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Indonesia Academy of Sciences (AIPI) on Wednesday, September 5th, 2012, in cooperation with the Faculty of veterinary medicine, Bogor agricultural University (FKH-IPB) and the Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI) held a national seminar themed “Conservation and Sustainable Use of Animal Germ Plasm Archipelago”. In this opportunity, CIVAS got a chance to attend and participate in these seminars. Representative from CIVAS is Albertus Teguh Muljono.

In this seminar, 7 speakers from various institutions (most are professors in their fields) in general describes the situation and condition of Indonesia’s germ plasm, either in wildlife or domesticated animals, mainly related with local livestock breeds like cattle and chickens. Besides that topic, the veterinarians presenters in general also add information regarding biotechnology and emerging and re-emerging disease that potentially threatened the existence of Indonesia’s germ plasm.

Some interesting issue presented by our professors in this seminar, such as we already know that our archipelago is one of the richest countries in the world. Rich with beautiful and abundant natural resources. Dr Lily from LIPI even confirmed if there is paradise on earth, then Indonesia is that paradise. But unfortunately, we can only be proud without doing anything, even tend to not maintenance or even damaging. The foreign researchers realize about natural resource of Indonesia and in many ways attempted to come to Indonesia to do research, while the Indonesian government itself has not fully realized that very important to keep our natural resource, for example, support for Indonesian researchers in exploring and learning natural resource is still less deeply.

But there is one initiation needs to be fully supported that is construction of the National History Museum by LIPI as a place to store and capture archipelago’s natural wealth, so that all Indonesian people, especially the younger generation, can continue to learn and recognize the archipelago’s natural wealth.

Another sad fact that revealed in this seminar is apparently until now Indonesia has absolutely no local breeding programs, both for beef cattle, dairy cows, and chickens. Prof Muladno et al (Animal Scientist’s Society of Indonesia) in his paper for this seminar said that Indonesia has the genetic resources of livestock that priceless as a nation wealth and even the world, but its potential is not fully utilized and less attention in the development of the seed so most of the type and livestock clumps have low genetic quality and gets worse over time. In addition, there are several types of livestock in a very critical state facing potential extinction if not taken seriously.

Then related to breeding condition, and in connection with the self-sufficiency program of meat being announced by the government of Indonesia, Prof. Kusuma (National Commission for Local Livestock Resources) believe that a Bali Cow which is the Indonesian local cow can be developed to support self-sufficiency beef meat programs, but the concept of livestock resource management and development should be addressed first. Therefore, Prof. Kusuma stressed that we must distinguish between the needs to maintaining local seed furrow as Indonesian germplasm wealth with the needs of meat because these two things are different and each one requires a different strategy.

On this occasion, Prof. Kusuma also reminds us to be smarter in looking at the foreign interests or aid because surely they put forward the benefit of their country. He also invited us not to rely on beef as a protein source (During this time, beef or meat is mostly imported from Australia), but continued to explore the potential of other protein sources, either vegetable or animal protein.

CIVAS, a non-government organization whose mission is to achieve sound animal health, greatly welcomes and support the initiative of this meeting. We should always be grateful for our rich and diverse country by protecting, maintaining, and utilizing its resources wisely. Those who are ungrateful will only reap trouble and disasters. Let us be grateful.