BIJAK BULLETIN Volume 1I January - March 2019 Photo: Q Phia Attribution CC by 2.0 A silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) IN THIS EDITION: Indonesia Ensures Page 1 Indonesia Ensures Sustainable Shark Trade Sustainable Shark Trade Page 2 Humans have always been fascinated by sharks. Although this fascination Indonesia’s Biodiversity Conservation Champion has often centered around the fear of being attacked by sharks, the threat that humans pose to sharks is so serious that it has pushed several species to the Page 3 brink of extinction. International demand for shark fins, meat, cartilage, and organs has increased rapidly, and as a result, sharks are now considered to be A Portal into Indonesia’s Rich Biological Diversity one of the most threatened species groups in the world. Indonesian waters are home to 116 shark and ray species, 26 of Page 4 which have high economic value. According to the Food and Agriculture Collaborative Management is Key to Successful Organization (FAO), Indonesia is the third largest exporter of shark fins and Essential Ecosystem Areas meat globally. Between 2000 to 2011, Indonesia caught more than 105,000 tons of shark and exported more than 1,200 tons of shark fin, annually. The Page 5 silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) contributes to 40 percent of Indonesia’s annual shark catch. With a low reproduction rate and a high harvest rate, the Lessons from Six Parks Strengthen Conservation Partnerships silky shark is at high risk of being depleted in the wild. Given the precipitous decline in shark populations in recent years and the listing of several shark species found in Indonesian waters in Appendix II of Page 6 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna Youth Supports World Pangolin Day Through Art and Flora (CITES), the Government of Indonesia has prioritized improving the management of sharks. In late 2018, USAID BIJAK and the Indonesian Institute Calling Indonesia’s Youth to Love the Forest of Sciences (LIPI) Research Center on Oceanography (P2O) completed This newsletter is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this newsletter are the sole responsibility of Chemonics International and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. and export quotas, and the domestic distribution of sharks,” said Head of the LIPI’s Oceanography Research Center, Dr. Dirhamsyah. “ The key to maintain a healthy population of sharks in the wild is the careful management of trade and utilization of this species.” On April 15, LIPI officially launched the NDF document for silky shark. To support sustainable trade Photo: Benaya Simeon / WCS Indonesia Programme of the species, LIPI have proposed 80,000 individuals for a combined export and catch quota. This quota the first science-based risk assessment that considers the will significantly reduce the annual legal catch of silky sharks vulnerability of the silky shark in relation to how it is managed. in Indonesia which is currently around 350,000 individuals. The assessment, called a non-detriment finding (NDF), is The standard protocols for conducting the silky shark NDF a critical step toward defining management practices and assessment and quota setting will be used to improve the sustainable trade levels, ultimately aimed at stopping or slowing management of other threatened shark species showing down population decline of vulnerable species. that Indonesia is serious about their role in marine species “This NDF is an important policy base for setting catch conservation and sustainable trade of sharks. Indonesia’s Biodiversity Conservation Champion The Directorate of Biodiversity Conservation (KKH) and USAID BIJAK have had a long, productive partnership, working together to develop and implement the Helmeted Hornbill SRAK, protected species identification guidelines, and technical support for Indonesia’s participation at CITES inter-sessional events. For this newsletter, our editorial team spoke with KKH’s current director Ibu Indra Exploitasia Semiawan to chat about her achievements, vision, and hopes for wildlife conservation in Photo: Midaria Saragih for USAID Indonesia. Indra Exploitasia Semiawan (third from right) is the Director of KKH, Directorate General Ecosystem and Natural Resources Conservation (DG Tell us about yourself. KSDAE), Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). I graduated from IPB as a veterinarian and I did my research on the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). I had a strong What is the main challenges in biodiversity conservation in interest in being a veterinarian for wild animals, which during Indonesia? that time was not even a profession. Before leading KKH, I Mainstreaming biodiversity into our national development. was the Director of PPH (Forest Protection and Prevention), All government sectors should integrate biodiversity in their DG Gakkum (Law Enforcement). My tenure in KLHK has development process, such as wildlife habitat protection given me the opportunity to be a conservation medic as through ecosystem-based spatial planning development. part of conservation management, and work on biodiversity conservation and utilization. What does success in biodiversity conservation look like to you? If we can make humans and wildlife live in harmony. Symbiotic What drives you, what is your passion? mutualism: living together while benefitting each other. Wildlife My passion is to be able to “communicate” with wild animals, as plays a significant ecological function in maintaining the integrity one of earth’s inhabitants. of forest ecosystems. Human, especially those living near forests, can sustainably benefit from ecosystem services provided by forests. What’s your biggest achievement in 2018? I was in DG Gakkum in 2018. I made a system to monitor Then, what is your plan for the next five years? forest vulnerability and developed an institution that would Balance development while still providing living space for protect forests in West Nusa Tenggara Province. wildlife. There is only one Earth. We are all living in the same planet. It is our responsibility to share this space with other forms of life. You view of BIJAK and how can they help your vision? We have a great working relationship with BIJAK. We want to develop innovations towards Conservation 4.0 – like Industrial Revolution 4.0 – adapting concepts like digital economy, artificial intelligence, big data, and robotic. Perhaps BIJAK could support us to move closer towards achieving that. Photo: KLHK Indra Exploitasia Semiawan (center) at an event to combat wildlife crime, 2 Gakkum, KLHK. Photo: Willy Ekariyono / Indonesia Wildlife Photography Photo: Danumurthi Mahendra for USAID Photo: Paul Hilton / WCS Indonesia Programme Indonesia is home to unique ecosystems with thousands of flora and fauna species: Dense forest cover at Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, a white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus), and a Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica). A Portal into Indonesia’s Rich Biological Diversity Indonesia, an archipelago state with more than 17,000 Convention on Biological Diversity. BIJAK then facilitated islands, has the highest terrestrial and marine species biological workshops to map data sources that would provide the content diversity on earth. The country is home to unique ecosystems for the platform, and convened coordination meetings to gather with thousands of flora and fauna species, many of them inputs on the system, to secure institutional commitments to endemic (found nowhere else in the world). share data, and to define how the clearing house would be Despite this rich endowment, Indonesia’s biodiversity is populated and continuously updated. facing massive pressure from the impacts of human activities. BIJAK also provided management information system The damage caused by poaching, illegal trade, and the technical assistance and engaged content writers to ensure destruction, degradation and fragmentation of habitats threatens that the Indonesia CHM website meets the CBD guidelines to drive many species to extinction. standards. Lastly, BIJAK established a national CHM working Indonesia joined the community of global community of group for members of CHM Indonesia to ensure the system is biodiversity conservationists by signing the Convention on maintained, updated, and runs smoothly. Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2004. The CBD is an international In July 2018, the Indonesia Biodiversity Clearing House went agreement that seeks to conserve the diversity of life on live and in November 2018, it won a gold award at the 2018 Earth at all levels - genetic, species, and ecosystem. One of UN Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP14), held in its mandates is that member states develop a national-level Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Once the CHM is included in Indonesia’s biodiversity information system, also known as a Clearing- RPJMN, funding for its maintenance will be guaranteed for the House Mechanism (CHM). next five years. Beyond simply meeting international convention requirements, a CHM is a valuable tool for centralizing conservation data, allowing government institutions, experts, and the general public to access information on wildlife, plants, ecosystems, and threats to biodiversity. Also, the CHM streamlines reporting on biodiversity indicators across ministries; and serves as the government’s primary tool to track progress toward achieving targets set in the National Biodiversity