;)
This brings the total ivory seized at this airport since the beginning of 2010 to more than five and a half tonnes.
The ivory and rhino horn passed through Doha, Qatar, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before reaching Bangkok.
The illegal cargo’s last leg of shipment was from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok and was meant to be picked up by a company located in Central Thailand. However, the shipment was left unclaimed.
The Suvarnabhumi Airport Cargo Clearance Customs Bureau with the help of officers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation counted 118 elephant tusks and three rhino horns in the 11 cases that made up the shipment.
Customs said the shipment was declared as“craft work” in the airway bill.
This is not the first time a combination of ivory and rhino horns has been seized or transited in Thailand and Malaysia.
In July 2009, Kenyan authorities stopped a shipment of 16 elephant tusks and two Black Rhino horns which were scheduled to transit in Thailand before being flown to a destination in Lao PDR.
Last August, five rhino horns and two tonnes of elephant ivory bound for Malaysia was seized by authorities in Kenya raising concerns about the former’s role in the global ivory trade.
The Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) lists Thailand as one of three countries most heavily implicated in the illegal global ivory trade and Malaysia as a country of concern because of its role as a significant transit point.
ETIS is the world’s largest database of elephant product seizure records, comprising more than 15,400 ivory seizure cases compiled over the last 21 years and is compiled by TRAFFIC on behalf of CITES.
In an effort to address the problem,Customs Authorities in Thailand teamed-up with TRAFFIC Southeast Asiato raise awareness among Customs Officers based at airports and other key checkpoints about ways to tackle the illegal ivory trade.
Thailand’s Customs Department has also seen a series of successful raids at Suvarnabhumi Airport since stepping up its efforts.
“The authorities involved are to be congratulated,” said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Regional Director Dr William Schaedla.
"This successful seizure highlights, once again, a flow of illegal ivory through Thailand and Malaysia. Customs authorities from both these countries must work with their counterparts in Africa to stem the tide of elephant and rhino poaching.
"Airport seizures are welcome, but there must also be a concerted long-term effort to investigate and shut down the criminal networks that enable the illegal ivory and rhino horn trade in the region.”
Forphotographsof the latest seizure, please contactRichard Thomas, TRAFFIC's Global Communications Co-ordinator, +44 1223 279068, mob +44 0752 6646 216, email: richard.thomas@traffic.org
понедельник, 28 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - More than 1 tonne of ivory and rhino horns seized in Thailand
воскресенье, 27 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Trade alliance formulated in China
;)
Mr Liu and other TCM traders from across China and beyond are sampling TCM plant products today in Beijing, where they are meeting with collectors of wild TCM plants from the Yangtze River area.
They aim to establish a‘trade alliance’ between local producers and traders for the sustainable production of wild medicinal plant species.
The inaugural conference on international trade alliances held by TRAFFIC, WWF and the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) will help establish links between producer associations in mountainous villages and national and international traditional Chinese medicine traders.
Around 15 representatives from TCM manufacturers in the Netherlands, Russia, USA, Korea and Brazil as well as China and 15 representatives from three producers associations in three pilot study sites have helped establish the foundations for the trade alliance.
They have exchanged information on international TCM export requirements and sustainable harvesting.
The meeting is the latest development in a collaborative WWF China, IUCN and TRAFFIC China project‘Sustainable Management of Traditional Medicinal Plants in High-biodiversity Landscapes of Upper Yangtze Ecoregion’ through the European Union’s China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP), funded by the European Union Development Programme (EUDP).
Mountain landscapes in the upper Yangtze River basin are internationally recognized for their biodiversity values and listed as the top priority area for biodiversity conservation in China.
An estimated 75% of commercially harvested Chinese medicinal plant species are found in the region, but many are endangered due to overharvesting.
In order to mitigate the degradation of populations of TCM species and improve local plant harvesters’ livelihoods, in 2007 WWF, IUCN and TRAFFIC launched the project within the ECBP in China.
Local producers in villages in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces have been introduced to the concept and skills needed for sustainable harvesting of wild TCM plants.
Guidelines for the certification of wild-collected products have been introduced and producers helped with marketing of their sustainably harvested medicinal plant species.;)
“We now have more a stable supply of Schisandra by supplementing our existing supplies with sustainably wild-harvested fruit,” said Mr. Wang, Manager of the winery, who addressed the meeting in Beijing.
“Once the winery gets into full production capacity, hundreds of additional jobs will be made available to local villagers.”
Thanks to the joint work of these conservation organizations, 6 producers associations have been established in the villages of the three Provinces, representing about 970 local families and 3322 villagers, who treat wild collection as an important income.
“Three years after TRAFFIC/WWF and our partners introduced standards of sustainable management of wild medicinal plants to producers in the Yangtze region, our work is beginning to bear fruit,” said Professor Xu Hongfa, Director of TRAFFIC’s programme in China
суббота, 26 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - South African measures to restrict cycad trade inadequate
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But TRAFFIC says the measures don’t go far enough and is calling on the South African authorities to introduce a blanket trade ban on cycads.
“While the South African government is to be applauded for considering action against the illicit trade in cycads, TRAFFIC is concerned that the measures simply won’t stop the wild extinction of yet more cycad species,” said David Newton of TRAFFIC East and Southern Africa.
Cycad species affected are those in the genusEncephalartos, several of which are commonly known as bread palms or bread trees because their stems can be used to prepare a bread-like starchy food.
“Cycads among the oldest living seed plants, but are today are among the most highly threatened groups of species. South Africa is a global hotspot for cycads, and 31% of the country’s species are classified as Critically Endangered, principally because of severe over-harvesting to supply private horticultural collections,” said Simon Stuart, Chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission.
IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, classifies around 70% ofEncephalartosspecies in Africa as threatened with extinction—four species no longer exist in the wild.
AllEncephalartosspecies are listed in Appendix I of CITES, which precludes their international commercial trade.
