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Whither Wildlife?

2013-06-10

Regional Transformation Requires a Consistent Strategy on Commerce in Wild Plants and Animals

Opinion piece by Dr. William Schaedla, Regional Director, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

With Naypyidaw hosting the World Economic Forum (5-7 June) and poised to assume leadership of ASEAN next year, a seismic shift is underway in Southeast Asia. Myanmar's recent bold economic and political reforms have sent ripples through the region's entire investment and development landscape. Their magnitude is apparent in the interest they have attracted from foreign corporate, civil society, and diplomatic actors.

Capitalizing on international attention will be critically important as Myanmar goes on to preside over economic integration between ASEAN's ten member economies in 2015. The World Economic Forum, its varied participants, and the broad range of topics covered, provide a sampling of things to come when the ASEAN Economic Community comes into force. Environmental issues are on the agenda. They enter under the impacts of climate change, maintenance of food security and plans for greening infrastructure development. Wildlife trade, however, is less prominent. It is there in the margins and in relation to other topics, but occupies no prima facie status in the discussions. The omission could cost ASEAN's member states dearly.

The Price of Wildlife Trade

'Wildlife', defined broadly includes all non-domestic plants and animals. Collectively, the trade in these species is enormous. It provides foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, building materials, clothing, cultural and religious items, work animals and even pets. According to data published by the United Nations, the combined global value of such products in 2008 carried an approximate annual value of USD 324 billion. Southeast Asian trade in these products is correspondingly immense, even if it is somewhat harder to pin down in terms of absolute value. One published assessment indicates that between 1998 and 2007, the region exported over 35 million animals. Notably, this calculation did not include fish, timber or other plant products.

Countries like Myanmar and her ASEAN neighbors frequently find themselves at the supplying end of wildlife trade chains because they still hold substantial wilderness within their borders. Southeast Asia is one of the most biologically rich regions on the planet; its regional flora and fauna are often endemic to specific sites. Because the wildlife occurs in specific limited settings, it tends to be valuable in trade. Because the settings are often remote, they tend to be loosely governed and vulnerable to exploitation. The situation is daunting, but ASEAN governments stand to lose much if it is not addressed. Badly controlled wildlife trade deprives them of direct revenue from sales of state managed natural resources. It also circumvents indirect revenue from taxes on private sector imports and exports. Beyond this, it deprives communities and destabilizes governments locally. In 2005, it was estimated that over a quarter of the people in Southeast Asia depended on wild plants and animals. Poor local people are frequently unable to afford or access commercial alternatives. Losses of wildlife consequently stand to erode vital coping and survival mechanisms for a large part of Southeast Asia's human population.

Finally, in cases where regulations are in place but enforcement is lacking, illegal wildlife trade has been linked to other crimes like money laundering. Globally and within Asia, there is also evidence that insurgent groups support their activities via sales of contraband that includes wildlife. Illicit wildlife trade engenders an erosion of state authority and contributes to a culture of corruption.

Change for the Worse

Wildlife trade is also driving species to extinction. Tigers are all but gone from their former habitats across Asia and, with only 3000 left outside of captivity, are at serious risk of being lost forever from the wild. Two of three Asian rhinoceros species are even closer to disappearing. Sumatran Rhinos once inhabited rainforests, swamps and cloud forests across Asia. Today they are critically endangered, with fewer than 275 remaining in Malaysia and Indonesia. Similarly, Javan Rhinos were once the most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses, but are now among the rarest animals anywhere in the world. A mere 40-50 remain on a tiny peninsula in Indonesia.

Tiger parts and rhinoceros horn are arguably the best-known illegally traded wildlife products, but many other species have fallen into drastic decline as a result of their high black-market commercial values. 'Silent' or empty forests prevail across Asia as a result; the trees remain standing, but animals are gone. The danger in this is one of cascading effects. Plants depend on animals to fertilize and disburse themselves. Losing a bat that pollinates flowers, or a bird that scatters seeds also puts an end to forest regrowth. With no new trees to replace old dying ones, forests contract over time. Subsequently services they supply are also likely to be lost. Climate moderating effects, watershed maintenance, and erosion prevention are just a few of benefits people derive from healthy forests.

Foreign Relations

Forests and wildlife are not constrained by national boundaries; losses in one country are likely to be felt by its neighbors. Poachers move across ASEAN's porous borders with impunity. They exploit wildlife without regard for national sovereignty and ship the contraband globally. Consequently, the United Nations has recognized wildlife trafficking as serious transnational crime.

This problem was recently highlighted in Southeast Asia. In March of this year, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) met for the 16th time in Bangkok. At that meeting, Thailand came under scrutiny for failing to properly regulate its national ivory trade. Loopholes in the country's laws currently fail to prevent illegally imported foreign ivory from being passed off as a legal domestic product. Vietnam was also notified that rhino horn smuggling is increasing across its borders. These are issues of serious international importance. African countries being robbed of their elephants and rhinos spend millions of dollars annually on protection efforts. Even so, they are losing because poaching funds insurgencies and park authorities are often woefully outgunned. Clashes with heavily armed militant groups cost dozens of rangers their lives each year.

To their credit, both Thailand and Viet Nam are taking strong measures to address the crisis. Thailand's Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, announced plans at CITES to ban all ivory sales in the country, while senior authorities in Viet Nam are engaged with South African counterparts on cooperative law enforcement.

Other countries should be mindful that Thailand and Viet Nam are far from unique. All Southeast Asian nations presently face profound unresolved issues with wildlife trade, and all are likely to face increasing international scrutiny as the ASEAN Economic Community becomes a reality. Under common border economic integration, any imbalances in enforcement or inconsistencies in national laws will surely see wildlife criminals moving to exploit the weakest nations in the bloc. The European Union addressed this potentiality when it was formed by implementing a common CITES framework that encompasses all of its member states. ASEAN has yet to adopt a similarly consistent approach to wildlife laws and enforcement. Myanmar has an opportunity to make such a legacy part of the reforms it brings to the region. Where better to start such a discussion than at the present World Economic Forum?

Dr. William Schaedla is the Regional Director for TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring arm of WWF and IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. He has worked on environmental issues in Southeast Asia for over two decades.

