JAKARTA // Several bird species in Indonesia are being driven toward extinction by the illegal wildlife trade, a monitoring group said on Thursday.
Traffic said its latest survey recorded nearly 23,000 birds being sold in five markets in three cities in eastern and central Java.
It said 28 of the 241 species identified were fully protected under Indonesian law. They include seven Black-winged Mynas, a critically endangered species found only in Java and Bali.
The UK-based group called on the Indonesian goverment to take strong action against traders of endangered birds.
Serene Chng, a programme director for Traffic, said the scale of the illegal trade was “staggering”.
“Almost all of the birds were native to Indonesia, 15 per cent of them found nowhere else on Earth,” she said. “The outlook for some of Indonesia’s bird populations is very bleak.”
The research was carried out in Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Malang. The capital Jakarta is already known as a hotspot for the illegal bird trade with three markets including one in the east of the city that is country’s biggest.
Elizabeth John, a spokeswoman for Traffic, said the number of birds was based on an actual count of birds displayed in each shop at the markets, conducted over three days.
Under Indonesia’s conservation laws, trade in protected wildlife carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and fine of 100 million rupiah (Dh28,280).
Traffic said a similar survey in Jakarta in 2014 recorded about 19,000 birds for sale over a three-day period.
Indonesia, the world largest archipelago with 17,000 islands, is home to more than 130 threatened bird species.
* Associated Press