However, trade in artificially propagated plants from South Africa is still permitted, and despite existing regulations to restrict trade, including new CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulations promulgated in 2010, the plunder of wild cycad populations has continued.
According to the CITES trade database, over 5,000 cycad plants (Encephalartosspecies) were reported as exports from South Africa in 2009 alone. All were reported to be artificially propagated.
“Even just monitoring that number of exports to ensure they are all cultivated plants and not illegally wild-sourced is a massive challenge,” says Newton.
He also points out inconsistencies in the government’s proposals, such as no requirement for Critically Endangered cycad species under a certain size to be microchipped, unlike less threatened species.
According to Newton, the proposed new rules would do little to improve regulation of the international trade in cycads.
“The South Africa government recently delisted Abalone {a type of mollusc} from CITES because they were unable to meet the CITES export inspection requirements for farmed Abalone. So why do they now think they will be able to inspect and monitor size limited cycad exports, as proposed in the government gazette, given they have been unable to do so in the past?”
Under CITES rules, the Scientific Authority in South Africa would have to demonstrate what levels of plants could be traded without posing a conservation risk.
Such a study is known as a Non-Detriment Finding (NDF), but these have not yet been completed for all South Africa’s cycads.
“TRAFFIC calls on the South African government to impose a complete ban on the export of cycads until the completion of non-detriment findings and the establishment of biodiversity management plans that will ensure cycads' correct management by all stakeholders,” says Newton.
“This drastic measure is now required given the poor management of this trade over the years and the fact that an increasing number of cycad taxa are becoming extinct in the wild.”
In December 2010 the European Union (EU) imposed a ban on trade in cycad species from South Africa.
For more information, please contact:
Richard Thomas, Global Communications Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC. + 44 1223 279068; +44 752 6646216.
пятница, 25 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Officers in Andhra Pradesh receive training on wildlife law enforcement
;)
The meeting took place in the State of Andhra Pradesh which, due to its abundant biodiversity, has always been a significant target for illegal wildlife trade.
Red Sanders, a protected tree species is a near endemic to the State that is in high demand. Large seizures of this wood have recently taken place at the Indo-Nepal border and in Jammu& Kashmir. In October 2010, Mumbai customs arrested a man on suspicion of attempting to smuggle about 10 tonnes of Red Sanders logs to Dubai.
There are also recent reports of tarantula spiders being illegally captured from southern and eastern parts of the State, the rampant poaching of Red Sandboa and the State is a major route in the smuggling of star tortoises.
The two-day workshop organized by TRAFFIC India aimed to make enforcement officers aware of the latest tools and techniques available to fight such illicit wildlife trade and also to provide an overview of organized global wildlife crime.
The workshop was inaugurated by Mrs C. S. Ramalaskshmi, Director General-CEFNARM (Centre for Forests and Natural Resource Management). Fifty participants from various enforcement agencies including the forest department of Andhra Pradesh, police, railway protection force, Customs, State postal and transport departments participated.
Mr Raghuveer, Director APFA emphasized that such multi-agency training helped in the co-ordination of the various departments that play a key role in curbing illegal wildlife trade.
Khalid Pasha of TRAFFIC India spoke about the regional and global reach of organized transnational wildlife crime and the need to update skills and knowledge continuously to meet the challenges this presented.
The workshop was held at the Andhra Pradesh Forest Academy, Dulapally, Hyderabad, and was the third in a series organized by the Indian and UK governments and TRAFFIC for dissemination of knowledge and skills for combating wildlife crime across India.
The programme is supported by Defra, under the UK-India Sustainable Development Dialogue (UK-India SDD) between the Governments of India and the UK.
четверг, 24 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Trade threat to primates
;)
The study forms an overview to a special issue of the open-access journal onPrimate Conservation: Measuring and mitigating trade in primates.
According to the overview study by Vincent Nijman of Oxford Brookes University and co-workers, the international trade in live primates peaked to supply demand from the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries in the late 1960s and 1970s—the major exporters then included India (around 50,000 animals per year) and Peru (around 30,000).
During the 1990s, numbers of wild-caught and captive-bred primates traded were roughly equal, but subsequently there was a massive increase in captive breeding. By 2005, around 71,000 live primates were traded internationally, 53,000 of them reported as captive-bred. However, there is some concern over whether all these are truly captive-bred rather than laundered wild-caught specimens.
Since 1995, China and Mauritius have between them supplied more than half of all primates traded internationally (31% and 18% respectively), with the largest importers of live primates the USA (26%), Japan (14%) and China (13%).
“The above figures are from an analysis of legal trade reported to CITES {the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora}, but the true figures are likely to be higher, because of under-reporting and illegal trade,” says Nijman.
Examples of illicit trade quoted in the report include the supply of Long-tailed MacaquesMacaca fascicularisfrom mainland Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam) into China, to supply the booming biomedical trade, while a paper in the special issue by Maldonado and co-workers documents the illicit trade of over 4,000 night monkeys (Aotusspp.) each year from Peru and Brazil into Colombia to supply a biomedical research facility.
CITES figures also document the trade in dead primates and their parts, including almost 20,000 exported as hunting trophies over the past 30 years.
More than 100 primate species have also been recorded as used in traditional medicines, and the issue contains a paper by Starr and co-workers documenting the threat posed to two slow loris species in Cambodia from such trade.
However, the major trade in primates is in those traded domestically for food. A paper by Wright and Priston in the special issue examines what drives such trade in southwestern Cameroon and finds many more primates are sold there for wild meat than are captured for local consumption.
While the main threat to primate species is widely acknowledged to be habitat loss and hunting, trade is recognized as a leading threat to species like the Barbary MacaqueMacaca sylvanusand slow lorisesNycticebusspp.
As Nijmanet al. note, in 2006, trade was listed as a threat to only one of the world’s most threatened primates species, but four years later, trade for meat, medicines and pets is implicated in the decline of nine of these species.