African leaders warn of economic and security dangers from wildlife crime

2013-06-07

Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba and African Development Bank President Dr Donald Kaberuka, who are vocal proponents for increased measures to tackle transnational criminal activities like wildlife trafficking, have voiced their concerns that record poaching and illicit trade of wildlife products is a major threat to security and sustainable economic development in Africa.

WWF Director General Jim Leape joined the African leaders for a panel discussion on the topic during the African Development Bank's annual meetings the last week of May in Marrakech, Morroco. There the bank and WWF unveiled The Marrakech Declaration, an action plan aimed at tacking wildlife crime, which is plaguing Africa's elephants and rhinos.

In his opening address to government officials from Africa and beyond at the Marrakech meeting. Kaberuka cautioned that organized crime is taking advantage of weak institutions and countries with limited defensive capabilities.

Illicit trafficking of animal products like ivory and rhino horn "is not simply a matter of wildlife conservation," Kaberuka told the audience. "It is our ecosystems which are at risk; it is the economies of countries which are heavily dependent on tourism which will suffer. It is the financing of criminal activities which is the issue; it is the livelihoods of entire communities which are at stake," he said.

"I am convinced that this is not simply an environmental issue, even though the damage to natural capital alone is enough to justify decisive action by governments," Bongo Ondimba said. "More and more of the profits are used to finance civil conflicts and terrorist-related activities. Furthermore, illicit wildlife trafficking is often linked to other forms of illegal trafficking and to money laundering. Over and over again, all across Africa, we have seen poachers move into peaceful regions blessed with rich natural assets, initiating a spiral of criminality and suffering that ends in civil war."

"Today wildlife crime has become a serious threat to the sovereignty and the stability of some of our countries," Bongo Ondimba continued. "Furthermore, illicit wildlife trafficking represents a risk to global health, spreading diseases both to humans and livestock; it destroys the natural assets that so many of our rural citizens depend upon in times of difficulty; and it deters investment, hindering growth of entire nations."

The Marrakech Declaration proposes ten critical actions that can be undertaken by governments to help curb the illicit trade. Suggested actions range from increased law enforcement and stronger penalties to enhanced cooperation between countries and intergovernmental institutions. Interpol, the World Customs Organization, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species have each offered their support for the actions set out in the plan.

Also highlighted by the declaration is the important role of reducing demand for illegal African wildlife products. "In the long term, illicit wildlife trafficking can only be effectively tackled if we reduce the demand for illicit wildlife products. Therefore, we stress the need for government-led, well-researched campaigns aimed at reducing demand, using targeted strategies to influence consumer behaviour," it says.

Encouraging his fellow African leaders to act, Bongo Ondimba concluded: "Africa is about our rainforests. Our trees. Our animals. It is not about oil and mines. We don't have Eiffel Towers, Statues of Liberty. We have our elephants, our rhinos, our whales. We will have that 1,000 years from now, if we start doing the right thing today."

African Development Bank and WWF call for urgent action to combat wildlife crime

2013-05-30

Marrakech, Morocco: The African Development Bank (AfDB) and WWF will launch today a joint global call for action and commitment from governments and other institutions to combat the rampant illicit wildlife trafficking scourge that is robbing Africa of precious natural resources and posing a major threat to stability and economies across the continent.

Speaking alongside President Ali Bongo of Gabon during the Bank's annual meetings at an event to outline the implications of wildlife trafficking to Africa's development, AfDB President Donald Kaberuka and WWF International Director General Jim Leape will call for commitment at the highest level.

During the event the African Development Bank will launch the Marrakech Declaration (also available in French) highlighting the out-of-control nature of illicit wildlife trafficking and urging "countries and their citizens to act urgently to fight illicit wildlife trafficking in Africa and across the globe".

"Wildlife crime is a serious crime, and it is not just the rhinos and elephants that are in danger – there are grave implications also for national security, the rule of law and the wellbeing of communities across Africa. Action is needed now at the highest levels if we are to bring this crisis under control," said Jim Leape.

"Illicit wildlife trafficking is a wrong that we must relentlessly resist – our people, our natural resources and our very economic development are at risk," said Donald Kaberuka, AfDB President. "I call on leaders across Africa and beyond to invest in our region's future by doing all they can to strengthen law enforcement and criminal justice for these crimes."

Wildlife crime also featured in a United Nations Security Council gathering yesterday in New York where UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released a report on illicit wildlife trafficking being a serious crime needing urgent attention.

The AfDB annual meetings run until Friday 31st May in Marrakech, Morocco, under the theme of "Africa's structural transformation". The AfDB-WWF side event on illicit wildlife trafficking takes place on Thursday 30th May at 19.00-20.30 local time.

UN chief takes poaching concerns to Security Council

2013-05-29

The United Nations Security Council today will be briefed on the severe and escalating threat to peace and security posed by Central Africa's heavily-armed elephant poaching gangs.

In a report to the world's highest international security body, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, "Poaching and its potential linkages to other criminal, even terrorist, activities constitute a grave menace to sustainable peace and security in Central Africa."

The Secretary-General's report highlights increasing links between elephant poaching, weapons proliferation and regional insecurity. "Illegal ivory trade may currently constitute an important source of funding for armed groups," the report says. "Also of concern is that poachers are using more and more sophisticated and powerful weapons, some of which, it is believed, might be originating from the fallout in Libya."

"The spread of cross-border poaching in Central Africa and its links to sophisticated armed groups is alarming. We have seen the devastating impact of this crime in too many countries," said WWF International Director General Jim Leape. "I echo Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's deep concern for the security of the region."

Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa and on the Lord's Resistance Army-affected areas was made available in advance of a dedicated Security Council session to be held at UN headquarters in New York this morning.

The report references a steep decline in Central African elephant populations over the past decade and observes that multiple mass slaughters of the animals have been reported in protected areas in recent months. Poachers seeking ivory are believed to be responsible for elephant massacres in Chad, Cameroon, Gabon and Central African Republic.

"The situation has become so serious," Ban writes, that national military responses have become necessary "to hunt down poachers". The Secretary-General urges Central African governments to respond to the major national and regional security concerns posed by poaching through "concerted and coordinated action."

Leape said: "To ensure peace, security and prosperity in Central Africa, efforts must be taken at the highest level to combat wildlife trafficking. I urge the governments of Central Africa to strengthen enforcement and criminal justice responses to wildlife crime and to address the linkages between it and other international crimes."

