Search

A proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) in West Kalimantan’s mangrove forest, one of the species threatened by illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss. Credit - Justin Grubb / Planet Indonesia.

Delivering change: How courier services and journalists joined the fight against wildlife crime in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) continues to evolve in Indonesia, with traders often exploiting courier and transport services, and gaps in public awareness, to move protected species from traders to consumers. Through the project ‘From forests to courts: Combatting IWT in West Kalimantan, Indonesia’, Planet Indonesia has been deepening engagement between multiple government agencies, private courier companies, and journalists to increase surveillance and reporting on wildlife crimes in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Strengthening courier services against wildlife crime

In 2022 and 2023, Planet Indonesia facilitated several multi-agency workshops in Pontianak, led by the West Kalimantan’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Kalbar). They were joined by more than 30 courier, airline, and ground-handling companies. The goals were simple, but vital: raise awareness of wildlife trade laws, strengthen detection systems, and open honest dialogue between enforcement agencies and private sector actors to make it more difficult for wildlife traders to use courier services to trade protected wildlife species.

A milestone came in 2023, when workshop participants signed a joint statement of commitment to protect West Kalimantan’s wildlife. These workshops also laid the groundwork for a multi-agency working group (pokja, or task force), strengthened coordination, and led to the creation of new information-sharing channels, from WhatsApp groups to proposals for an online permit database accessible to courier staff.

Organising meetings to bring together government agencies and private companies can be a complex task. Key challenges arise from aligning the schedules of stakeholders, ensuring participation of a diverse group, selecting co-facilitators, and building consensus for action points. To address these challenges, it is important to ensure clear communication and careful preparation with participation from all stakeholders. Beyond strong facilitation, providing handbooks, past proceedings, posters, and reference documents proved valuable, as they helped participants engage in discussions and strengthen the overall quality of outcomes.

From facilitation to local ownership

In 2025, BKSDA Kalbar independently organised a meeting with private courier services as a direct follow-up to earlier collaborative efforts facilitated by Planet Indonesia. This meeting was used by BKSDA to communicate the legal frameworks surrounding wildlife protection and utilisation. Discussions focused on the procedures for addressing the illegal use and distribution of wild animals. Attendees, representatives from various courier companies and conservation organisations, were briefed on the proper protocols for dealing with wildlife-related issues.

This initiative from BKSDA to engage private courier services independently of Planet Indonesia highlights a positive and sustainable step towards public-private partnership to address IWT in West Kalimantan.

A new chapter in wildlife protection: BKSDA and journalists partner up

Another outcome of this project in the fight against IWT in West Kalimantan has been stronger ties between enforcement agencies and journalists facilitated by Planet Indonesia. The initiative focused on creating a platform for BKSDA and journalists to discuss current issues related to IWT and its impact on wildlife and society.

This collaboration resulted in a Media Communication Task Force that now serves as an informal coordination mechanism for journalists and BKSDA to coordinate news and fact-check reports about IWT cases in West Kalimantan.

Since the initial events in 2023, BKSDA has taken the lead on several independent coordination meetings with journalists to discuss and clarify ongoing issues with media partners. This collaboration has generated over 100 news stories on wildlife crime and trade since 2023. While it has not yet shifted enforcement directly, it has amplified awareness, ensuring that wildlife crime cases do not go unnoticed. As one person reflected: “No viral, no justice.”

“No viral, no justice.”

This partnership between the BKSDA and journalists is taking a positive step toward ensuring that wildlife issues are reported on and recognised as an important part of a society that is often less concerned when cases don't directly impact human life.

Creating lasting change through public-private partnership

The independent actions of BKSDA Kalbar to engage with both courier services and journalists signal a clear shift from depending on external facilitation to local ownership of initiatives to tackle IWT through public-private partnership. We believe that this will be a crucial step toward long-term success by reducing opportunities for wildlife traders to exploit courier services, while raising awareness about the scale, impact, and legal consequences of IWT for both wildlife species and people.

Supporting these collaborations through these project activities enables us to strengthen these partnerships and make it harder for traffickers to operate. They also help build a resilient network of stakeholders committed to protecting West Kalimantan’s unique biodiversity for generations to come.

Written by Agung Nur Haq and Abrar Ahmad. For more information on this Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund Main project IWT132, led by Yayasan Planet Indonesia, please click here.