Pangolins Face Grim Future in North Sumatra Amidst Escalating Illegal Trade

The plight of pangolins (Manis javanica) in North Sumatra (Sumut) continues to be a grave concern due to relentless illegal trade. Data from the North Sumatra High Court's Information System for Case Tracing (SIPP) reveals that illegal pangolin trade constituted 28% of all wildlife trafficking cases between 2016 and 2026. In a particularly alarming trend, it ranked first among illegal trade cases during the 2025-2026 period. Indra Kurnia, Director of Species and Habitat Protection at the Sumatran Orangutan Society – Orangutan Information Centre (YOSL–OIC), stated during a public discussion in late June that Medan and Tanjung Balai in Asahan serve as the primary collection points for pangolins sourced from across Indonesia before their wider distribution. The smuggling routes extend to Malaysia, then onward to Vietnam or Cambodia, with China being the ultimate destination market. "The sea routes from Tanjung Balai are known to precisely intersect with drug trafficking routes, demonstrating how sophisticated, organized, and dangerous this criminal network is," Kurnia explained. The pattern of seizures has also drastically changed. While in Aceh, seizures primarily involved body parts (48 incidents), North Sumatra's 2025 trend shows a dominance of whole pangolins, with the composition of whole and part seizures being nearly balanced in 2026. Between 2024 and 2026, authorities confiscated a total of 3,451.29 kilograms of pangolin scales. As each kilogram of scales comes from approximately 4-5 pangolins, this means at least 13,805 pangolins have been lost from the wild, resulting in an ecological loss to the state estimated at Rp648.53 billion (approximately USD 40 million). Kurnia emphasized, "The majority of those apprehended are collectors, while the hunters in the field are generally driven by difficult economic conditions. This highlights the need for a dual approach: firm law enforcement against major traffickers, coupled with economic empowerment for residents around the forests in North Sumatra." Dede Tanjung, Forest Ecosystem Controller at the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) of North Sumatra, asserted that pangolins are not commodities. They are protected under Government Regulation No. 7/1999 and Ministerial Regulation of Environment and Forestry No. 106/2018, as well as international regulations.