The WWF Director General tomorrow will join Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba and African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka to examine the threat of illicit wildlife trafficking to sustainable economic development in Africa. The discussion will take place as part of the African Development Bank's annual meetings in Marrakech, Morocco and is expected to be attended by government and institutional officials from across the continent.

African Development Bank meeting to explore wildlife crime impacts and solutions

2013-05-25

During its annual meetings next week, the African Development Bank will host a panel discussion on the threat posed by illicit wildlife trafficking to sustainable economic development in the continent.

Bank President Donald Kaberuka, Gabon President Ali Bongo and WWF International Director General Jim Leape will discuss the wide-reaching impacts of illegal wildlife trade, which has evolved recently into a sophisticated transnational criminal activity worth billions of dollars each year.

The event is scheduled to take place at the Marrakesh gathering on Thursday, 30 May, 2013 at 7:00 PM. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore with panelists actions including increased law enforcement, greater customs controls, and strengthened criminal justice.

Africa's elephants and rhinos are under record assault in formerly secure protected areas, which are vital to many countries' economies. Demand for ivory and rhino horn has increased significantly over the past few years in step with the growth of economies of Asia, which is the primary consumer destination for the illegal products.

Read an Al Jazeera op-ed by WWF International Director General Jim Leape and African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka.

Learn more about illicit wildlife trafficking by clicking here.

งานประชุมในพระราชูปภัมป์เพื่อรับมือกับการลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่า

2013-05-21

ลอนดอน – วันนี้ (21 พฤษภาคม) สมเด็จเจ้าฟ้าชายชาร์ลส์ มกุฏราชกุมารแห่งราชวงศ์อังกฤษทรงเป็นเจ้าภาพการประชุม พร้อมด้วยคณะรัฐบาลสหราชอาณาจักร เพื่อเรียกร้องให้มีมาตรการขั้นสูงสุด เพื่อหยุดยั้งการลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่า ซึ่งเป็นการค้าที่ไม่เพียงส่งผลคุกคามต่อธรรมชาติเท่านั้น แต่ยังส่งผลต่อความมั่นคงของประเทศ และของภูมิภาคอีกด้วย ซึ่ง WWF ขอน้อมรับโครงการริเริ่มที่มีเป้าหมายเพื่อตอกย้ำประเด็นนี้ในประเด็นการเมืองระหว่างประเทศ ด้วยความยินดี ในฐานะที่สมเด็จเจ้าฟ้าชายชาร์ลส์ ทรงเป็นประธานWWF-UK ทรงแสดงออกถึงความสนใจด้านการอนุรักษ์ที่สอดคล้องกันในหลายๆด้าน ซึ่งรวมไปถึงความปราถนาของพระองค์ ให้ยุติการลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่า

เดวิด นุสบาม หัวหน้าคณะบริหารWWF-UK กล่าวถึงงานในครั้งนี้ว่า
"การลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่าสุ่มเสี่ยงจะทำให้ความพยายามในการอนุรักษ์ที่ทำกันมาหลายทศวรรษต้องล้มเหลว และทำให้สัตว์สายพันธุ์ที่เป็นสัญลักษณ์และมีความสำคัญทางนิเวศน์ เสี่ยงจะสูญพันธุ์ การค้ามูลค่าหลายพันล้านปอนด์นี้ ยังเป็นตัวกระตุ้นอาชญากรรมในรูปแบบอื่น และส่งผลกระทบเลวร้ายต่อประชาชนบางกลุ่มที่ยากจนที่สุดในโลก

"การลักลอบล่าและค้าสัตว์ป่าเพิ่มสูงเป็นประวัติการณ์ เราหวังว่าการประชุมในครั้งนี้ จะเป็นจุดเริ่มต้นของโครงการริเริ่มสำคัญ เพื่อต่อสู้กับการค้าแห่งหายนะและความตายนี้"

เมื่อปีที่แล้ว มีแรด 668 ตัว ถูกสังหารในแอฟริกาใต้ ซึ่งมากเป็นประวัติการณ์ และนับตั้งแต่ปี 2556 เป็นต้นมา มีแรดตายไปเกือบ 300 ตัวแล้ว และเมื่อต้นเดือนนี้ มีช้างอย่างน้อย 26 ตัว ถูกสังหารหมู่ในพื้นที่ป่ามรดกโลก ในสาธารณรัฐแอฟริกากลาง หลังมีกลุ่มลักลอบล่าสัตว์ติดอาวุธปืนไรเฟิลคาลาชนิคอฟ เข้าไปในดาซังกา ไบ เขตอาศัยพิเศษของช้างซึ่งคนท้องถิ่นทราบกันว่าเป็น "หมู่บ้านช้าง"

การประชุมครั้งนี้ จะมีการวางกรอบการทำงานสำหรับการประชุมในระดับผู้นำรัฐที่จะมีขึ้นในช่วงฤดูใบไม้ร่วง ที่รัฐบาลสหราชอาณาจักรจะเป็นเจ้าภาพ ท่ามกลางความหวังว่ารัฐบาลประเทศต่างๆ ที่เข้าร่วมการประชุมในช่วงฤดูใบไม้ร่วง จะมีมาตรการที่จะช่วยลดความต้องการสัตว์ที่ใกล้จะสูญพันธุ์ และผลิตภัณฑ์ที่เกี่ยวข้อง, ปรับปรุงการบังคับใช้กฏหมายและความยุติธรรมทางอาญาในระดับโลก ต่อเครือข่ายองค์กรที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการลอบค้าสัตว์ป่า ไปจนถึงการให้ความช่วยเหลือชุมชนห่างไกลในการการหาทางเลือกเพื่อเลี้ยงชีพในระยะยาว แทนการค้าสัตว์ป่า โอเวน ปีเตอร์สัน รัฐมนตรีสิ่งแวดล้อมกล่าว