Other papers in the special issue include one by Chris Shepherd of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia on the Illegal primate trade in Indonesia and he also contributed as a co-author to an article on gibbons in zoos and rescue centres in Indonesia.
“The illegal primate trade in Asia is decimating populations of some of the region’s most charismatic species: tacking such trade should be regarded as an urgent priority for wildlife enforcement agencies in the region,” said Shepherd.
Other topics covered include effective implementation of CITES; the use of forensics in trade; problems, pitfalls, and successes of rehabilitating and reintroducing confiscated primates; and educational and livelihood strategies to mitigate trade.
To access and download the full contents of the issue, please visithttp://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-specials/primate-conservation-measuring-and-mitigating-trade-in-primates/
среда, 23 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Wildlife law enforcers build skills to combat illegal wildlife trade
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 21st-23rd February 2011—Law enforcers are being trained this week on how to identify threatened reptile species and familiarize themselves with international wildlife protection policies in an effort to combat illegal wildlife trade in the ASEAN region.
The workshop will be led by Vietnamese trainers who attended a“Training of Trainers” for members of the ten ASEAN nations last month in Malaysia, as part of a project funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund and Ministry of the Environment, Japan under the East and Southeast Asia Biodiversity Information Initiative (ESABII).
The project seeks to involve and enhance the capabilities of ASEAN and neighbouring countries in the understanding and application of taxonomic knowledge and wildlife trade regulations.
Viet Nam is the first country in the region to be selected to organize its own CITES and species identification course, conducted entirely by national trainers.
The three-day course will equip key staff working in land and air ports in southern Viet Nam with basic knowledge of the wildlife trade in Southeast Asia, international regulations governing the trade, such as CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and relevant national laws. Participants will also be trained to identify threatened reptile species that are commonly traded in the region during an interactive session at the Saigon Zoo.
Illegal wildlife trade has been identified as one of the greatest threats to the region’s biodiversity. In his opening speech, Dr Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Director of Viet Nam’s Directorate of Forestry, said: “This training will help equip law enforcers who are working to control international wildlife trade with the skills to more effectively protect and sustainably use our precious natural resources.”
Mr. Manop Lauprasert, Senior Officer of the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) Program Coordination Unit, which is supporting the training, added“Criminal networks are taking advantage of limited enforcement capacity at land, sea and airports across the region. Training initiatives such as this will help to close these gaps, and prevent wildlife from being smuggled across international borders. The ASEAN WEN PCU is encouraged to see countries take such important steps to end the illegal wildlife trade”.
There is increasing recognition that wildlife trade, both legal and illegal, is becoming more common at international ports, therefore capacity building for airport and land port staff plays an important role in stopping wildlife trafficking.
Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Dr. William Schaedla said,“This course is not only helping to impart the necessary knowledge and skills to front line enforcement officers and other key stakeholders, but also supporting Vietnamese officials to continue to lead such capacity building initiatives.”
The training course will be conducted by the Viet Nam CITES Management Authority, Biodiversity Conservation Agency and Natural Museum with support from TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Ministry of the Environment of Japan, and ASEAN-WEN.
Notes to Editors
• Viet Nam’s CITES Management Authority, which belongs to Viet Nam’s Directorate of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is the representative of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and is the ASEAN-WEN focal point within the country.
• The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) aims to address illegal exploitation and trade in CITES-listed species within the ASEAN region. It is an integrated network among law enforcement agencies in the 10 ASEAN Member States (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam), involving CITES authorities, customs, police, prosecutors, specialized governmental wildlife-law enforcement organizations and other relevant national law enforcement agencies. This ten member network also aims at facilitating cross border collaboration to fight against illegal wildlife trade in the region. For more information, visit www.asean-wen.org
• TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of IUCN and WWF. TRAFFIC works to support government agencies in law enforcement networking across Asia and globally to combat illegal wildlife trade. Technical assistance across the enforcement continuum, including facilitation of inter-governmental dialogues, engaging the judicial sector, and working with WWF to improve linkages from national level agencies to field-based rangers, is provided on demand to member countries of the ASEAN and South Asia Wildlife Enforcement networks, as well as to China and its immediate neighbours. For more information, visit www.traffic.org
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Morgan, Communications Officer, TRAFFIC Greater Mekong Programme, Tel. +84 4 3726 1575 Ext 204, E-mail: smorgan@traffic.netnam.vn
CITES Management Authority of Viet Nam
A3, 2 Ngoc Ha Street, Ba Dinh District - Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Tel. +84 4 3733 5676; Fax: +84 4 3734 6742, Email: cites_vn.kl@mard.gov.vn; fpdvn@hn.vnn.vn
вторник, 22 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Women hold key to solving wildlife trade issues in Amazon
;)
Instead of a traditional approach targeting male hunters, TRAFFIC and project partners are instead working through existing womens’ groups in indigenous communities, such as the Huaorani, to reduce the illicit trade in wild meat that is threatening many of the region’s wildlife species.
The Yasuní Biophere Reserve (YBR) in Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. The Yasuní National Park, which lies at the core of the reserve, is one of Ecuador’s largest protected areas (approximately 982,000 ha.). It contains the Napo Tropical Moist Forest, and is the headwaters of many rivers of the upper Amazon basin.
“It was clear that the women in local communities already understood the issues caused by unsustainable wildlife trade, making them natural allies in efforts to change attitudes towards over-exploitation of the rainforest’ resources,” said Ana Puyol, Programme Officer with TRAFFIC South America.;)
“Women have a strategic role to play on the sustainable use of Amazonian biodiversity and in indigenous land management, and have a wealth of traditional knowledge and practices, which are key to addressing this issue.”
“By working with local women, we are helping to empower them and strengthen opportunities for reflection and decision-making.”
“From the outset, men among the community have been consulted as part of the process too—widespread community buy-in for any solution to over-exploitation is essential for it to be successful in the long-term.”
Ecuadorian legislation prohibits the sale of wildlife while recognizing the rights of rural dwellers to engage in subsistence hunting.
