Eyewitness — DENPASAR
A media discussion held at the Kubu Kopi , Monday 15 June, 2026.
Open forum highlighted Bali’s critical position in the illegal wildlife trade. Organized by the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) in collaboration with FLIGHT: Protecting Indonesia’s Birds, the event was themed: “Bali: Between a Critical Transit Route and the Black Market for Protected Wildlife.”
The forum addressed a concerning year-on-year surge in the illegal trafficking of wild birds and protected animals.
Bali Ranks Fourth in National Illegal Wildlife Trade. Ratna Hendratmoko, SH, M.Hum., Head of the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), revealed that Bali currently ranks among the “Big Four” regions for the illegal sale of protected wildlife, trailing behind Jakarta, Surabaya, and Central Java.
According to monitoring data from the wildlife conservation group FLIGHT Indonesia, massive volumes of illegal wildlife are trafficked both domestically and internationally. Smugglers actively exploit well-established air, sea, and land routes.
”We cannot rule out the possibility that some perpetrators pose as wildlife enthusiasts within local communities to mask their illegal trading activities,” Hendratmoko stated.
He noted that forest geckos and pangolins are among the protected species trafficked in large volumes. For wild birds, smugglers favor overland routes, hidden inside large commercial buses and trucks. “Around 30% of these land-based trafficking operations have been intercepted, including a recent major seizure by the Quarantine Authority in the Lombok region,” he explained.
The Head of Bali BKSDA also stressed the need for rigorous monitoring of other protected species in the region, such as sea turtles, dolphins, and Komodo dragons. He called for public cooperation to protect and conserve Bali’s natural ecosystems and wildlife.
Quarantine Authority Reports Surge in Wildlife Interceptions
Heri Yuwono, A.Pi., S.Pi., M.P., Head of the Bali Fish and Plant Quarantine Authority (BKHIT), confirmed an uptick in illegal wildlife trafficking through the province’s checkpoints.
For domestic transit, BKHIT implements administrative checks and certifications, utilizing QR code scans and veterinary certificates issued by the Department of Agriculture and Food Security. Meanwhile, the monitoring of protected marine wildlife is delegated to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP).
”We ensure that all documents are complete and valid. Regional quarantine at both origin and destination is vital to verify the volume, health, and legality of the animals entering or leaving the region,” Yuwono explained. Repressive actions and thorough investigations are also conducted regarding the origin, couriers, volume, and species of the intercepted wildlife.
BKHIT released the following seizure data for 2025:
• 3 wild birds smuggled from Malaysia.
• 1 monitor lizard (reptile) from the Philippines.
• 400 wild birds intercepted at Gilimanuk Harbor.
• 48 wild birds from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). All seized animals were handed over to the BKSDA for further handling.
In 2026, illegal wild bird trafficking persisted through Gilimanuk and Padangbai harbors. Notably, the Bali BKSDA secured 1,300 wild birds at Padangbai alone.
To bolster enforcement and monitoring, BKHIT has installed CCTV cameras at strategic locations, including major ports, while intensifying patrols and intelligence gathering on trafficking syndicates.
”We are also ramping up public and business education regarding mandatory certification—including for domestic pets like dogs, cats, and monkeys. Owners must process these directly through local Quarantine Authorities rather than relying on unauthorized third-party services on social media,” Yuwono added.
FLIGHT Indonesia: Demand Driven by Java’s Bird Markets. Marison Guciano, Executive Director of FLIGHT Indonesia, presented alarming statistics regarding the massive illegal trade of songbirds. Between 2023 and 2025, authorities recorded 771 wildlife seizures, confiscating 161,992 live animals. Wild birds accounted for 96.2% of the total, with songbirds being the most trafficked species in Indonesia.
”The highest demand comes from Java. Our online mapping identified over 11,000 bird shops and 125 bird markets scattered across Java. Poaching directly from the wild remains the easiest way suppliers source these songbirds,” Guciano said.
”Poachers typically use cruel methods, such as glue traps or mixed tree sap, which result in high mortality rates. Only the birds that survive the capture and transport make it to the markets,” he added.
Guciano exposed Bali’s role as a primary transit hub for illegal wild birds poached from NTB. Over the last five months, authorities intercepted more than 1,000 birds arriving at Padangbai from Lembar Harbor (Lombok). Conversely, over 10,000 wild birds heading toward NTB were seized at Padangbai. Meanwhile, Gilimanuk Harbor recorded only 194 seizures over the last five months, and Ketapang recorded 782.
”Gilimanuk leaks far more illegal songbirds into the trade than it actually intercepts,” Guciano pointed out.
He described the trafficking networks as highly sophisticated and professional. “In one instance involving a route from Gilimanuk to Ketapang, information about a raid leaked. The smugglers turned back to Bali or offloaded the contraband mid-transit on the ferry. They operate meticulously, undoubtedly aided by complicit insiders,” Guciano added.
Furthermore, Bali serves as a source region for poached birds, which are traded through social media marketplaces and online hobbyist groups, as well as physical locations like the Satria Bird Market in Denpasar, where the legality and origins of the birds remain highly questionable.
”As a major transit hub, Bali faces severe biosecurity risks. The province is highly vulnerable to zoonotic diseases that jump from animals to humans. Additionally, the mass depletion of insect-eating birds disrupts the food chain, which directly threatens Bali’s agricultural and plantation sectors,” Guciano warned.
Integrating Customary Laws and Eco-Theology for Wildlife Protection
Concluding the discussion, Drh. Ida Bagus Windia Adnyana, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Udayana University, introduced the concept of “Eco-Theology and Wild Bird Protection in Bali.”
According to Adnyana, Bali possesses deeply rooted cultural and spiritual values. The current challenge lies in translating these values into an effective protection system that encompasses spiritual ethics, customary laws (adat), village-level initiatives, market regulations, and state enforcement.
”Bali must preserve its cultural heritage while closing the loopholes exploited by illegal wildlife traders. Concrete action from customary villages (Desa Adat) is vital so that regulations do not remain merely symbolic. Local surveillance, habitat preservation, education, and reporting mechanisms must be closely coordinated with authorities like BKSDA and BKHIT,” Adnyana emphasized.
He advocated for reforming—rather than shutting down—Bali’s traditional bird markets through targeted approaches to upgrade them into legal, hygienic, and fully traceable marketplaces. The core slogan for wildlife enthusiasts, he argued, must shift to: “Keep the Markets Alive, Stop Illegal Trade Now.”
Adnyana proposed a structured implementation roadmap spanning from 2026 to 2030, beginning with pilot projects before scaling into a province-wide system. The roadmap includes creating bird-friendly customary villages, developing technical guidelines for customary regulations (pararem), implementing market restructuring and routine audits, establishing village bird registries, and setting up reporting networks.
”If wildlife trafficking operates as a network, then wildlife protection must also form a network. Bali already possesses Tri Hita Karana (the philosophy of harmony), Desa Adat, Awig-Awig (customary laws), academia, media, and state apparatuses. What we need now is the orchestration of these existing networks to ensure protected wildlife can thrive in Bali,” Adnyana concluded.
Reporter : Daniel Herry
