PONTIANAK - The Sambas Student Alliance with their families and community elements in Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan held a demonstration.
The masses demanded and urged the release of Jumardi, who was involved in the sale of parrots or Betet (Psittaciformes) protected animals.
"We, from the Sambas Regency Student Alliance, together with the families and community elements of Sambas Regency, want Jumardi to be fully released, lest there be another Jumardi", said the Sambas Student Alliance Field Coordinator, Angga in Pontianak as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, March 2.
The Sambas Student Alliance visited the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Office (BKSDA) in Pontianak.
Previously, Jumardi, who is usually called Jumar, a resident of Tempakung Hamlet, Tempatan Village, Sebawi District, Sambas Regency, was arrested by the West Kalimantan Regional Police allegedly selling protected parrots.
Parrots or Betet (Psittaciformes) are protected by Law no. 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and their Ecosystems by inclusion as a list of attachments to Government Regulation Number 7 of 1999 concerning Preservation of Wild Plants and Animal Species.
In the action, the students considered the lack of socialization from the West Kalimantan BKSDA regarding protected animals to be one of the causes of the problem.
“The fact is that in Sambas District, the socialization is only done in bird shops, not to the public. Even though it is clear in the amendment to the regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry Number 20 of 2018 regarding protected species, not all people know, including Jumardi, even now his status has become a suspect", he said.
Sarwan who is Jumardi's older brother also took part in the action. He told his brother to sell the bird because of ignorance of the protected animals and economic factors.
"My brother catches birds not to enrich himself, but to feed his family because of the hardships during this pandemic, the main factor is the economy and is based on his ignorance", said Sarwan.
These animals are sold at prices ranging from IDR 50-80 thousand only, without being killed and eaten, and without harming the state.
Meanwhile, the Head of BKSDA West Kalimantan Sadtata Nooradiramanta said his team did not arrest Jumardi.
"The process of arrest and legal proceedings was not carried out by the West Kalimantan BKSDA, we learned about this case after receiving the animal's deposit by the Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement (Gakkum) on February 11, 2021, then we immediately released the animals", he said.
Regarding the socialization, Sadtata said the West Kalimantan BKSDA had already done it. However, BKSDA admitted that there were still some areas that had not been reached.
"Regarding the socialization, we have done it by sending a socialization team to the community, both through the media, since the regulation came out, even every person of the West Kalimantan BKSDA specifically who are in the field have a duty to raise awareness to the community, but as we know that West Kalimantan is wide, there must be areas that have not. about this socialization", he explained.
Sadtata also said that BKSDA dealing with animals is not a legal problem and it happens that the birds sold by Jumardi are protected so he must face the law.
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