However, wildlife from YBR is massively illegally exploited for commercial purposes, mainly for consumption by Amazonian urban populations.
The excessive hunting of large mammals has caused their populations to decline or be threatened with extinction both outside and on the edges of conservation and sustainable use areas.
This is progressively degrading the quality and integrity of these areas, with unpredictable consequences for the social and ecological future of such reserves, reducing the quality of their natural environments.
Another serious consequence of the unsustainable wild meat trade is its effect on the food sovereignty of local and indigenous peoples and their opportunities to maintain long-term sustainable livelihoods strategies, as rodents and wild pigs are their main sources of protein.
Led by AMWAE, a local womens group, with support from TRAFFIC and two programme partners, selected communities have been involved in dialogue both to recognize the extent of the problem and to establish commitments to reduce the scale of the external wildlife trade while securing sufficient meat for local needs.
An agreement has been signed between AMWAE and Fundación Natura (one of the programme partners) committing communities not to trade wildlife, but rather to work to ensure their families are adequately fed and their lands are sustainably protected and managed.
A commitment was also made not to hunt tapirs (highly endangered mammals in the Amazon), even for subsistence purposes.;)
There are also plans to support hunters in producing handicrafts for sale at AMWAE-run stores to generate income to compete with the illegal sale of wild meat.
Currently the project is working with nine strategically selected communities in two areas of the YBR, with more than 70 Huaorani families and an impact on approximately 200,000 ha of tropical forests.
“The project has demonstrated how strengthening womens’ political leadership on illegal hunting issues substantially improves governance at the organizational and community levels,” said Puyol.
“These have laid the foundation for participatory work with a vision for change.”
TRAFFIC’s work in YBR is carried out through a project on“Diminishing Illegal Wildlife Trade in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve (YBR)” funded by the Spanish Development Cooperation Agency, AECID, led by IUCN/TRAFFIC, and implemented jointly by two strategic members of IUCN: Fundación Natura and the Randi Randi Group Corporation.
суббота, 19 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Rare birds and other wildlife seized at Jakarta Airport during busy month
;)
With fewer than 50 mature individuals estimated to now survive in the wild, the seizure of a pair of Bali Mynas in the luggage of a Singaporean man is a significant find.
The Bali MynaLeucopsar rothschildiis listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and all commercial trade in this species is prohibited as it is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Endemic to the island of Bali and once common across the north-west of the island, this Myna’s wild population has plummeted due to illegal poaching for the cagebird trade.
The seizure was made at Jakarta airport by Quarantine and Airport Security officers on 31st January. They also found four slow lorisesNycticebusspp. and eight Pig-nosed TurtlesCarettochelys insculptahidden in the suspect’s bag when it was x-rayed. Slow lorises are listed in Appendix I of CITES, while Pig-nosed Turtles are in Appendix II.
Chief of Division of control measures at the airport’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Office, Dr Wawan Sutian, confirmed the seizure saying all the animals were found alive at the time and are still in quarantine at the present time.
He said the suspect has been released on bail while the case is being investigated. He faces a maximum three years in jail and a maximum fine of 150 million rupiah if found to have wilfully violated Indonesian law.
All the species seized are protected under Indonesian law.
On 13th January, a passenger bound for Saudi Arabia was detained in Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s Terminal 2 when officers discovered two Hill MynasGracula religiosa(Appendix II) and other birds concealed in his luggage.
The birds were stuffed into 10 by 20 cm cylinders, which were then hidden underneath grapes, pears and apples in a carry-on paper bag. The suspect had purchased the birds in the Pramuka Bird Market. The species is protected under Indonesian law.
On 7th January, the same Quarantine Office also foiled an attempt to smuggle an Orang UtanPongospp. skull and Helmeted HornbillRhinoplax vigilcasks to the Netherlands. Both species are listed in CITES Appendix I.
On 1st January, Quarantine officers and Forestry Police found 14 birds including six Black-Throated LaughingthrushesGarrulax chinensishidden in 12 boxes in the luggage of a passenger bound for Bahrain. The smuggled birds were discovered after the bag underwent scanning.
“The number of recent seizures in the Soekarno-Hatta Airport illustrates the role Jakarta plays in the illicit global wildlife trade, as a major hub”, says Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
“The authorities are to be congratulated for intercepting these smuggling attempts. It is efforts such as these that are needed in order to ensure unscrupulous smugglers will do not continue their trade from Indonesia’s capital”.
“We hope these activities are viewed as serious crimes, and the culprits are sufficiently penalized so as to deter further such activities”.
среда, 16 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - TRAFFIC Japan hosts online fisheries seminar
;)
The aim of the seminar was to challenge people to answer the question as to whether the fish on their dinner table has been caught legally or not.
“Here in Japan, there is growing awareness of the problems caused by IUU {illegal unreported and unregulated} fishing of salmon, tuna, sharks and other marines resources, and consumers are increasingly demanding greater traceability in the source of the fish they eat, to ensure it comes from legal and sustainable sources,” says Soyo Takahashi, Fisheries Officer with TRAFFIC Japan.
“This seminar provides an opportunity for those interested in this issue to hear how the experts are ensuring greater transparency in the fisheries supply chain.”
Speakers included Mr Melcom Pohl Block, Namibian Ministry of Fisheries Marine Resources on“Namibia and the challenge of sustainable fisheries”; Mr Richard Parsons from the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on“The EU’s IUU fisheries regulations and enforcement, with particular reference to the UK”; Mr Nakamura Nobuyuki, Senior Managing Director of an eel retailing company on“Traceability and eel farming: Production and public certification”; plus TRAFFIC’s Ms Joyce Wu and Ms Soyo Takahashi and Ms Aiko Yamauchi of WWF Japan.
пятница, 11 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Would-be wildlife smuggler gets three bags full
;)
The Indonesian man was stopped after the regular luggage scanning process at the airport showed images of an array of animals stuffed inside his three black bags.