"เป็นการง่ายเกินไปที่จะคิดว่า การสูญพันธุ์ของสัตว์นั้นเป็นเรื่องที่ผ่านไปแล้ว ทั้งที่มันเป็นปัญหาสำคัญในทุกวันนี้ นี่เป็นเหตุผลที่ทำให้ผมรู้สึกยินดีเป็นอย่างยิ่ง ที่ได้รับพระกรุณาธิคุณจากเจ้าชายแห่งเวลส์ให้เป็นประธานร่วมในการประชุมว่าด้วยการลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่านี่เป็นโอกาสดียิ่งที่จะหยิบยกปัญหานี้สู่ระดับสูงสุดระหว่างประเทศการร่วมมือกันจะช่วยทำให้เราลดความต้องการทั่วโลกที่มีต่อสัตว์ป่าที่ใกล้สูญพันธุ์และผลิตภัณฑ์ที่เกี่ยวข้อง และช่วยเหลือชุมชนต่างๆหาทางเลือกทางรอดอื่น แทนการค้าสัตว์ป่า"
ระหว่างเตรียมการประชุม WWF พร้อมด้วยพันธมิตรอื่นๆ ได้ร่วมทำงานกับหน่วยงานความยั่งยืนระหว่างประเทศของสมเด็จเจ้าฟ้าชายชาร์ลส์ และกรมสิ่งแวดล้อม อาหารและชนบท หรือ Defra เพื่อแบ่งปันความรู้ ความเชี่ยวชาญด้านการลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่าหายาก และความเป็นไปได้ในการแก้ไขวิกฤตอาชญากรรมต่อสัตว์ป่าระดับโลกในปัจจุบัน

ในช่วงฤดูร้อนปี 2555 WWF และ TRAFFIC เปิดตัวแคมเปญการลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่าระดับโลก เพื่อยกระดับปัญหาการลักลอบค้าสัตว์ป่าให้เป็นอาชญากรรมขั้นร้ายแรง และเพื่อกระตุ้นรัฐบาลและสถาบันระหว่างประเทศอื่นๆ ให้แก้ไขปัญหานี้ เป็นต้น

สามารถหาข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมได้ที่wwf.org.uk/endwildlifecrime ส่วนแฮทช์แท็กทวิตเตอร์อย่างเป็นทางการของงานที่จะมีขึ้นในวันที่ 21 พฤษภาคม 2556 คือ#endwildlifecrime

WWF campaigner co-authors wildlife crime editorial

2013-05-20

WWF campaigner Wendy Elliott co-authored an editorial entitled Wildlife crime poses unique challenges to protected areas for the IUCN journal PARKS.

This summary was filed by WWF volunteer Shirley Muthu

Wildlife crime is now a multi-billion dollar industry involving well organized and violent criminal syndicates that target the most valuable wildlife species in protected areas around the world. It is the fifth largest international criminal activity after narcotics, counterfeiting, and illicit trafficking of humans and oil. Problems are escalating fast, in terms of both the scale of poaching and the sophistication of the methods used.

Protected areas are the most significant remaining habitats for the most valuable species of wildlife and are now under threat of delivering effective conservation. There is an urgent need for long-term changes in the management of such areas with more emphasis on patrolling and law enforcement, supported by a strengthening of the judiciary system. Increased efforts to address corruption and improve enforcement along the rest of the trade chain coupled with strategies to reduce consumer demand, are also paramount.

The professionalization of wildlife crime

Subsistence poaching has been overtaken by commercial theft of valuable wildlife products such as ivory and rhino horn to supply the huge markets in Asia. Poaching gangs are better equipped, heavily armed and technologically astute. Protected area managers, rangers and their families face the threat of intimidation, attack and death by ruthless poachers who exploit inadequate patrolling and weak law enforcement. The amount of money involved has made the trade increasingly sophisticated, more violent and more susceptible to corruption, even from professionals within the system. Government concern is mounting over the implications for security, sustainable development and natural resources, and the impact on global health of unregulated movement of animal parts.

Implications for protected area management

The rising criminality associated with wildlife trading jeopardizes a consensus approach to management that works only when there is a broad agreement on values and aims, and where the system is closed to outsiders and free of violations to the agreements. Enforcement needs to be elevated much higher up on the list of management priorities towards performance based accountability. It is critical that adaptive tactical patrolling techniques are implemented with strong law enforcement monitoring systems that are location-specific and supplemented by informant networks. Sophisticated technology such as unmanned aerial patrol vehicles to facilitate patrolling and DNA profiling to track origin of traded animals, coupled with methodologies used to combat other serious crimes, need to be employed.

International responses

There are signs that the global community is now recognizing the scale of the threat facing wildlife and its implications for human society. Formation of the International Consortium for Combating Wildlife Crime and the increasing engagement of non-environmental forums mark a new determination to bring the full array of enforcement measures against illicit trafficking. Governments are starting to be held accountable for wildlife crime and, most critically, high level politicians are increasingly acknowledging it as serious even though comprehensive action plans have yet to be addressed. On a practical level, penalties for wildlife trafficking are improving and on-ground responses to large scale poaching threats have increased significantly in some areas.

To date, the unique role of protected areas has received less attention. Urgent steps are needed to bring protected area agencies more centrally into strategic discussions concerning trade control; without their support – and without greater support from them in turn – these efforts are likely to be wasted.

At least 26 elephants massacred in World Heritage site

2013-05-10

Yaoundé, Cameroon - At least 26 elephants were massacred in the Dzanga Bai World Heritage Site in the Central African Republic, after 17 individuals armed with Kalashnikov rifles on Monday entered this unique elephant habitat, known locally as the "village of elephants".

WWF sources on Thursday said they had counted at least 26 elephant carcasses in and around the Bai, a large clearing where between 50 and 200 elephants congregate every day to drink nutrients present in the sands.

Four of the elephants were calves, the sources said, adding that local villagers had started taking meat from the carcasses.

Since the poachers arrived no elephants have been seen at the Bai, which was described as an "elephant mortuary" the sources added.

Although the 17 armed individuals, who presented themselves as part of the country's transitional government forces, have left the area, WWF and other conservation partners fear the killing could continue unless the area is properly secured.

The Central African Republic has been rocked by violence and chaos since the beginning of the year, and WWF and other conservation organizations left the field office next to the Bai in April for security reasons.

Jim Leape, WWF International Director General, said: "The killing has started. The Central African Republic must act immediately to secure this unique World Heritage site.

"The brutal violence we are witnessing in Dzanga Bai threatens to destroy one of the world's great natural treasures, and to jeopardise the future of the people who live there.

"The international community must also act to assist the Central African Republic to restore peace and order in this country to safeguard its population and its natural heritage.

