Jakarta. Indonesia's decision to resume exports of long-tailed macaques for laboratory testing after a four-year hiatus has drawn criticism from animal welfare groups, who warn the move could accelerate the exploitation of an endangered species.

According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Indonesia was allocated an export quota of 1,928 long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in June 2026, marking the country's first recorded export quota since 2022.

The criticism came from a coalition of animal welfare organizations comprising Action for Primates, Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), Natha Satwa Nusantara (NSN), Animal Lawyer Indonesia (ALI), Lady Freethinker (LFT), Animal Friends Jogja (AFJ), and Animals Don't Speak Human (ADSH). The groups said the policy risks increasing exploitation of a species whose population continues to decline.

"The resumption of long-tailed macaque exports from Indonesia is a deeply troubling development," said Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates.

"The exploitation and abuse involved not only threaten the future of this species but also run counter to the growing political and scientific momentum to end the use of non-human primates in research and toxicity testing. Action by the Indonesian government to protect long-tailed macaque populations is long overdue."

The coalition said the move represents a setback for Indonesia's protection of its native primates at a time when global efforts to strengthen wildlife conservation are gaining momentum.

Femke den Haas, co-founder of JAAN, said the weak protection afforded to Indonesia's most heavily exploited native species threatens animal welfare, conservation, and Indonesia's international reputation.

The organizations also pointed to reports that a breeding facility capable of housing 4,000 long-tailed macaques has been built in Mesuji Regency, Lampung. The facility is reportedly intended to breed the animals for export as laboratory test subjects, while the operator is said to be offering local residents Rp 200,000 ($12) for each monkey they supply.

They warned that the reported purchasing scheme could allow wild-caught macaques to be laundered into commercial breeding operations. The concern is heightened by the species' lack of legal protection in Indonesia despite its listing under CITES Appendix II and its Endangered status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, which cites a declining population trend.

According to the groups, the absence of legal protection has enabled the continued capture of wild macaques for commercial breeding and export, as well as their sale as pets, trade in local markets, and exploitation in online content.

As evidence of the risks facing the species, Action for Primates cited footage it released in 2022 documenting what it described as the brutal capture of wild macaques in Indonesia. The videos showed infants being separated from their mothers, rough handling of captured animals, and the beating and killing of monkeys deemed unsuitable.

The organizations also criticized the continued use of long-tailed macaques in regulatory toxicity testing, arguing that the practice causes significant suffering while becoming increasingly outdated. They noted that governments in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States are accelerating the adoption of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including in vitro systems, organ-on-chip technology, and artificial intelligence-based modeling, to reduce reliance on animal testing.

They urged the Indonesian government to suspend exports of long-tailed macaques, strengthen legal protection for the species, prevent the capture of wild animals for commercial breeding, and invest in evidence-based strategies to promote coexistence between humans and macaques.