DILI, 25 october 2022 (TATOLI) – The National Forest Guard seized 10 rifles during a search operation conducted earlier this month in the eastern municipalities of Timor-Leste.
“Two weeks ago, we organized a joint operation to search and seize air rifles in the municipalities of Lautem, Baucau, Viqueque, and Manatuto. During the search operation, we seized seven air rifles in the protected areas of Lautem, one in Manatuto and others in Viqueuqe,” said the Head of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, João Dasi Manu dos Reis.
He said that air rifles were used by local communities to hunt wild animals, including cockatoos, parrots, Timor-Leste phalangerids, deer, monkeys, Cuscus or laku (local name), bats, etc.
“It was just the beginning of our operation. We had planned to intensify the joint operation because if we don’t act now, then one day we will lose a significant number of our wild and endangered animals. For example, 20 years ago, if you travel to the municipalities, you would see many cockatoos in the trees, but now you rarely see them, even in the remote villages,” he explained.
Reis wondered how air files entered the national territory: “For now I don’t know who imports these air rifles. They have to be brought in through the border areas. “Now people make a living by illegally bringing in such banned rifles. Meanwhile, local communities also make a living with air rifles, hunting and selling wild animals to make money. It poses a great threat to our wild and endangered animals.”
“We would like to raise the awareness of our communities on the importance of protecting our wildlife. We need to inform them about the importance of our wildlife so that they can abandon their hunting lifestyle,” he said.
When asked about local communities hunting freely in the administrative post of Natarbora, in the municipality of Manatuto, Reis said in 2023, the National Forest Guard and the Timorese National Police (PNTL) would carry out intensive operations in these areas to ensure the protection of wild and endangered animals.
“Next year, in collaboration with PNTL, local authorities, and veterans, we will conduct intensive operations across the country to seize all air rifles in communities,” he said.
Reis added that local poachers now took to social media to sell the captured animals: “In Dili, we keep monitoring their movement and seized their captured animals. So now, they sell those animals via social media. They post photos of those animals on Facebook, and if the clients are interested to buy then they would deliver them to their homes. It makes it difficult for us to control such illegal activities.”
The Forest Guards also seized six unlicensed chainsaws used by communities to illegally log local trees in the eastern municipalities.
Currently, there are a total of 310 forest guards which is not enough to control Timor-Leste’s forests.
Reis said the country needs more than 200 forest guards to effectively protect the forest: “We want every village in the country to have a forest guard therefore we need more 200 guards.”
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