The Airports of Thailand officer who noticed the suspicious items alerted a National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department officer who checked the bags and detained the suspect.
The 34-year old had stuffed 88 Indian Star Tortoises, 33 Elongated Tortoises, seven Radiated Tortoises, six Mata Mata Turtles, four Southeast Asian Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle, three Aldabra Tortoises, one Pig-nosed Turtle and even one Ploughshare Tortoise—the worlds’ rarest tortoise.
Alongside these, he packed 34 Ball Pythons, two Boa Constrictors, several Milk Snakes, Corn Snakes and King Snakes as well as a Hog-nosed Snake.;)
He also managed to fit in 18 Baboon Spiders, each in its own plastic container, 22 Common Squirrels and one African Grey Parrot into his luggage.
The suspect, from Surabaya in Indonesia, admitted to authorities that he had purchased the animals from Chatuchak Market. He was scheduled to board an Air Asia flight home when his illegal loot was discovered.
He is in police custody and is expected to face charges under Sections 19, 23 and 24 of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2535. He could also be charged under the Animal Epidemics Act B.E. 2499 and the Customs Act B.E. 2469.
Commenting on the interdiction, TRAFFIC Regional Director, William Schaedla was appreciative of Thailand’s Airport Authorities for their diligence, but also expressed outrage about the open availability of so many protected animals.
“It speaks well of a few alert enforcement authorities when such seizures happen. The Airport Authority is to be commended. However, one really has to question how Chatuchak Market, which is located just down the street from both Wildlife Protection and Nature Crime Police Offices, can continue these illegal mass sales.
“Frankly, the situation is totally unacceptable in a country that claims to be effectively addressing illegal wildlife trade,” he said.
Chatuchak is a major hub for some of the world’s rarest species in trade. Despite numerous reports to the authorities, illegal trade continues every weekend on an open basis.;)
The illicit trade in rare tortoises from Thailand came under the spotlight earlier this week, when authorities in the UK reported the seizure of eight Indian Star Tortoises in aparcel flown from Thailand to a sorting office in Coventry.
The list of seized animals:
Ploughshare tortoise 1
Ceratophrys ornate (Argentine horned frog) 6
Radiated tortoise 7
Indian Star Tortoise 88
Common squirrel 22
Mata Mata Turtle 6
Bearded Dragon 19
Aldabra Tortoise 3
Theraphosidae (baboon spider) 18
Pig-nosed Turtle 1
Elongated Tortoise 33
African Grey Parrot 1
Ball Python 34
Boa Constrictor 2
Milk Snake 1
Corn Snake 2
King Snake 2
Lampropeltis zonata (kingsnake) 1
Lampropeltis calligasta (kingsnake) 1
Hog nosed snake 1
Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx) 4
Sudan Plated Lizard 2
Chitra 4
среда, 9 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Customs seize tonnes of reptiles in Malaysia
;)
Working on a tip-off, the Customs officials confiscated a haul comprising over 1,800 monitor lizards, snakes and freshwater turtles and tortoises which were concealed amongst empty fruit boxes and timber on 20th December.
All of the specimens are listed in Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) meaning that any international trade in them requires the appropriate permits.
“TRAFFIC highly commends the Customs officers responsible for this seizure. However, the scale of this haul underlines the fact that the illegal trade of protected wildlife in Malaysia remains a serious problem”, said Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
“Without the commitment of Customs and enforcement bodies alike across the network of ASEAN countries the illegal trade in endangered species will continue, threatening the future survival of wild animals and plants.”
Among the animals seized were 18 Brown TortoisesManouria emysand 10 Yellow-headed Temple TurtlesHieremys annandalii, both of which are classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as well as over 400 Giant Asian Pond TurtlesHeosemys grandis, which are listed as Vulnerable.
Globally, many turtle populations are under siege as they are being removed from the wild at an unsustainable rate, threatening the future survival of many taxa within this enigmatic group.
These three species, as well the Bengal MonitorVaranus (nebulosa) bengalensis, which was also seized, are protected in Malaysia according to the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
Under Malaysia’s newly passed Wildlife Conservation Act (2010), which is yet to be implemented, all species in this seizure are protected and individuals caught hunting or trading them could face hefty punishment.
With the increase in wealth and concomitant spending power of many Asian nations in recent decades the demand for wild meat—the likely fate awaiting these animals in this seizure—has increased substantially.
Malaysia along with its ASEAN neighbours is a major source area for illegally traded wildlife in international trade. Given that wild animals are internationally trafficked by land, air and sea, this seizure highlights the important role that Customs authorities play in the war on illegal wildlife trade.
Following this seizure the majority of animals were auctioned off to wildlife dealers while the remainder, those protected in Malaysia, were handed over to the Wildlife and National Parks Department.
вторник, 8 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Landmark court ruling on fisheries over-harvesting
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Markus Bürgener, Senior Programme Officer for TRAFFIC East Southern Africa called it“An historic decision for the world’s fisheries, which sets an important international precedent.”
“It is the first time a court has determined that individuals can be liable for damages caused by overharvesting and their long-term impact on fish stocks.”
All three of those convicted hold US or joint US-South African citizenship, meaning they could be prosecuted under the US Lacey Act, the first law of its kind to prohibit the import, sale or trade of products into the USA that were illegally-harvested in their country of origin.
The case has been ongoing since 2001 when South African authorities seized a container of Cape Rock Lobsters destined for the USA. Hout Bay Fishing Industries was subsequently fined, two fishing boats seized and 14 fisheries inspectors arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes.
In 2004, the three individuals at the helm of the smuggling operation that spanned a period from 1987 to 2001—Arnold Bengis, the former managing director of the now defunct Hout Bay Fishing Industries, his son David and Jeffrey Noll—pleaded guilty to various offences under the US Lacey Act and have now served prison sentences of between one and four years and paid fines of about USD13.3 million.
Following the overturning of a New York district court ruling by the US Court of Appeals earlier this week, the three convicted now face a massive fine—the exact level to be determined—but which could be anywhere between USD39.7 million and USD54.9million depending on how the market value of the overharvested lobsters is calculated.
Cape Rock LobstersJasus lalandiiare restricted to shallow coastal waters off southern Africa. The South African government has imposed measures to prevent over-fishing of the species, including a size limit, a ban on catching females brooding eggs, individual fishing quotas and a closed season from June to November.
“The US Government has sent a strong signal to those involved in criminal fishing operations: crime simply doesn’t pay,” said Bürgener.
понедельник, 7 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - How to tell real from fake ivory
Bangkok, Thailand, 27th January 2011—To bolster its fight against the illegal ivory trade, Thailand will equip close to 100 enforcement officials and ivory traders with the skills to identify real from fake ivory.
Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has teamed-up with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and the local administrative organizations to carry out a specialized training programme in Surin Province, in north-eastern Thailand, which is home to a significant ivory carving industry.
A key component of the programme will involve the Thai government encouraging ivory traders to inventory and register their ivory stocks—a requirement under Thai law that few traders have responded to so far.
The trade in ivory and elephant products in Thailand is widespread with hundreds of shops openly displaying and selling ivory and elephant products. In the absence of an effective ivory registration system and few measures in place to control the commerce, there is no way of telling if the products on sale have originated from a legal source under current legislation
Coupled with poor measures to control commerce and numerous cases of shipment of illegal ivory through or to Thailand, the country was ranked in 2009 among the top three most notorious hubs for the illegal trade in ivory globally.
However in recent times, Thailand has responded with a series of measures to repair its international image including crucial training for enforcement officers.
“It’s a problem we view seriously and one that we are acting upon by providing enforcement officers all the tools they need to enforce the law and urging ivory traders to respect it,” said the Director General of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Mr. Sunun Arunnopparat.
The past year also saw some of the country’s largest seizures totaling almost 4.5 tonnes, a campaign at Suvarnabhumi International Airport warning potential consumers not to buy illegal ivory and transport it across international borders and steps towards finalizing a new draft law—the Elephant Act—that would close existing loopholes and better regulate Thailand’s domestic ivory trade.
“These seizures are certainly welcomed”, says Tom Milliken, Director of TRAFFIC East and Southern Africa,“but they also serve to illustrate the scale of Thailand’s ivory trade. Anything that makes it past Thai Customs is home free and that’s a huge problem.”
The workshop in Surin Province aims to ensure officers will be able to monitor and enforce this new law. It also targets a sound understanding and more effective use of the Elephant Trade and Information System (ETIS), the world’s largest database on ivory and elephant product seizures that TRAFFIC manages on behalf of Parties to CITES (the Convention to International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
While acknowledging steps Thailand has taken to address its poorly regulated ivory trade, TRAFFIC stressed the need for these efforts to be sustained, to ensure lasting change.
“TRAFFIC would like to see authorities in Thailand work together to prosecute all ivory smugglers apprehended at Suvarnabhumi International Airport to the full extent of the law,” said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s Deputy Regional Director, Chris R. Shepherd.
“We would also like to see enforcement expand to the retail market with arrests of ivory vendors that directly benefit from the smuggling. As profit margins are high, only strong deterrents will have an impact,” he added.
Notes
1. Major ivory seizures at Suvarnabhumi International Airport by Royal Thai Customs in 2010 and 2011:
• February 2010: 239 tusks weighing two tonnes
• April 2010: 1.4 tonnes
• July 2010: 117 tusks weighing 765 kg
• August 2010: 16 pieces of cut ivory weighing approx 90 kg
• January 2011: 69 tusks and 4 smaller ivory pieces weighing 435 kg
2. International trade in ivory is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
3. Currently the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) is regarded as Endangered and the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Both are threatened by a variety of issues including poaching and illegal trade, habitat loss and degradation.
About TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of IUCN and WWF. TRAFFIC works to support government agencies in law enforcement networking across Asia and globally to combat illegal wildlife trade. Technical assistance across the enforcement continuum, including facilitation of inter-governmental dialogues, engaging the judicial sector, and working with WWF to improve linkages from national level agencies to field-based rangers, is provided on demand to member countries of the ASEAN and South Asia Wildlife Enforcement networks, as well as to China and its immediate neighbours.
воскресенье, 6 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Bigger bite of the action for EU sniffer dog programme
;)
The expanded scheme will see the dogs used to detect smuggled wildlife in all Europe’s major airports, seaports and major postal distribution centres.
During the trial period from September 2008 to date, wildlife detector dogs have uncovered pieces of highly endangered animal species including sturgeon caviar, elephant ivory, marine turtle shells, and reptile skins and leather goods. Even a bear skull and its skin were detected.
“The expanded sniffer dog programme will serve as a powerful deterrent to discourage would-be smugglers at the region’s borders and will also be used to raise public awareness of wildlife trade laws and regulations,” said Birgit Braun, Co-ordinator of the Wildlife Detector Dog Project.
The project will explore the full range of use of wildlife detector dogs within the EU and aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between such programmes and interested EU Member States.
WWF Germany will present information on the project, which is funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for Home Affairs (DG Home Affairs), at a three day global forum on the use of detector dogs and handler teams in enforcement operations taking place this week in celebration of World Customs Organization Day on 26th January.
DG Home Affairs also funded a recently concluded, highly successful three-year project on strengthening the capacities of law enforcement officers and judicial authorities in the fight against wildlife crime.
Through this project, WWF in collaboration with TRAFFIC, the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), UK Customs and other governmental partners helped train more than 500 enforcement officials from 26 European countries.
The main aim was on strengthening regional collaboration, in particular amongst EU and neighbouring countries such as Belarus, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and the Ukraine.;)
The enhanced co-operation and improved data exchange helped contribute to the success of a number of seizures, including preventing the illicit import of large quantities of TAMs into Latvia in 2009.