"WWF also asks Cameroon and the Republic of Congo to assist the Central African Republic in preserving this World Heritage Site, which not only encompasses the Bai, but also includes large neighbouring areas of these two countries.

"The events in Dzanga Bai are a vivid reminder of the existential threat faced by forest elephants in Central Africa. Populations of this species have plummeted 62 per cent over the past ten years.

"The unfolding tragedy in Dzanga Bai must also spur the governments of China and Thailand to shut down the illegal ivory markets in their countries that are fueling this illicit trade."

Alert: Poachers enter unique elephant habitat

2013-05-07

Poachers have entered one of Africa's most unique elephant habitats on Monday, threatening to cause one of the biggest elephant massacres in the region since poachers killed at least 300 elephants for their ivory in Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida National Park in February 2012.

According to WWF sources, a group of 17 armed individuals on Monday entered the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and headed for the Dzanga Bai, locally known as the "village of elephants", a large clearing where between 50 and 200 elephants congregate every day to drink mineral salts present in the sands.

Two WWF-supported local researchers said that three members of this group armed with Kalashnikov rifles approached them in the forest on Monday, asking for food and directions to the viewing tower at the Dzanga Bai, which is used by scientists and tourists to observe elephants. After giving a false lead, these sources immediately ran away and heard gunshots coming from the Bai on their way into hiding.

Also on Monday, two ecoguards said they saw they saw armed individuals on the Dzanga Bai observation platform shooting in the direction of elephants. While going into hiding, these sources said they saw the vehicle which had transported the 17 gunmen parked at the entrance of the park.

WWF calls on the international community to help restore peace and order in the Central African Republic, which has been rocked by violence and chaos since the beginning of the year, and to help preserve this unique World Heritage Site.

Jim Leape, WWF International Director General, said:

"Unless swift and decisive action is taken, it appears highly likely that poachers will take advantage of the chaos and instability of the country to slaughter the elephants living in this unique World Heritage Site.

"Wildlife crime is not only a consequence of instability, but a cause. It fuels violence in the region, in a vicious circle that undermines the stability of these countries and their economic development..

"Central African Republic has to immediately follow through on its promise of two weeks ago to mobilise troops to end poaching in the region. WWF also calls on the international community to immediately provide assistance to Central African Republic in restoring peace and order in the country, and to preserve its unique natural heritage.

"We also urge Cameroon and Republic of Congo to provide support to the Central African Republic in preserving this World Heritage Site, which not only encompasses the Bai, but also includes large neighbouring areas of these two countries.

"Finally, ivory consumer country governments, and notably China and Thailand, must redouble their efforts to end demand – the root cause of the extermination of elephants across Africa."

Twenty wildlife criminals arrested in Cameroon

2013-04-30

Yokadouma, South-East Cameroun

Cameroonian authorities arrested 20 suspected wildlife criminals and confiscated 45 guns during a ten-day operation that targeted elephant poachers in the southeast of the country. Thirty-nine forest rangers, backed by 25 soldiers of the country's rapid intervention battalion carried out the operation which lasted from April 15 to 26, 2013.

Of those arrested, two suspects caught with an AK47 will stand trial in a military tribunal. The local justice department formally charged 18 other suspects, seven of whom were remanded to custody while the remaining 11 were released on bail. During the operation, rangers also seized two ivory tusks, as well as gorilla, chimp and elephant meat.

Clashes

During the operations, a suspect, who threatened to fire at rangers, was shot in the leg. Another, who attempted to harm an eco-guard with a machete, was wounded in the left arm.

Djogo Toumouksala, East Regional Delegate for the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife for the east region of Cameroon, told WWF the objectives of the operation were largely attained.

"With the seizure of 45 arms, 337 ammunitions, 10 chainsaws and more than 3000 wire cables, we have inflicted a heavy blow on wildlife criminals," he said.

"Their ability to wreak havoc on elephants and other species has been curtailed."

"Though this region is rich in wildlife, it is constantly menaced by the proliferation of arms," Tomouksala added, promising more such operations in the future.

Arms circulation

The operation comes at the backdrop of armed conflict in neighboring Central African Republic. Conservationists fear a rise in the circulation of war arms in the southeast of Cameroon putting elephants and people in danger.

"If there is one lesson this operation has taught us, it is that poachers are well armed and do not hesitate to shoot at ecoguards," said Gilles Etoga, WWF Project Manager for Boumba-Bek and Nki National Parks, in the area where the operations were held.

"We do not have a full measure of the degree of wildlife carnage in southeast Cameroon – the forests here are some of the most inaccessible areas on earth outside of Antarctica."

"But our information leads us to believe that poaching is a serious – and constant – problem in the region."

Although precise numbers of surviving individuals are difficult to come by, elephant poaching began increasing dramatically in 2008 – tracking a worldwide increase in ivory prices. However, a recent study shows that poachers, who increasingly use automatic weapons such as AK47s, have decimated 62 percent of the Congo Basin's forest elephants in the past ten years.

Wildlife criminals need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law

Alain Ononino, who heads WWF's wildlife law enforcement program in Cameroon, urged local authorities to follow-up on these arrests by ensuring that those proven guilty will be punished for their crimes.

"This is an opportunity for Cameron to show the whole world and all those involved in elephant poaching and illegal wildlife trade that it is serious about stamping out this activity," he said.

"Under Cameroonian law, whoever is caught in possession of live or dead protected species – including its parts – is considered to have killed this animal and can thus be punished by up to three years in prison."

"Cameroon's judicial authorities should prosecute all these suspects to the full extent of the law," Ononino concluded.

UN recognizes severity of wildlife crimes

2013-04-26

Governments meeting to discuss responses to global crime waves are urging countries to impose strict penalties for the trafficking wildlife products like elephant ivory and rhino horn. Members of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Friday passed a resolution encouraging UN member states "to make illicit trafficking in wild fauna and flora a serious crime" and to ensure organized criminal groups are prosecuted.

Under UN rules, serious crimes should receive sentences of up to four years in prison or more. In many instances wildlife smugglers are released after paying fines significantly lower than the value of the illegal goods.

"Today the commissioners took a critical step forward by recognizing the serious, transnational and organized nature of wildlife and forest crime. These crimes are not only putting the survival of endangered species in peril, but are also threatening security and sustainable economic development," said Wendy Elliott, leader of WWF's campaign against wildlife crime. "We urge governments worldwide to use every tool available to combat these crimes, which are also taking human lives."

