The Javan Hawk-eagle. National icon but target of illegal trade

National icon, but target of illegal trade: the Javan Hawk-eagle. © Chris R Shepherd / TRAFFIC Southeast Asia .

February 2009. One of the world's rarest birds has become the target of illegal traders after it was declared a nationally rare species in Indonesia, finds a new report published in the latest issue of Oryx - the International Journal of Conservation.

Species protection backfired
In 1993, the Javan Hawk-eagle, an Endangered species, was declared as Indonesia's National Rare/Precious Animal by former President Soeharto. Before this, traders did not recognise the Javan Hawk-eagle as different from other large eagles and few were traded. However, following the declaration-a measure intended to protect the Javan Hawk-eagle as a national emblem-demand for the eagles soared.

"Our study suggests that highlighting the Javan Hawk-eagle's plight and making it an icon for Indonesia's wildlife may actually have been the main reason behind an increase in its illegal trade," explained Chris R Shepherd, a Senior Programme Officer for TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, and a co-author of the report.

Insatiable demand for birds as pets
In Indonesia, the insatiable demand for birds as pets leads to tens of thousands of wild birds being traded daily at the bird markets that can be found in almost every major town, and although all birds of prey are protected by Indonesian law, it not uncommon to see eagles offered for sale. In the last 20 years, some 70 Javan Hawk-eagles have been recorded in trade, the majority of them in recent years.

Worldwide population estimated at 6-900
Interest in the Javan Hawk-eagle led to a demand for birds in zoo and private collections, with evidence of eagles being smuggled abroad. The species has never bred in captivity. According to BirdLife International, the estimated world population is just 600-900 individuals.

"Through monitoring Indonesian newspapers, websites and internet forums, we found evidence of at least four Javan Hawk-eagles being kept as pets or being offered for sale in 2008, all of them must have originated from the wild," said report co-author Vincent Nijman of Oxford Brookes University.

Two birds released
Two of the birds were subsequently confiscated and released into the forests of West Java, but it is unknown how many more hawk-eagles are still being illegally kept as pets.

The authors' findings reinforce those of a study published last month by Courchamp in Proceedings of the Royal Society, who found the increased value people associate with rare species increases the economic incentive to exploit the last remaining individuals.

"Highlighting the plight of a threatened species in order to help conserve it carries with it the danger of having the opposite effect. Raising the profile and awareness of threatened wildlife needs to go hand-in-hand with effective implementation and enforcement of laws to protect the species concerned." said Shepherd

"The Indonesian government, in collaboration with NGOs, have the opportunity to ensure the population of Javan Hawk-eagles is not threatened further."

To read the full report, click here.