HEFTY FINES AWAIT EXOTIC FOOD LOVERS

KUCHING (Malaysia), Jan 20 (Bernama) -- Exotic-food lovers beware. The Sarawak Forestry is stepping up checks and patrols of market areas and food outlets to ensure that protected and totally protected wildlife are not destined for the cooking pot.

Sarawak Director of Forests and Controller of Wild Life Len Talif
Salleh said Wednesday that stern action would be taken on those caught keeping
protected and totally protected animals as pets or hunting, capturing, killing,
selling, importing or exporting them.

“When there is no demand, the trading of wildlife meat will be eventually
put to a stop and those who possess any recognisable part of these animals too
are actually violating the Wildlife Protection Ordinance," he said in a
statement here Wednesday.

Len Talif said public awareness was critically important in overcoming the
demand for exotic wildlife meat as infringement of the law was actually
hampering the government’s efforts in ensuring their sustainability.

He was commenting on a recent local news report that protected and totally
protected wildlife had become increasingly popular among exotic-food lovers in
Sarawak, an East Malaysia state.



The report claimed that wildlife meat could improve one’s sexual prowess and
heal various illness and diseases.

In Sarawak, those found guilty of violating the Wildlife Protection
Ordinance face a fine of between RM10,000 (US$2,974) and RM50,000 (US$14,872)
and up to five years imprisonment.

-- BERNAMA