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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:34 pm
Time: 10:34 pm
Results for pangolin
2 results foundAuthor: Xu, Ling Title: An Overview of Pangolin Trade in China Summary: KEY points: t All Asian and African pangolin species are listed in CITES Appendix II, and a zero export quota for the international commercial trade of the four Asian pangolin species is in place; t China has regulated the use of pangolin scales. Since 2007, pangolin scales can only be used for clinical applications at designated hospitals and manufacturing of Chinese patented medicines. During the 2008-2015 period, the average annual legal consumption of pangolin scales in China was 26 600 kg; t In June/July 2016, 35% of animal medicine wholesalers, 62% of TCM retail shops, and 153 online advertisements were found to be illegally selling pangolin scales. Most illegal pangolin scales sold at markets in China were from Southeast Asian countries, followed by African countries; t Between 2007 and 2016, there were 209 pangolin seizures in China; 2405 live pangolins, 11 419 dead pangolins and 34 946 kg of scales were seized. Amongst these, Malaysia, Indonesia and Viet Nam were major source countries for whole pangolins; while main sources for smuggled pangolin scales were Nigeria, Cameroon and Myanmar. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC, 2016. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: TRAFFIC Briefing: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27254615/1474377211627/Pangolin-trade-in-China-briefing-paper.pdf?token=2e3bmKXfZdrTcqkTP83Tf78OAXM%3D Year: 2016 Country: China URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27254615/1474377211627/Pangolin-trade-in-China-briefing-paper.pdf?token=2e3bmKXfZdrTcqkTP83Tf78OAXM%3D Shelf Number: 146125 Keywords: Endangered SpeciesIllegal Wildlife TradePangolinWildlife CrimeWildlife Trade |
Author: Gomez, Lalita Title: Observations of the illegal pangolin trade in Lao PDR Summary: Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammal in the world. All eight extant pangolin species are currently listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), prohibiting any uncertified international trade. In addition, a zero quota for CITES exports of all four Asian species was established in 2000. Despite these measures, pangolins continue to be threatened by increasing levels of illegal wildlife trade. Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is known to play an important role in the international wildlife trade and is a range country for two pangolin species, Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica, and Chinese Pangolin M. pentadacytla. Its wildlife laws currently fail to protect non-native pangolin species and do not meet the requirements for the effective implementation of CITES. In addition to having weak legislation, Lao PDR is strategically located next to China, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam and forms an important transit hub for these countries, which all have an active wildlife trade profile for aspects of supply, transit and end-use demand. This report explores Lao PDR's role in the illegal pangolin trade and discusses the findings of two market surveys, conducted in several locations as well as the outcomes of an analysis of pangolin seizures that involved Lao PDR as either an origin, transit, seizure or destination country between 2010 and 2015. Opportunistic market surveys were conducted between April 2016 and July 2016 within seven cities in the northern regions of Lao PDR. An estimated total of 2734 pangolin scales were found in 13 shops at these different locations. The largest quantity of scales was observed in Luang Prabang, with an estimated 1200 scales found in two shops. Prices for pangolin scales ranged from USD1/ (small) piece to USD1/gram, with large scales sometimes weighing as much as 20 grams. Lao PDR's pangolin trade appeared to be mainly focused on a Chinese clientele in the areas surveyed. Shop owners and employees were predominantly of Chinese ethnicity and prices were often given in Chinese Yuan (CNY). In Luang Prabang and Vientiane, pangolin products were mostly found in popular tourist spots, alongside other illegal wildlife products such as elephant ivory and rhino horn. Forty-three reported pangolin seizures involving Lao PDR were recorded between 2010 and 2015, involving an estimated 5678 pangolins. Most of these seizures involved shipments being smuggled into the country from Thailand and out to China and/or Viet Nam. In five incidents shipments were confirmed to originate from Africa, confirming the increasing occurrence of African-sourced pangolin trade which complements and substitutes supply from the four declining Asian species. The large discrepancy between observed local trade and the