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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:12 pm
Time: 8:12 pm
Results for illicit ivory
1 results foundAuthor: Krishnasamy, Kanitha Title: Malaysia's Invisible Ivory Channel: An assessment of ivory seizures involving Malaysia from January 2003 - May 2014 Summary: Malaysia does not have an open domestic ivory market, unlike at least seven other Southeast Asian countries. However, its position in the global illicit ivory trade has become more prominent since 2009 when its role as a principal transit gateway for ivory en route to consumer markets in other Southeast and East Asian countries emerged. This occurrence has made Malaysia the world's paramount illicit ivory transit country, according to data in the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS), which tracks ivory seizures globally since 1989. The ETIS report to the 62nd CITES Standing Committee meeting in July 2012 identified Malaysia as one of eight countries most heavily implicated in the illegal ivory trade chain. Malaysia was the only country that served as purely a transit country among this group of African source and Asian end-use nations. To better understand this trade dynamic, TRAFFIC assessed information from ivory seizures from a period of over 11 years (nearly 11 and a half years), from January 2003 to May 2014 - all seizures were either made by Malaysian authorities, or made outside the country, but with Malaysia identified as part of the trade chain. Findings highlight that a total of 66 ivory seizures have been connected to Malaysia, cumulatively recording 63 419 kg of ivory over this period. Although only 26 of all seizures were large-scale seizures (>500 kg), these alone logged in a total weight of 60 404 kg, accounting for 95% of the total volume seized. This report discusses some insights from the seizures over this period, as well as highlighting needs and opportunities in order for Malaysia to remove itself from its current position as a country of international concern for illicit trade in ivory under CITES. For its part, Malaysia has made a total of 19 seizures from January 2003-February 2013 totalling close to 15 tonnes of ivory. Five of these, representing 94% of total volume seized in the country, were large-scale seizures, one of which represents the third largest seizure in ETIS. The large-scale seizures in Malaysia occurred in all three of the nation's leading seaports: Ports of Klang, Pasir Gudang and Penang. However, based on seizures made outside Malaysia during the assessed period, Malaysia has been implicated in at least 47 other seizures, involving more than 48 tonnes of ivory that had already passed through a Malaysian port undetected or was destined for the country. A vast majority of these were raw ivory, with only a small proportion being worked ivory that had already passed through a Malaysian port undetected or was destined for the country. This occurrence is the primary reason Malaysia has been identified as a key transit country in the global ivory trade. These seizures involve the import, export and re-export of ivory (and other prohibited wildlife parts) from at least 23 known countries and territories around the world, at various points of the trade route. Almost 75% (n=35) of these 47 seizures were made by other countries after the shipment passed a Malaysian port unstopped, amounting to 33 889 kg of ivory. Seventeen of the 47 seizures originated from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda - the three major exit points for the world's illegal elephant ivory trade. These three countries alone exported 66% (31 868 kg) of the total volume of ivory seized during this period involving Malaysia, with Kenya and Tanzania each moving more than 13 tonnes of ivory. Tanzania's role in moving large quantities of ivory through Malaysia has been documented since at least 2003, while the other two became more prominent since 2010. From all the seizures involving Malaysia as a transit or destination country, 16 437 kg of ivory from 13 seizures occurred in 2013 alone-the highest annual record over the 12-year period. Seven of these 13 seizures took place in the month of October, amounting to more than 8000 kg of ivory. At least 23 rhino horns were also trafficked along with the ivory between August 2010 and December 2013, with 15 horns seized in a single shipment from Uganda. In two of these shipments involving 20 rhino horns from Kenya and Uganda, Malaysia was listed as the country of destination. Outside this study period, between April 2015 and August 2015, four other seizures by Australia, Kenya, Thailand and Viet Nam have been reported. These involved more than 5 tonnes of ivory that had either passed through Malaysia or listed Malaysia as the country of destination. Such occurrences serve to reinforce that Malaysian ports continue to be used to move large quantities of ivory, and more concerning, appears to becoming more frequent at a time when the poaching of African Elephants is at its most critical level. Not a single arrest or prosecution occurred with respect to any Malaysian ivory seizure during the assessed period. However two prosecutions occurred in 2015, outside the assessed period. Malaysia's geographical proximity to the world's major ivory consumers-China and Thailand - and its efficient and well-developed port infrastructure, which ranks amongst the world's most elite ports, are important factors behind the country being used to smuggle ivory repeatedly. Although the sheer quantity, volume and speed of cargo moving through Malaysia's major seaports involving tens of millions of containers each year makes the detection of illicit ivory shipments extremely challenging, it is not an insurmountable task. Collaborative action, including risk profiling and targeting, as well as timely communication between source and consumer countries have already resulted in a number of successful seizures globally, and indeed forms part of Malaysia's National Ivory Action Plan that was submitted to CITES pursuant to the recommendations of the CITES Standing Committee. Such measures must continue, conducted in tandem with other essential actions, without which Malaysia will continue to be a prominent player in the illegal ivory trade. Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2016. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27231847/1473276463457/Malaysia-ivory-analysis.pdf?token=qaFgzHXTokA8FTKZWmPcJE3QWpI%3D Year: 2016 Country: Malaysia URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27231847/1473276463457/Malaysia-ivory-analysis.pdf?token=qaFgzHXTokA8FTKZWmPcJE3QWpI%3D Shelf Number: 145620 Keywords: ElephantsIllegal IvoryIllegal TradeIllicit IvoryIvoryWildlife Crime |