Feriawan Hidayat & Ratri M. Siniwi, Jakarta – Papua's Center for Conservation of Natural Resources, a division of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Forest Police Rapid Reaction Unit managed to seize 68 rare birds from a navy officer in Merauke, Papua, on Monday (01/08).

The birds were under his possession without official government license.

"We seized 68 birds, 59 yellow-crested cockatoos, 2 palm cockatoos, 1 black-capped lories, 1 parrot and 5 lorikeets," said the head of the conservation center, Gunung Nababan.

Gunung said the navy officer, identified as HP, is still being questioned in Merauke. The police hope to find a connection linking the man with an illegal wildlife trade network that has been transporting endangered animals from Papua to Java.

"In previous cases protected animals were traded illegally, including pig-snout turtles, birds and reptiles. All of these rare animals are native to Papua," Gunung said.

Meanwhile the ministry's director general of law enforcement, Rasio Ridho Sani, said the threat of illegal wildlife trade still looms around conservation areas.

"We've urged our officers all around Indonesia to step up security in conservation areas and track illegal trades of endangered animals. Ports are one of the major gateways for this illegal trade," Rasio said.

Recently, the directorate general said the ministry is in talks to revise the current laws on environmental crimes to help conserve protected wildlife.

"Our idea is to impose criminal sanctions on perpetrators for crimes against wildlife such as prison terms or fines, especially [when they involve] protected wildlife, as a deterrent," Rasio said on Friday.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/navy-officers-rare-bird-collection-seized-papua/