  Strong support for local community-based MPAs in North Sulawesi has led the district government of North Minahasa to declare support for initiating the establishment of a 32,000 hectare district-level MPA that encompasses the 17 community-based MPAs of North Sulawesi. This provides the basis for improving management and scaling up the network of community-based MPAs in North Sulawesi.  WCS will continue to facilitate meetings among all communities, government and private sector stakeholders to design the new MPA and provide the necessary policy and scientific support for its development. Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:05:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16597 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16595/From-meatball-to-symbol-of-pride-Raising-sharks-awareness-in-schools-and-villages.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16595 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16595&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16595/From-meatball-to-symbol-of-pride-Raising-sharks-awareness-in-schools-and-villages.aspx Ahmad Mukminin:   The waters surrounding Aceh Province’s Weh Island, at the northernmost tip of the island of Sumatra, supports large shark and ray populations. There are no regulations on shark fisheries in these waters and awareness of the need to protect shark species from overfishing and possible local extinction is very low. So WCS turned to a movie to make the case for shark conservation.  In 2013, we launched an awareness campaign showcasing a new film, “Shark: Guardian of the Sea”, on the damage being wrought by local shark fisheries and advocating for new measures to stem the burgeoning local trade in shark meat and fins. The film has now been shown to over 50 fishers from 5 main fishing communities, comprising 18 villages on Weh Island and local fisheries managers. The film was also shown to over 80 students.  A movie to get people talking about saving sharks  At each screening the film has been launched with opening remarks by WCS staff who explain the goals and purpose of the film. The 20-minute film has been followed by hour-long discussions with fishers and students alike, to answer questions regarding the main themes of the film.  The awareness raising activity is part of a broader national campaign to improve management of Aceh’s shark fishery, which includes developing an action plan for the Aceh-Weh Seascape that addresses key strategies of Indonesia’s National Plan of Action for sharks and rays. Sun, 10 Nov 2013 00:09:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16595 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16598/Getting-to-20-million-New-WCS-research-aims-to-complete-Indonesias-MPA-quiltwork.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16598 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16598&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16598/Getting-to-20-million-New-WCS-research-aims-to-complete-Indonesias-MPA-quiltwork.aspx The study is partof the USAID-MPAG program for Indonesia, through which WCS conducted a spatial assessment of MPAs using available data and reports from all previous scientific studies that have defined priority areas of marine resource conservation in Indonesia. Where are the future MPAs? This study is the first of its kind in Indonesia to identify key MPAs that are in urgent need of assistance and development, elucidating the distribution and extentof existing community based MPAs from relevant datasets and reports. The report supports the Indonesian government to develop strategic recommendations and spatial priorities for its commitment to achieve 20 million hectares of MPAs by Indonesia. To reach the 20 million hectare target, we have identified potential priority MPAs for future establishment encompassing 4,530,815 hectares in 26 provinces and 61 districts nation wide. The full study,including full site listings and maps, can be found in Yulianto et al. 2013  We validated this information with data from the Data Center of Marine Protected Areas, the Directorate of Conservation of Areas and Fish Species (KKJI), the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), and the Ministry of Forestry (MoF) on existing, proposed and community-based marine protected areas that have been established by various institutions. To assist the Government of Indonesia, WCS has a goal of contributing to Indonesia’s improved marine protection and fisheries management by achieving a ‘1 in 10’ target of effective management across one million hectares of MPAs over the next 10 years. Table 1. Area, number and numbers managed by MMAF and MoF of Indonesian Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Natural Conservation Areas (NSA, NCA) and Community Based MPAs (CB-MPAs). Hectares No. MPAs/NSA/NCA/CB-MPAs No. managed by Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. managed by Ministry of Forestry Existing MPAs in July 2012 15,784,129 108 76 32 Existing NSA and NCA’s in national protected areas 1,169247 82 82 Proposed NSA and NCA’s in process 967,423 41 41 MPAs in process 280,885 4 (Southeast Maluku, Morotai, South Halmahera, and East Belitung Districts) 4 Clustering of CB-MPAs 2,170,000 342 Total 20,371,684   The results of our study do not outline the full setof criteria that are expected to forge the underlying strategy of the government to achieve its MPA targets. Other considerations including socio-economic, political, defense and security factors were not examined in this study. The results of this study are providing critical supporting data and information for the Indonesian government in its setting of spatial priorities to achieve its stated target of 20 million hectares of effective marine protected areas for Indonesia. Fri, 08 Nov 2013 03:04:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16598 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16599/Surf-Lobster-and-Tuna-Lomboks-Bumbang-Bay-to-Become-Recreational-Park.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16599 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16599&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16599/Surf-Lobster-and-Tuna-Lomboks-Bumbang-Bay-to-Become-Recreational-Park.aspx By: Tasrif KartawijayaThe Bumbang area is fast becoming a center for international and domestic tourism attracted by unspoilt beaches, hidden and secluded coves, amyriad of nearshore coral reefs and – not the least - magical surf where one can find a wave unhindered by the masses who vist Bali. The area also boasts a range of productive pelagic tuna and mackerel, reef snapper and grouper, anchovy and lobster fisheries that local communities source for daily income. The main threats to the area include blast fishing and cyanide fishing, by outside fishers, which will continue unabated unless zoning systems are developed with full community participation. Supporting local champions Key to WCS’ aim of developing a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in West Nusa Tenggara Province is the support of communities, govermments and private sector. In the Bumbang Sub-districtof