The weakness in law enforcement relating to the protection of wildlife has become a concern of all parties involved in the conservation of Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants. Substantive, structural and cultural hurdles are preventing the effective implementation of conservation law. In addition, current law enforcement efforts and existing legal mechanisms are not supported by comprehensive background data. Information relating to population and habitat status, investigations into poaching, trafficking and illegal possession, as well as the many other factors that represent threats to the conservation of tigers, rhinos and elephants, are also essential in the process of effectively enforcing wildlife law. The current conditions are further worsened by the poor understanding, awareness and concern of law enforcement agencies and the general public regarding the critical of conserving wildlife and in particular tigers, rhinos and elephants.

As a crucial step in facing the above concerns this workshop, on Anti-Poaching and Illegal Trade of Sumatran Tigers and their Products, and the Declaration of the Advocacy Network for Sumatran Tigers, Rhinos and Elephants (TRE), was held between the 5-8th August 2002 in Cipayung, Bogor. The summary below represents a collation and review of the presentations, suggestions and discussions from the participants of this workshop, and is hereby referred to as the Workshop Recommendations:

1. Develop an information-sharing mechanism and data management system relating to Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants, with a focus on poaching, illegal trade, possession, population and habitat status, conflicts and threats, with the common objective of supporting law enforcement efforts relating to TRE.

2. Carry out revisions of Indonesian laws and regulations, strengthen existing institutions and develop the capacity of law enforcement officers, specifically of Forest Police and Forestry Prosecuting Officers (PPNS), to facilitate a growing awareness and understanding of conservation law across the public domain.

3. Promote the declaration of a Presidential Instruction and follow-up implementing regulations in all related Ministries, including a Ministry of Forestry Instruction with the specific objectives of strengthening laws relating to TRE and encouraging a national concern for the conservation of TRE throughout civil society.

4. Develop a law enforcement process that involves all levels and groups of society, the public, forest police, civil police, armed forces, judiciary, state prosecutors, NGOs (including the Advocacy Network for TRE) and the mass media, all with the specific goal of fighting against poaching of, and illegal trade, in tigers, rhinos and elephants.

5. Implement a system of counsel and technical assistance at serious wildlife criminal trials with the goal of creating legal precedence through the application of stronger sentencing.

6. Empower civil society groups and the public, through capacity building and the efforts of the Advocacy Network for TRE, to improve protection and law enforcement relating to Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants.

7. Develop a protocol and mechanism for the private and commercial ownership of wild animals, both live and dead, including products derived from them, specifically Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants.

8. Develop a protocol for the handling of wildlife-human conflicts while ensuring the simultaneous safety and well-being of tigers, rhinos and elephants and the adjacent human communities.

9. Strengthen the mandate of traditional communities and local people in the conservation of Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants.

10. Develop a holistic strategy for a public awareness campaign and outreach program specifically focused on target groups identified as linked to these.

11. Expand conservation areas for Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants that serve as an umbrella for the conservation of other species, as one strategy for conserving tigers, rhinos and elephants facing isolation and increasingly fragmented habitat.

12. Develop a mechanism for rewarding conservation and law enforcement officers for effective work within the field of tiger, rhino and elephant conservation, and a punishment or sanctions for officers who ignore their responsibilities.

The recommendations as summarised above are to be considered as an integrated and intrinsic component of the output documents resulting from the working groups, as detailed in the official Proceedings of the Workshop.

Cipayung, 7th August 2002