Conservation law takes a step forward in Indonesia
-
Loading... - Fani Bintang
- 31 Mar 2023
- 259 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Strong legislation backed by science and technology could help protect Indonesia’s wildlife.
After almost a decade of revision, Indonesia’s law on conservation is finally progressing on the national legislative agenda. Parliament (two commissions) in collaboration with six ministries and regional representatives are working to amend key laws. The work sends a strong signal to the public that conserving Indonesia’s valuable natural resources and ecosystems matters to the country.
The key conservation policy or Conservation Law (1990) is no longer adequate to address the growing threats to biodiversity. Ongoing threats such as habitat loss, illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict, are now amplified by climate change. Meanwhile, rapid progress in information technology has changed the practices of illegal wildlife trade into an unprecedented scale through the massive use of social media. These are just two reasons of many others that underline the urgency of revising the law. At the heart of this urgency is a sad fact that extinction simply cannot wait.
With over 17,000 islands stretching 5,400 km along the equator, Indonesia is a fertile cradle for biodiversity and a home for many internationally renowned and charismatic species, such as orangutans, whale sharks and komodo dragons. Its 120.5 million hectares of forest help 37.2 million people earn a living, while at the same time playing a critical role to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change.
Recognising the extensive need for major economic-driven activities like agricultural expansion, mining, and infrastructure development, Indonesia’s government pushes efforts to balance it without sacrificing conservation. In 2011 the government issued a forest moratorium policy, coupled with other regulations to curb deforestation. The deforestation rate has been consistently decreasing for the past four years compared to 2018. Under Indonesia’s conservation law, all species included in the protected list are prohibited from commercial use, whereas the non-protected species can be exploited under certain terms and conditions. In 2018 the government added 227 new species to the list meaning 904 species have been protected and prioritised in the government’s conservation programs. Read More…
