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Results for pangolins

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Author: Heinrich, Sarah

Title: The Global Trafficking of Pangolins: A comprehensive summary of seizures and trafficking routes from 2010-2015

Summary: Pangolins are currently the most heavily trafficked wild mammals in the world. Their meat is considered a delicacy, and has been attributed to have a medicinal/tonic value, their scales are used in traditional medicines, and pangolin skins are processed into leather products. All eight species are listed as threatened on The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. An estimated one million pangolins have been trafficked in the period 2000-2013, however, there is little understanding of the trafficking routes used to transport pangolins globally. In this report, the illegal pangolin trade from 2010-2015 was investigated, focusing on the global trade routes used to traffic pangolins and their derivatives. A total of 1270 seizure incidents were collated, which included at least 20 749 kg and an additional 7154 individual pangolin body parts, 55 251 kg and an additional 5613 individual pangolin scales, and 44 475 kg and an additional 46 760 individual whole pangolins. This excluded a total of 7.6% of all incidents where no quantitative information was available. A subset of these data (excluding domestic trade) was used to study international trafficking routes. An average of 33 countries and territories were involved in international pangolin trafficking per year. Notably, an average of 27 new trade routes were identified each year, highlighting that wildlife trafficking occurs through a highly mobile trade network with constantly shifting trade routes. The seizure incidents involved 67 countries and territories across six continents; demonstrating the global nature of pangolin trafficking, which is not limited to Asian and African range countries. China and the United States of America (US) were identified as the most common destinations for international pangolin trafficking during the six-year period. China was the main destination for large-quantity shipments of scales (here defined as shipments involving ≥1000 kg of scales) and whole animals (here defined as shipments involving ≥500 pangolins), while the US was the main destination for large-quantity shipments of body parts (here defined as shipments involving ≥100 body parts). Europe was identified as an important transit hub, mostly for African pangolins (and their parts and derivatives) being transported to Asia. Germany, France and Belgium were particularly prominent. An exception was the Netherlands, which was reported as a destination for large-quantity shipments of body parts and scales from China and Uganda respectively, as well as a common destination for shipments from China. However, most international trafficking of pangolins (and their parts and derivatives) occurred within Asia, both in terms of number of incidents and quantity. Of the top ten countries and territories involved in the most trafficking incidents, seven were in Asia, namely China, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Lao PDR, and Indonesia. The remaining three were the US, Nigeria, and Germany. Body parts (including a variety of raw derivatives or processed commodities, such as skins, trophies, leather products, and medicinals) were significantly more likely to be from an Asian pangolin species relative to other commodities in trade and species origins, but the transport mode for body part shipments was largely unreported. The analysis of large-quantity shipments indicated that 80% of the trade in body parts was from China and Viet Nam and destined almost exclusively for the US, with the exception of one case, where the Netherlands was the reported destination. Trafficking of scales was significantly more likely to be of African origin and to be transported by air, relative to other transport modes and origins. Analysis of large-quantity shipments involving scales indicated that 55% of these shipments were of African origin, namely from Cameroon, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. The number of large-quantity shipments of scales, as well as the weight of such shipments, increased significantly through time, as did the number of incidents involving African pangolin species. China was the main destination for the large-quantity shipments of scales, but other destinations for these shipments were Hong Kong SAR, the Netherlands, and Viet Nam. Whole animals were significantly more likely to be transported by land, relative to the other transport modes and commodities, and large-quantity shipments involving whole animals were exclusively traded within Asia. Of these large-quantity shipments, Indonesia and Malaysia were the most common origin countries, although Malaysia was also identified as an important destination and transit country. Other destinations for large-quantity shipments of whole pangolins included China, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC. Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2017. 49p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 25, 2018 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27779360/1513337200303/global-pangolin-assessment.pdf?token=QYTxsEfmbE42wuwYhxwmnr53YkY%3D

Year: 2017

Country: International

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27779360/1513337200303/global-pangolin-assessment.pdf?token=QYTxsEfmbE42wuwYhxwmnr53YkY%3D

Shelf Number: 148924

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Pangolins
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking