KUCHING: Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) enforcement team in collaboration with the General Operations Force (PGA) continued with its crackdown on illegal trade of wildlife in recent weeks.
SFC said illegal wildlife meat was seized at Serian Wet Market from Mar 14 to 16. The seizure included 8.1kg of monitor lizard meat, 6.2kg of python meat, 2kg of freshwater soft-shelled turtle meat and 13 live pythons.
“No suspect was apprehended as the culprit had apparently escaped in time,” SFC said in a statement today.
Raids were also conducted at Kota Samarahan Market and MJC Batu Kawa Market where one live turtle and 9kg of venison (deer meat) were confiscated, respectively.
Further up in Miri, no sales of wildlife were found at Tamu Centre Point, Tamu Lutong and Tamu Emart during similar operations.
“SFC acknowledged that wildlife enforcement is a challenging and arduous task due to large segment of the society view the sale or consumption of wildlife meat as ‘nothing wrong’.
“Therefore, we are on the continuous mode to educate and instill awareness via programmes at wet markets, schools, longhouses and villages,” CEO of SFC Haji Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said.
Meanwhile, he also thanked PGA personnel for their assistance in the operations.
“We continuously seek the cooperation of law-abiding citizens who have wildlife kept in their possession to voluntarily surrender them to SFC,” he stressed.
He also thanked the public and netizens at large who lodged reports and complaints on wildlife issues.
All monitor lizards, freshwater soft-shelled turtles and pythons are protected under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998.
Anyone in possession of any protected animal without a licence issued under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998 is liable to a jail term of one year and a fine of RM10,000 upon conviction.
SFC hotlines for Kuching are at 019-8859996/016-8565564, 019-8190140/019-8894474 (Sibu), 019-8223449/019-8332737 (Bintulu) and 019-8224566 / 019-8290994 (Miri).