seizure records confirms Lao PDR's role as a transit country in the international pangolin trade. Improved control of Lao PDR's pangolin trade will be an essential step in reducing the global pangolin trade. In order to achieve this, TRAFFIC recommends the following: CITES and national legislation - Proposals to list all eight pangolin species in Appendix I of CITES should be supported at CoP17 (i.e. Proposals 8 and 12) as this places an overall higher degree of international protection, and will enhance efforts to safeguard pangolins and support regulatory control mechanisms by non-range States. - National legislation requires urgent improvement to enable effective law enforcement, which is currently ineffectual due to weaknesses in the law that prevent arrests, prosecutions and convictions. Currently considered a Category 3 country by the CITES National Legislation Project, meaning that its "legislation (...) is believed generally not to meet the requirements for the implementation of CITES", Lao PDR needs to amend its national wildlife laws to incorporate CITES implementing legislation, including legislation protecting all species of pangolins not native to the country and providing for stricter deterrents / penalties for serious wildliferelated offences, especially when perpetrated through organized groups, transnationally and repetitively. Law Enforcement - Law enforcement capacity should be enhanced to improve proactive investigation into international wildlife crime in general and the pangolin trade in particular. Multi-agency collaboration, both at national and international levels, should be enhanced to tackle the international and organized criminal networks involved in smuggling pangolins across Lao PDR's borders. This should include members of Lao PDR Wildlife Enforcement Network (WEN), notably the environmental police, Customs, the Department of Forest Inspections (DOFI), prosecutors and judges, to investigate mid-high profile cases that involve organized and transboundary activities. - Increased surveillance of trade in Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and in the other trade "hotspots" identified in this report is also needed. - Increased prosecution rates including more severe penalties should be realized in order to deter potential wildlife criminals. - Lao PDR should aim to improve its reporting to the CITES Secretariat as per the new annual illegal trade reporting requirements i.e. CITES Notification 007 that was issued in February 2016. Seizure reports, including comprehensive accounts of actions and outcomes, specifics of seizure and prosecution details are imperative to the analysis of the country's wildlife trade levels and trends, and, eventually, a better understanding of the international illegal wildlife trade. - Better co-operation and co-ordination between the Customs agencies of Lao PDR and Thailand is required in order to increase detection rates along the Lao-Thai border (which has proven to be a crucial transit point in the international pangolin trade). - Better co-operation and co-ordination is also needed between Lao PDR and China and Viet Nam, which should include extra vigilance concerning exports from Lao PDR to these two countries. - In the case of Chinese citizens caught smuggling wildlife products from Lao PDR into China, or involved in illegal purchase, sale or transport of protected species in Lao PDR, moving seizures and apprehension of suspects to prosecution (in both Lao PDR and China) would help increase deterrents to illegal wildlife trade. Future Research - Continued research into Lao PDR's role in the international illegal wildlife trade in general, and the pangolin trade in particular, is needed in order to obtain a current and improved understanding of the trade levels and dynamics in this crucial transit hub. Such research should include seizure analyses and market monitoring, especially in SEZs. - Beyond Lao PDR, additional research into the global pangolin trade will help guide law enforcement efforts, with the goal of improving the effectiveness of interventions. Such research should include: 1) continued research into the Asian pangolin trade, including seizure and trade route analyses, and drivers of demand; 2) increased research into the trade of African pangolin species to Asia, including seizure and trade route analyses, and drivers of demand. Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2016. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27258781/1474607479773/Pangolin-trade-Lao-PDR.pdf?token=Q0LsZOB5mA8Ov0Pk57W25nPfOSk%3D Year: 2016 Country: Asia URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27258781/1474607479773/Pangolin-trade-Lao-PDR.pdf?token=Q0LsZOB5mA8Ov0Pk57W25nPfOSk%3D Shelf Number: 147817 Keywords: Endangered SpeciesIllegal Wildlife Trade Pangolin Wildlife Crime Wildlife Trade |