Wildlife trade and implications for law enforcement in Indonesia: a case study from North Sulawesi

Excessive hunting pressure, due in large part to commercialization, has reduced the populations of many tropical large mammal species. Wildlife over-exploitation is severe in Indonesia, especially on Sulawesi, where human resources and funding are inadequate to monitor the wildlife trade and enforce existing protection laws. In response, the Wildlife Crimes Unit program was established in December 2001 to: (i) monitor wildlife transportation into North Sulawesi and market sales; (ii) provide legal and technical support to law enforcement agencies; and (iii) promote public awareness of wildlife and protection laws. Over a two-year period, 6963 wild mammals en route to markets were encountered (∼8 individuals h−1) and 96,586 wild mammals were documented during market surveys. The trade of some protected mammals declined significantly over this period, but overall trade in wild mammals increased by 30%. High volume of trade in non-protected animals such as the Sulawesi pig Sus celebensis and large flying foxes (Pteropodidae), raise concerns about the sustainability of current harvesting. To combat this problem, we recommend that: (1) efforts are continued to reduce trade in protected species; (2) protected status is extended to heavily traded but non-protected taxa, such as flying foxes; (3) the effects of hunting on rat and bat populations, as well as its impact on forest dynamics, are quantified; and (4) work is carried out with local communities to strengthen awareness, set sustainable limits on wild mammal harvesting, and establish practical mechanisms for enforcing these limits.