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN

During the crime commission meeting, governments identified links between the illegal trade in wildlife and timber products and other transnational organized crimes such as drug and arms running, human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism. The wildlife trafficking resolution was put forward by the United States and Peru.

Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, told journalists, "Wildlife and forest crimes must be treated as serious crimes with minimum punishments of four years or more so that full force of deterrence can be used against criminals. The harder task, however, will be to curb the demand."

The poaching of elephants and rhinos has reached record levels across Africa, but increased law enforcement effectiveness is also needed throughout the trade chain and in consumer countries like China, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Up to 30,000 elephants are killed each year for their ivory tusks. In poaching epicentre Central Africa, governments will meet next week to address the ongoing security crisis, which is exacerbated by the proliferation of heavily-armed poachers.

"We are seeing that the killing of wildlife is increasingly connected to horrific violence against the rangers and community-members standing between these criminals and their targets. It is long overdue for the punishments to fit the crimes in these cases," Elliott said.

Governments also agreed to a proposal from Norway to address crimes at sea that impact upon the environment, including fisheries crimes. Illegal fishing undermines efforts by governments and responsible fishers to sustainably manage fisheries. It also threatens livelihoods, food security and sustainable development, and costs the global economy US $23 billion annually.

Field reports indicate slaughter of elephants, conservation staff evacuated

2013-04-25

WWF and WCS have received alarming reports from their field operations that elephants are being slaughtered in the violence-ridden Central African Republic (CAR), where new powers in place struggle to gain control over the situation. The conservation organizations are issuing today a joint call for immediate action.

Due to the violence and chaos in the area, the exact number of elephants slaughtered is not known, however initial reports indicate it may be extensive. WWF has confirmed information that forest elephants are being poached near the Dzanga-Sangha protected areas, a World Heritage Site. Elephant meat is reportedly being openly sold in local markets and available in nearby villages. The security situation is preventing park staff from searching the dense forest for elephant carcasses.

The two organizations, WWF and WCS that have worked in CAR since the 1980s, are calling on the Central African Republic and its neighbors to immediately increase security in the region to protect the area's people and elephants. Governments are meeting next week at an extraordinary meeting to discuss ways to stop the poaching that has plagued the region. Up to 30,000 elephants are killed in Africa each year for their ivory tusks, which are in demand in Asia.

The following statements have been issued by WWF and WCS:

Jim Leape, WWF Director General said:

"The elephant poaching crisis – driven by insatiable ivory demand – is so severe that no area is safe, not even the World Heritage Site Dzanga-Sangha where both WWF and WCS have now worked for the conservation of elephants for decades. Heroic rangers are standing firm in the face of immense danger, but they alone cannot safeguard the special species and places the world treasures. When meeting next week, Central African governments must urgently join forces against this criminal activity that is also threatening the stability and economic development of their countries. I encourage them in the strongest terms to take a stand against wildlife crime and together declare that poaching and illicit trafficking will not be tolerated."

Cristian Samper, WCS President and CEO said:

"Together, WCS and WWF, are calling on the Central African Republic government to immediately increase security in the region to protect these elephants from poachers and is asking other regional governments to provide assistance to stop the killing. Our staffs have been forced to evacuate in the chaos. I recently visited CAR and saw first-hand that without a full-time conservation presence in the region, these elephants are in jeopardy from poachers. WCS and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to protect elephants across their range."

WWF has worked in Dzanga-Sangha for 30 years and supports protected area management, gorilla research, law enforcement and tourism development. WCS has been in the area for than 20 years, in charge of monitoring and research of the elephants of Dzanga Bai, a forest clearing containing a mineral-rich watering hole. In addition, WCS works immediately across the border in the Republic of Congo to protect the same population of elephants there where the government is working to ensure their additional security on that side of the border.

Orphaned rhino struggles to survive after mother killed

2013-04-05

An Indian rhino calf that lost its mother to poachers is clinging to life with the help of conservationists, according to WWF staff assisting with its care. The two week old male is in critical condition after its mother was gunned down by poachers Tuesday and her horn chopped off.

The shocking incident is the latest in a surge of poaching plaguing India's Assam province where 16 greater one-horned rhinos have been killed already this year.

A team of frontline staff from WWF, the government and partner organizations joined community members to search Manas National Park for the orphan after the carcass of its mother was discovered earlier this week. The group was determined to prevent the calf's death imminent from starvation, which would surely occur without the nourishment of its mother's milk.

The dehydrated and traumatized calf was located, captured and brought to a safe location for urgent veterinary care. Images of the confused newborn show it cowering in the corner of a store room where it is being held temporarily.

"It was a challenge getting hold of the calf as it was very scared but thankfully it is fine and doing well now," said WWF's Deba Dutta who was part of the rescue team.

However, the calf's survival is not assured. The animals are highly dependent on their mothers for the first few years of life. Work will soon begin on a special fenced enclosure, or boma, for the calf so that it can be raised by rehabilitation experts. It is possible, but challenging, to successfully reintroduce rhinos to the wild.

Rhinos across their Asian and African ranges are being decimated at record rates by poachers and criminal traffickers. Killing has surged in recent years just as rhino horn has become a prized commodity in Viet Nam where it is marketed as miracle cure for everything from cancer to hangovers. Viet Nam has done little to crackdown on the illegal trade or curb demand by dispelling such rumours, which have no medical basis.

Opportunistic criminals are now targeting rhinos reintroduced into India's Manas National Park by WWF and its Indian Rhino Vision 2020 partners. Four of the 18 rhinos moved there have been killed for their horns.

"In Manas National Park itself, monitoring, patrolling, intelligence and protection regimes need to be strengthened and implemented on ground in a time-bound, verifiable and accountable manner," said Dr. Dipankar Ghose, Director of WWF-India's Species and Landscapes Programme.

WWF strongly condemns the rhino killings and renews its call to source, transit and consumer countries to increase protection and law enforcement.

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Central Africa to mobilize up to 1,000 soldiers to save its elephants

2013-03-26

Yaoundé, Cameroon - Central African states on Saturday said they would mobilize up to 1,000 soldiers and law-enforcement officials to immediately start joint military operations to protect the region's last remaining savanna elephants, threatened by Sudanese poachers on a killing spree in the region.

