The Pattern of Cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia and the Wildlife Conservation Society-Indonesia Programme in Dealing with the Illegal Transnational Trade of Pangolins in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is home to one of the world’s pangolins species whose status is protected internationally in the Appendix 1 Category of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). This means that pangolins are categorized vulnerable to extinction and are prohibited to be freely traded. However, since 1990, the number of pangolin populations in Indonesia has declined because of the threat of environmental degradation, illegal hunting and illegal trade. In responding the threat of pangolin extinction in Indonesia, the Indonesian government formed a collaborative initiative with International Non-Government Organizations working on wildlife conservation. This study aims to analyze the pattern of cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) with the Wildlife Conservation Society-Indonesia Programme (WCS-IP) in dealing with the illegal transnational trade of pangolins. This study used an analysis of interaction patterns of supplementary, complementary, and adversary in a state-non-state actor cooperation approach. The findings in this study showed that cooperation established based on supplementary patterns is carried out by providing capacity building assistance of law enforcement officers from WCS-IP to KLHK. The complementary pattern was by giving mandate to carry out the program from KLHK to WCS-IP, and the adversary pattern was by providing support as well as input by WCS-IP on government regulations and policies. Based on the analysis of the all of the patterns, the cooperation established is more dominated by using supplementary and complementary patterns because of the compatibility of the vision and mission, the intensity of coordination and trust of both parties.