Illegal wildlife trade is dangerous and highly risky because it can threaten the survival of even endangered species. Furthermore, wildlife trade can also be a source of zoonotic diseases, or diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Did you know that according to the IUCN (2011), there are 184 mammal species, 119 bird species, 32 reptile species, and 32 amphibian species in Indonesia that are threatened with extinction. Meanwhile, the total number of Indonesian wildlife species threatened
Illegal wildlife trade continues to occur in Indonesia,particularly on the island of Sumatra.Blind spot transactions in the trade of slow lorises and other wildlife typically take place on the black market, both online and offline,making it difficult to estimate the volume.This level of complexity further complicates law enforcement's efforts to prosecute key perpetrators.As a result,they typically only arrest small-time perpetrators,such as local hunters or traders,rather than larger suspect.
We propose strengthening conservation intelligence systems through the use of technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor trade patterns. We also propose early detection using eDNA to monitor species distribution. Furthermore, we need international cooperation through cross-border data exchange, such as under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The Crowdfunding program of long term aims to remove barriers to achieving long-term solutions to conserve key wildlife species in Indonesia, by ensuring legal wildlife trade that is ecologically and economically sustainable, while reducing the scale and impact of illegal wildlife trade, both from and through Indonesia and reducing the volume of unsustainable wildlife trade and the rate of globally significant biodiversity loss in Sumatra in particular and in Indonesia in general.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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