"We recommend the mobilization of all defense and security forces in the affected countries" to stop these poachers, eight of the ten members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) said in a joint statement at the end of a three-day emergency anti-poaching ministerial conference held in Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé, on March 21-23.

The high-level conference was held to stop what ECCAS said are about 300 heavily armed Sudanese poachers on horseback on the prowl for elephants in the savannas of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad.

On the night of March 14-15, in southern Chad, these poachers killed at least 89 elephants in one night. Since the beginning of the year, they also slaughtered at least thirty elephants in the Central African Republic. They are believed to be responsible for the 300 elephants killed in Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida National Park in early 2012, forcing the country to mobilize 600 elite soldiers to defend the country's borders from these poachers.

Although precise figures are difficult to come by, savanna elephant populations in, for example, the Central African Republic - the country with historically the highest numbers of savanna elephants in the region – are believed to have plummeted from around 80,000 thirty years ago to a few hundred today.

The emergency plan, estimated to cost around 1.8 million euros, calls for the use of aerial support, land vehicles, the purchase of satellite phones, the establishment of a joint military command including real-time information sharing and analysis systems, as well as for sending a diplomatic mission to Sudan and South Sudan – where the poachers are believed to originate from.

Although the statement said ECCAS states would fund these operations themselves, they called on the international community to "mobilize and make available complementary funds" to sustain these efforts now and in the future.

"This is fantastic news. ECCAS and its member states deserve to be congratulated for their determination to once and for all stop these elephant killers," said Bas Huijbregts, head of the Central African strand of WWF's campaign against illegal wildlife trade.

"Now, it is up to demand countries – principally China and Thailand – to show that they have as much courage and determination as these Central African countries," he said.

In the statement, the ECCAS states congratulated Thailand for its March 3 decision to ban its legal domestic ivory trade, and urged it to implement this decision.

Ivory consumers "need to be sensitized to the consequences" of their demand for ivory, the statement said, adding that "destination countries (should) adopt measures to reduce ivory demand."

Finally, the statement added that ECCAS states should work towards modifying national legislations so that poaching and ivory trade become offences "equivalent to other transnational crimes", such as drug and small arms trafficking.

After the declaration, the United States ambassador to Cameroon, Robert Jackson, said he was "pleased with the meeting. The plan is a good one."

"But execution is now critical. I am, however, concerned that there is no mention of corruption in the statement, because it contributes directly to the poaching and trafficking problem," he said.

Nicolas Berlanga Martinez, the EU mission's head of cooperation also congratulated ECCAS for its initiative, saying that "the measures adopted seem sufficiently ambitious to respond to the urgency of the situation, and I will remain attentive, along with other partners, of the implementation of this emergency plan."

"I also salute the proposal to reinforce collaboration between the different ministries responsible for countering poaching and illegal wildlife trade, and would also urge these authorities to ensure a proper coordination of donations from its partners," he added.

In the statement, the ECCAS states reaffirmed their commitment to protect its elephants, which they said "belong to the natural universal heritage of humanity".

"The international community stands by Central Africa," Huijbregts, of WWF, said.

"Now the region is in the world's spotlight," he concluded.

WWF is campaigning for greater protection of threatened species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants. In order to save endangered animals, source, transit and demand countries must all improve law enforcement, customs controls and judicial systems. WWF is also urging governments in consumer countries to undertake demand reduction efforts to curb the use of endangered species products.

Better protection for elephants, rhinos and more from UN treaty

2013-03-25

A look at WWF's successes at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for our priority species from apes to turtles. Click the headlines for full articles.

Ban on ivory trade pledged by Thai PM

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra pledged at the opening of CITES to end ivory trade in Thailand, seizing a key opportunity to stem global wildlife trafficking. She said Thailand would take steps to end ivory trade – the first time the Thai government has said this publicly. Her statement came after the call of nearly 1.5 million WWF and Avaaz supporters.

"As a next step we will forward amending the national legislation with the goal of putting an end on ivory trade and to be in line with international norms," Prime Minster Shinawatra said. "This will help protect all forms of elephants including Thailand's wild and domestic elephants and those from Africa."

"We're thrilled to hear that Prime Minister Shinawatra took this opportunity to seize the global spotlight and pledge to end ivory trade in her country. But the fight to stop wildlife crime and shut down Thailand's ivory markets is not over. Prime Minister Shinawatra now needs to provide a timeline for this ban and ensure that it takes place as a matter of urgency, because the slaughter of elephants continues," said Carlos Drews head of WWF's delegation to CITES.

Thai Buddhist leaders pray for poached elephants, call for end to ivory use

Revered Thai Buddhist leaders held the first-ever Buddhist merit-making ceremony to pray for the tens of thousands of elephants poached annually. They also called on their congregations and other temples to reject the use and trade of ivory.

"Having prestigious leaders from the Buddhist community in Thailand lead this ceremony here, which is usually practiced for a family member who has passed away, emphasizes that we are all interdependent and part of one great web of life," said Phansiri Winichagoon, country director of WWF-Thailand.

Historic vote protects sharks and manta rays at CITES

A historic vote occurred at CITES to regulate trade of five species of sharks and two of manta ray. Science prevailed over politics and this decision will put a major dent in the uncontrolled trade in shark meat and fins, which is rapidly destroying populations of these precious animals to feed the growing demand for luxury goods.

"These timely decisions to have trade in sharks and manta rays regulated by CITES show that governments can muster the political will to keep our oceans healthy, securing food and other benefits for generations to come – and we hope to see similar action in the future to protect other commercially exploited and threatened marine species, both at the national and international level." said Carlos Drews head of WWF's delegation to CITES.

Large numbers of threatened reef fish still traded

One of WWF`s footprint species the humphead wrasse, a tropical reef fish, is still suffering from illegal and unreported international trade despite being listed by CITES. Discussions held by governments meeting in Bangkok, Thailand outlined a number of ways to help curb this problem and maintain protection of this threatened fish.

"Regulating the trade throughout Asia aims to protect humphead wrasse from overfishing and encourages sustainable fishing which will ensure a future for this species." said Dr Colman O Criodain, WWF`s Policy Analyst, International Wildlife Trade.

