Article: Perhilitan moves to overcome illegal trading of wildlife

Tuesday August 18, 2009

By YENG AI CHUN

PETALING JAYA: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) views illegal wildlife trade as a serious crime and has created 13 border posts – with three more to be created – to check animal smuggling.

The Natural Resources and Envi- ronment Ministry said Perhilitan was committed to conserving wildlife and would take all necessary action to overcome illegal trading of wildlife.

The department came under fire after an expose in The Star about Malaysia being a wildlife illegal trading hotspot.

"The term 'old story' and 'story of the past' did not by any means relate to the issue of smuggling and illegal trade.

"It meant that the report was covered by the reporter repeatedly over the years. It is an issue which the ministry has placed much focus and efforts on and its fullest commitment to," it said in a statement yesterday.

The Star reported that Malaysia is a transit point, a source country for illegal trafficking of wildlife and its parts, as well as a consumer hub for endangered wildlife and Perhilitan director-general Datuk Abdul Rasid Samsudin labelled the report as an "old story".

The ministry added that Perhi- litan's inter-agency cooperation with Customs, Anti-Smuggling Unit, maritime, army and police led to the confiscation of 254 Malayan Pangolins in 2005, 850 in 2007 and 227 in 2008; 17,062 Clouded Monitor Lizards in 2006 and 2007; and 729 Water Monitor Lizards in 2008.

"It is difficult for Perhilitan to estimate the value of wildlife seized. However, the volume of wildlife seized from January 2008 to June 2009 consists of 14,771 animals, 589 skins and 6,252.7kg of carcasses," it said.

It stressed that Perhilitan had never organised any auction for its confiscated wildlife in the past three years.

"Any wildlife confiscated will be returned to the country of origin (for exotic species) or released to the wild (for local species). The skin or carcasses will be disposed, used in DNA research or awareness programmes," it said.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 18 August 2009