Training modules on implementation and enforcement of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations developed by a team of enforcement experts from six EU-countries, representing bodies such as CITES Management Authorities, Customs and specialist inspectorates and TRAFFIC were also used to train over 230 enforcement officials from seven EU Member States: Belgium, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia and Malta during the project. The composition of the participants of the training seminar in Slovakia was of particular note, due the high number of judges and prosecutors present.
“Europe has strong, but complex wildlife trade regulations. With legal wildlife trade into the EU alone worth in the region of 100 billion Euro per year, it does attract criminal elements,” said Rob Parry-Jones, Regional Director of the TRAFFIC Europe Programme.“Investment in training enforcement officers and expanding the use of sniffer dogs are imperative steps to keep on top of illegal wildlife trade.”
For more information, please contact:
Richard Thomas, Communications Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC. Tel: +44 1223 279068, mobile + 44 752 6646 216, email: Richard.thomas@traffic.org
суббота, 5 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Shark populations dwindle as top catchers delay on conservation actions
After ten years, International Plan to save sharks still not implemented;)
With 30 percent of all shark species now threatened or near threatened with extinction, there is little evidence that the plan has contributed significantly to improved conservation and management of these animals.
The analysis,The Future of Sharks: A Review of Action and Inaction(PDF, 1.1 MB), uses fisheries information provided to the UN FAO to identify the top 20 shark-catching countries and other entities, and then assesses whether they have taken the management and conservation measures they agreed to in 2001.
According to the review, only 13 of the top 20 have developed national plans of action to protect sharks—one of the primary recommendations from 2001—and it remains unclear how those plans have been implemented or if they have been effective.
;)
Indonesia, India, Spain and Taiwan account for more than 35 percent of all sharks taken annually, based on their own reported data.
Worldwide, shark populations are in decline due to unregulated fishing, much of it to meet the high demand for fins. Up to 73 million sharks are killed annually primarily for their fins, which are used as an ingredient in shark fin soup, a popular dish in many East Asian countries.
The analysis, produced by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, and the Pew Environment Group, was released ahead of a crucial meeting of the UN FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI), taking place between 31st January and 4th February in Rome, Italy. The two organizations recommend that COFI perform“a comprehensive review into the actions being undertaken to manage fisheries in which sharks are taken.”
“The fate of the world’s sharks is in the hands of the top 20 shark catchers, most of whom have failed to demonstrate what, if anything, they are doing to save these imperiled species.
"They need to take action to stop the decline in shark populations and help ensure that the list of species threatened by overfishing does not continue to grow,” said Glenn Sant, TRAFFIC’s Global Marine Programme Leader.
“Sharks play a critical role in the ocean environment. Where shark populations are healthy, marine life thrives; but where they have been overfished, ecosystems fall out of balance. Shark-catching countries and entities must stand by their commitments and act now to conserve and protect these animals,” said Jill Hepp, Global Shark Conservation manager for the Pew Environment Group.
For further information:
Richard Thomas, Global Communications Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC,richard.thomas@traffic.org+44 1223 279068 work +44 (0)752 6646216 mobile.
About Pew
The Pew Environment Group is the conservation arm of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-governmental organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life.www.PewEnvironment.org
About TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of IUCN and WWF. For more information, visitwww.traffic.org
пятница, 4 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Log on to keep the tiger roaring
;)
At the website, visitors can hear natural sounds from around the Tiger’s habitat, including bird song, animals calling, wind rustling tree leaves and a water rippling along a brook.
And after every fiftieth visitor registers their support for wild Tigers, a Tiger’s roar will be played, to complete the aural image.
“With only a handful of wild Tigers left in China, we want people to realize that without their continuing support, the Tiger’s roar could fade away before the next Year of the Tiger in 2022,” said Fan Zhiyong, Director of Species Program of WWF China.
“We hope this campaign will inspire people in China to do everything they can to ensure wild Tigers will be roaring for many years to come,” said Xu Hongfa, Director of TRAFFIC China Program.
TRAFFIC and WWF China are grateful for the support ofOgilvyin creating and running this online campaign.
четверг, 3 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Year of the Tiger ends with roadmap to save species
;)
The International Tiger Forum, held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in November 2010 marked the first time an international summit has been convened to focus on a single, non-human species.
A significant output from the Forum was the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), a collaboration between the 13 countries that still have wild Tigers and who have set a goal of doubling wild Tigers by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022.
“The recovery programme is a big boost for Tigers,” said Mike Baltzer, Head of WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative.
“But it is only the beginning. We must now join the Tiger Range Countries and our partners worldwide to ensure the momentum from the Forum and this past year’s Tiger conservation achievements continues. Tigers have already run out of time. The recovery must not lose steam.”
Wild Tiger numbers are down to only 3,200, with scattered populations across 13 countries having lost more than 93 percent of their historic range. Just 100 years ago, an estimated 100,000 Tigers roamed across Asia.
As the recovery programme takes shape, progress has already been made to save Tigers in the wild. This includes:
• Korean Pine, a critical tree in the Russian Far East wasawarded official protective status, ending its logging in Amur Tiger habitat;
• A new wildlife conservation bill was passed in Malaysia, providing significantly higher penalties and mandatory jail time for wildlife crime, with poaching of Tigers and trading in their parts now receiving maximum punishment;
• India announced it’s 39th Tiger reserve (Sahyadri), with another eight new reserves in development;
• Indonesia’s Ministry of Forest placed a moratorium on conversion of virgin forest and peat swamp forest on the island of Sumatra for the next two years, thus protecting prime Sumatran Tiger habitat;
• Cambodia formally designated Selma Forest a protected area, creating a new and vital protected area as part of the Eastern Plains Tiger Landscape Protected Area Complex;
• The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) was established, strengthening anti-poaching and wildlife trade law enforcement efforts in the Tiger countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.
“Although there were some encouraging developments and pledges made during the Year of the Tiger, these need to be followed up by committed conservation action,” said Pauline Verheij, joint TRAFFIC and WWF Tiger Trade Programme Manager.