southern Lombok, Pak Rokib, a 37 old ex-fisher, has switched jobs to coordinate a more sustainable fishing future for his local people in the region. His main daily tasks, besides his shop and truck rental businesses, are to help communities to improve their lobster fishing and mariculture practices. Rokib facilitates support from local governments and the private sector to provide technical training and advice to fishers in lobster disease, cultivating, rearing and marketing. Getting to ‘yes’ for a MPA Working with Rokib and his fisher and government network, WCS have achieved community and government support to establish a Marine Recreational Park (MRP) in Bumbang Bay on the south-east Lombok coast, where reef and pelagic fisheries and lobster mariculture is expanding. The proposed area of 22,940 hectares has support from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and the Central Lombok District Head (Bupati) in the form of adecree to support the preparation of a management and zoning system, establishment of management units, facilities and infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and financial support. Once developed, these will requirefinal legislative approval by the Bupati. WCS is assisting with collection of ecological, socio economic and resource utilization data to help develop themanagement and zoning system with government and community support. What sustainable zoning will achieve By building a system of zones that aim to protect biodiversity, manage fishing gears and potentially set fishing quotas for the lobster and potentially other fisheries, the commitment of government and local communities aim to to reduce threats, improve sustainable production and increase the value of their fisheries by a range of measures that include: protection of key nursery habitats improved governance and allocation of local fishing rights and market incentives that foster implementation of sustainable fishing controls. Without effective management, the area is most likely to suffer from the same deterioration that has afflicted other parts of Indonesia. The potential of the lobster Moreover, WCS has assessed the viability of these fisheries and is establishing a fisheries improvement program (FIP) for the lobster fishery in cooperation with the Sustainable Fisheries Program (SFP). From interviews with local fishers and analysis of lobster catch and fishing pressure we are assessing juvenile lobster stocks in the wild and the levels of sustainable fishing of juvenile lobster, that are transported to and grown to market size in floating fish cages. Thu, 07 Nov 2013 07:28:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16599 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16600/Whalesharks-on-the-comeback-WCS-helps-release-unexpected-whale-shark-from-net-in-marine-park-off-Java.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16600 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16600&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16600/Whalesharks-on-the-comeback-WCS-helps-release-unexpected-whale-shark-from-net-in-marine-park-off-Java.aspx By: Efin Muttaqin An encouraging come back While catching anchovies and small bait fish in a stationary net off the coast of Java on October 8th, a group of fishers discovered a much larger animal in their lift net—a juvenile whale shark measuring 4 meters in length (12 feet). Whale sharks have not been common in these waters over the past decade, so the appearance of this animal in a coastal net was asurprise to the fishers. SMS messages that can save wildlife The fishers quickly alerted the Karimunjawa National Park Authority and WCS staff usinga text message system (SMS) established for reporting fishing violations, and the animal was released. With training from WCS and RARE, another conservation organization, fishers now use the SMS “hotline” to report fishing violations and marine animal strandings to park authorities instantaneously. Using ‘texts’ to respond to fishing violations and strandings has greatly increased the efficiency of regulatory enforcement in Karimunjawa, and this low-cost system is helping to bring ecological balance back to the coastal waters of Karimunjawa while boosting fishing productivity as well. Ecological recovery? The presence of the shark may indicate the ecological recovery of Karimunjawa waters due to changes in fishing regulations. Over the past 3 years, a series of no-take reserves have been established, as well as a total ban on destructive trawl nets that destroy seabed habitat in coastal areas, both of which have ledto a boost in local fishery production. A 50% increase in local fish populations over the past 3 years The new SMS system has also led to the prosecution of illegal trawl fishing by the park authority, that has previously decimated local fish populations. Data from WCS and government agencies now show a 50% increase in local fish populations over the past 3 years (to 2013), which in turn is bringing whalesharks back into the area most likely due to the increase in prey (e.g. plankton, small fish and fish eggs). With support from the national park authority, WCS continues to conduct research and monitoring of local fisheries which can shed light on causes of whale shark occurrence in Karimunjawa National Park. Thu, 07 Nov 2013 05:55:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16600 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16601/A-410-cm-whale-shark-has-stranded-in-west-coast-of-Karimunjawa-Island.aspx#Comments 0 https://indonesia.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=22650&ModuleID=47753&ArticleID=16601 https://indonesia.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16601&PortalID=137&TabID=22650 https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Press-Room/Indonesia-Press-Release/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16601/A-410-cm-whale-shark-has-stranded-in-west-coast-of-Karimunjawa-Island.aspx The whale shark was occur first time on 8 pm, October 2013 in west coast of Karimunjawa, and at the same time Mr Solikun, has been netting for anchovy. That whale shark try to get closer to anchovy net because many anchovy around Mr solikun’s net.  Mr Solikun try to drove away the whale shark in order to prevent entagled. Unfortunately, Mr Solikun with 3 other man in the boat failed and the whale shark was in the net until October 8, 2013 morning. At 8 in the morning Mr Solikun carry out whale shark to shallow water and inform KNP staff that he found a big shark that he never find before, and Pak Iwan as chief of Karimunjawa area and 4 other KNP staff and 1 WCS assistance came to location.  Mr Solikun said that he just worry if the animals was protected by government and he didn’t want to get trouble because of that. That why he informed KNP staff to take care about that. At 9 am in the morning KNP staff, wcs people, Mr solikun and crew helped with 3 other fisher try to release in deeper water after KNP and WCS staff documented, and finally at 9.17 am, whale shark could be release live Thu, 17 Oct 2013 01:36:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16601