Region Moots Tough Measures Against Poachers
By Khairunnisa Ibrahim

Bandar Seri Begawan - Poachers beware: local enforcers of wildlife trade are stepping up their capacities and effectiveness in monitoring such transactions in Brunei and in the region.

Currently, they are attending a three-day workshop on wildlife trade regulation to learn ways to increase their technical and professional capacities with the help of regional and international partners.

The workshop, which opened yesterday, focuses on the issue of wildlife trade in the region and around the world, with case studies and overviews of the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and the work of wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC as highlights. Also being looked at is the implementation of the national wildlife legislation under the Wild Fauna and Flora order 2007.

Participants comprising enforcement officers from the Royal Brunei Police Force, Royal Brunei Customs and Excise, the departments of agriculture and museums as well as other agencies will also discuss current practices and brainstorm ways to improve them.

According to a statement from Agriculture Department, the co-organiser of the workshop, the event is part of a series of training- programmes to boost wildlife-law enforcement capacity throughout the region under the Asean Wildlife Enforcement Network (Asean-WEN).

It is also held to support the objectives of the Heart of Borneo, said Acting Director of Agriculture Hjh Normah SH Jamil. "The cooperation of between the three countries of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Indonesia aims to reinforce the conservation of biodiversity on the island of Borneo," she said.

The workshop, the first to be held in the country, signifies Brunei's commitment to the Asean-WEN and its programmes, said Azrina Abdullah, the Regional Director of the Southeast Asian branch of TRAFFIC.

"Without firm commitment from governments in the region, there is little doubt that excessive wildlife trade will lead to the demise and potentially the extinction of many of our region's unique species of animals and plants," she said.

The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid Hj Mohd Jaafar who launched the workshop yesterday, hoped that participants will fully utilise the knowledge and insights gained from it.

He also wished for the workshop to foster closer and more effective collaboration between the Agriculture Department, which is responsible for overseeing wildlife trade in Brunei under CITES, and other enforcement agencies. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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