“Weekly headlines show the pressure on Tigers from illegal killing for trade and loss of habitat and prey is undiminished, increasingly bringing Tigers into conflict with humans. The world cannot sit back and be complacent: it’s now do or die for the wild Tiger.”
To show your support for wild Tigers and watch the countdown to the year's end, please visitwww.listentothetiger.com
среда, 2 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - Forests 2011 launched as Nagoya Protocol opens for signature
;)
The Nagoya ABS Protocol was a key outcome of the October 2010 CBD meeting in Nagoya, Japan, and aims to ensure countries harbouring great natural diversity of wildlife will receive adequate benefits in return for providing access to these resources.
“It is fitting that the signing of the landmark ABS-protocol, which will help close the gap between biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation and development, marks the International Year of Forests,” said Chen Hin Keong, TRAFFIC's Global Forest Trade Programme Leader.
“The world’s forests are a treasures trove of biological resources, but these must be shared equitably and used wisely, or it will be to the detriment of all.”
The new ABS protocol will provide an internationally binding framework, applying for example to private sector enterprises actively bio-prospecting for pharmaceutical, medicinal, biochemical, aromatic and food resources, but will not apply retrospectively.
Deadlock over the issue of access and benefit sharing had previously defied resolution for the 18 years after the CBD was signed.
Events linked to the International Year of Forests 2011“Forests 2011” include a China tree planting day in March, regional conferences on forests in Central Africa and Europe, and specific Days dedicated to a variety of issues including wetlands, world water, the earth, migratory birds, biological diversity, the environment, combating desertification, indigenous people’s and mountains.
More information onForests 2011
вторник, 1 февраля 2011 г.
TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News - South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) formally launched at Paro
;)
Illegal wildlife trade is a form of trans-national organized crime that threatens many iconic species across the world. South Asia, home to a diverse network of natural ecosystems and varied biodiversity, is especially vulnerable to such threats. Apart from key species such as tigers, elephants and rhinos, there are a variety of medicinal plants, timber, marine species, birds and reptiles are threatened by illegal exploitation and trafficking.
To counter such threats, the eight countries of South Asia have come together to establish an organized and co-ordinated body—the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN).
“SAWEN will help Bhutan to link up with authorities and officials across the region to share good practices and resources to co-operate and co-ordinate actions to apprehend poachers and traffickers,” said Lyonpo (Dr) Pema Gyamtsho, Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Forests, Bhutan, at the opening of the expert group’s meeting.
In May, 2010, the Government of Nepal hosted the First meeting of the South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade which prepared an operational roadmap for the establishment of SAWEN. Continuing with the priorities identified during the Nepal meeting, Bhutan in collaboration with the Interim SAWEN Secretariat hosted the‘Second Meeting of the South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade’ on 29th and 30th Jan 2011 in Paro, Bhutan.
Relevant focal persons and experts from the governments of member countries, inter-governmental organizations including the CITES Secretariat and INTERPOL, and non-governmental organizations including WWF and TRAFFIC participated in the two day meeting. The critical points decided by the Experts Group during the meeting were:-
- An agreed action-oriented work plan for joint activities, some of which will begin immediately and which will continue to develop further as the network gathers strength;
- Establishing a SAWEN Secretariat, which will be hosted by the Government of Nepal;
- An agreed governance and operational structure for SAWEN;
- The need for strategic collaboration on communications and fundraising.
“CITES is delighted to see SAWEN come into being and we look forward to supporting the Network,” said John Sellar, Chief of Enforcement, CITES Secretariat.“The member countries have today demonstrated their commitment to bringing to justice those criminals who are robbing this part of the world of its precious natural resources.”
“These criminals should be behind bars, wearing stripes on prison uniforms. This is the only way that these individuals can be reminded of the thousands of Tigers that have been killed in recent years,” Mr Sellar said.
The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan with technical support from TRAFFIC and WWF Bhutan. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network has been providing technical support for the SAWEN process since its inception and acknowledges the generous funding support of the US Department of State.
“With the formal operation of SAWEN beginning henceforth, the countries of the region have now reached a milestone in their efforts to counter the spectre of illegal wildlife trade,” said Samir Sinha, TRAFFIC’s programme head in India.“This is an essential piece of a collective effort to conserve a region of outstanding biological richness and diversity.”
For further information contact:
Vijay Moktan, Conservation Director vmoktan@wwfbhutan.org.bt
P.O Box 210, Thimphu, WWF Bhutan Program Office
Tel: +975 2 323528 Fax: +975 2 323518
Samir Sinha, Head, TRAFFIC– India
ssinha@wwfindia.net
James Compton, Asia-Pacific Senior Programme Director, TRAFFIC
james.compton@traffic.org
Background Notes
SAWEN has its origins in 2008, when the environment ministers of eight countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka met in Jaipur, India. It was here, that the member delegates announced their undying support for the formation of a SAWEN and a South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade. Regional cooperation on‘wildlife conservation and combating illegal trade in wildlife and bio-resources’ was also included as a focal component in the scope of work under the Convention on Cooperation on Environment in South Asia, proposed by India during the Environment Ministers’ meeting held in India in October 2009. This was endorsed during the 16th South Asian Association for Regional Co‐Operation (SAARC) summit held in Thimphu, Bhutan in April 2010.
On the occasion of the 2nd Meeting of the South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife trade, the representatives of the countries of South Asia, in the spirit of regional co-operation and collaboration have officially launched the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN).
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of IUCN and WWF. TRAFFIC works to support government agencies in law enforcement networking across Asia and globally to combat illegal wildlife trade. Technical assistance across the enforcement continuum, including facilitation of inter-governmental dialogues, engaging the judicial sector, and working with WWF to improve linkages from national level agencies to field-based rangers, is provided on demand to member countries of the ASEAN and South Asia Wildlife Enforcement networks, as well as to China and its immediate neighbours.