WWF Encourage Maximum Sentence for Tiger Smugglers

WWF charity officials in Indonesia would like the authorities to hand down a maximum sentence to a suspected tiger smuggler who went onto trial on Thursday 11th August 2011. The 49 year old male is on trial for transporting and trading endangered species after being arrested in West Sumatra in March 2011. His arrest followed a three day investigation by the Natural Resource Conservation Agency with support from WWF Indonesia’s Tiger Protection Unit.

Director of the Forest, Fresh Water and Species Program at WWF-Indonesia, Anwar Purwoto, said –

WWF highly appreciates the District Court and District Attorney bringing this case to trial. We also strongly support a clean trial in this case, and are confident the process will add to global efforts fighting wildlife crime. An appropriate punishment will create a deterrent for those committing wildlife crimes in Indonesia, particularly ones that involve critically endangered species. WWF calls on Indonesian courts to apply the maximum sentence to those found guilty of killing tigers.

The Indonesia law states that convicted tiger poachers are subject to a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 US dollars. The arrest followed the discovery of the adult male tiger skin that is believed to have been poisoned inside a wildlife reserve in Sumatra’s Riau Province. The Sumatran tiger is the only subspecies of the big cat remaining in Indonesia, with only an estimated 400 tigers left in the wild.

Lets hope the Indonesian authorities set an example when they sentence this poacher and hopefully put off others who deal in this dreadful business.