It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale and social complexity of the Indonesian wild-caught bird trade. One visit to see the endangered birds displayed at the Jakarta or Bali bird markets, one chat with the Kuwaiti businessman whose embassy ships his bird of paradise, one visit with the Javanese collector who accumulates species as if stocking Noah's ark--it's enough to leave the conservationist feeling that trade of endangered birds is as unstoppable as a tidal wave.
Combatting bird trade problems in the maul of the marketplace is a dirty and desperate fight that's bound to earn more enemies than friends. But applying a more microscopic view at the source of wild bird trade offers renewed hope for preservation of species now threatened by trapping. Benefits of addressing these problems at their source include the following:
The price placed on wild birds is low at the trade source so it is relatively easy to provide alternative methods of income for the trapper.
An opportunity to replace the modest income from bird trade with income from ecotourism is economically feasible. The Governor of Maluku is eager to promote ecotourism.
Ecotourism places value on local knowledge and resource management and promotes local pride.
Local awareness of the dependence upon natural resources promotes understanding of ecological threats.
Tourists that interact directly with bird trappers come away with first-hand awareness of the wild-caught bird trade and disseminate that knowledge to others.
PBW is working in partnership with two well known and well respected Indonesian Non-Governmental Organizations who are very active in the protection of native species.