Rhinos offered more protection by governments

CITES governments made a clear choice to offer more protection to rhinos by agreeing on timelines that will help two of the worst offenders in the rhino horn trade, Viet Nam and Mozambique, clean up their act.
The challenge now is to ensure that Viet Nam and Mozambique make progress on their CITES commitments within the agreed time frame to avoid trade sanctions in the summer of 2014.

"This is a big step forward for the protection of rhinos, a prehistoric animal that are being butchered for their horns at alarming rates to feed demand primarily in Viet Nam," said Carlos Drews, head of WWF's delegation at CITES.

Governments fall short on immediate efforts to curb illegal ivory trade at wildlife trade meeting

Governments at CITES opted against immediate trade sanctions against several countries that have repeatedly failed to tackle the trade in ivory. Despite an early discussion on potential trade sanctions against countries failing to regulate their ivory markets, governments did not enact those rules against offenders.

"We're disappointed by the lack of urgency from governments to speed up the sanctions process against countries that have failed to act for years to curb the illegal ivory trade in their countries, while the slaughter of thousands of elephants continues in Africa," said Carlos Drews, head of WWF's CITES delegation.

World`s valuable timbers protected against illegal trade

Precious ebony and rosewood timbers have secured protection by CITES in recognition of possible extinction due to illegal logging and the significant increased demand in international trade. Both kinds of timber are exported for use in making musical instruments, furniture and decorative items, such as chess pieces, due to their unusual heartwood.

"This is a good decision by the governments of CITES and we hope that this will ensure the future of these precious trees" said Dr Colman O Criodain, WWF`s Policy Analyst, International Wildlife Trade.

Guinea sanctioned for illicit wildlife trade, including great apes

Governments at CITES have decided to suspend trade in listed species with Guinea. The West African country has been reported to issue fraudulent permits for a number of animals, including great apes.

The sanctions prevent Guinea from importing and exporting all the 35,000 species listed by CITES. They have been sanctioned due to concerns over the issuance of invalid CITES permits, which facilitated illegal trade for protected species. Great apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas, among other species, have been exported from Guinea, reaching foreign markets, especially in Asia.

Rare turtle sets Japanese precedent

Japan is asking the world's governments to help protect the Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle, a rare turtle found on only three small islands in the Okinawa group.

The appearance of the species in the pet trade outside Japan strongly suggests illegal activity is taking place. Governments at CITES chose to accept the Japanese listing proposal, which will see this unique turtle gain better protection against illegal international trade.

"The proposal to list the Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle is a small but significant step for Japan," said Kahoru Kanari, Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC and an author of the report. "

Apes swing into CITES

Governments at CITES agreed to develop a comprehensive reporting mechanism on the illegal killing and trade of great apes.

WWF believes that the real number of apes killed and traded is double or even triple this figure, due to the larger, more influential and significant bushmeat trade, which needs greater attention. Especially in Central Africa, ape meat is still a sought after commodity for mid-high level socio-political functions.

"CITES has shown it can take strong measures to tackle international trade in great apes, for example by agreeing CITES trade sanctions for Guinea last week partly due to illegal ape trade," said Wendy Elliott, from the WWF Illegal Wildlife Trade Campaign.

Worst offenders in ivory trade held to account

Governments mandated China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam, considered the worst offenders in failing to properly regulate the ivory trade in their countries, to implement timebound plans to deal with the problem and report back on their progress or face possible trade restrictions.

Under CITES rules, failure by those countries to take action would lead to a compliance process potentially leading to sanctions. The treaty allows CITES member states to recommend that parties stop trading with non-compliant countries in the 35,000 species covered under the convention, from orchids to crocodile skins.

"After years of inaction, governments today put those countries doing little or nothing to regulate the ivory trade on watch, a move that will help stem the unfettered slaughter of thousands of African elephants. The gains made to better protect species here in Bangkok are a major milestone." said Carlos Drews, head of WWF's CITES delegation.

Poachers kill at least 89 elephants in Chad

2013-03-19

Yaoundé, Cameroon - At least 89 elephants were killed by poachers last week in Chad, according to local officials, in one of the region's worst poaching incidents since the massacre of over 300 elephants in Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida National Park in February 2012.

According to Chadian government authorities, at least 89 elephants were killed on the night of March 14 – 15 near the town of Ganba in southern Chad.

Among those killed were 33 pregnant females and 15 calves.

The poachers, which rode on horseback, numbered around 50 and spoke Arabic, the officials said, adding that the Chadian army had been dispatched to stop these criminals.

"This tragedy shows once again the existential threat faced by Central Africa's elephants," according to Bas Huijbregts, Head of the Central Africa strand of WWF's campaign against illegal wildlife trade.

"This incident in Chad highlights the need for a regional approach to fight poachers, one that needs to be implemented on the ground as urgently as possible to stop these poachers," Huijbregts said.

The governments of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad will be meeting in Yaoundé this week to develop a regional anti-poaching strategy.

"We urge governments to start putting in place this plan as early as next week, to safeguard the region's last elephants and rid it of this poaching threat once and for all," Huijbregts said.

"At its root, though, it is ending demand for ivory in countries like Thailand and China which will ensure the survival of Central Africa's elephants," Huijbregts added.

This month's Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which closed last week, saw decisions from world governments to start taking action against countries doing little or nothing to stop the illegal ivory and rhino horn trades.

Governments mandated China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam – the countries of highest concern in terms of their failure to clamp down on large-scale illegal ivory trade - to submit time-bound plans to deal with the problem in two months, and make progress before the next CITES meeting in summer of 2014.

Governments start to rein in ivory and rhino horn trade, give sharks and timbers better protection at wildlife trade meeting

2013-03-14

Bangkok, Thailand - A critical wildlife trade meeting closed Thursday with decisions from world governments to regulate the international trade in several species of sharks and timber, and to start taking action against countries doing little or nothing to stop the illegal ivory and rhino horn trades.

Countries, on the final day of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), capped the historic two-week meeting by deciding for the first time to initiate a process requiring countries most implicated in illicit ivory trade to clamp down on smuggling.

Governments mandated China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam – the countries of highest concern in terms of their failure to clamp down on large-scale illegal ivory trade - to submit time-bound plans to deal with the problem in two months, and make progress before the next CITES meeting in summer of 2014.

Under CITES rules, failure by those countries to take action could lead to a compliance process potentially resulting in sanctions being initiated. The treaty allows CITES to issue a recommendation that governments taking part in the treaty stop trading with non-compliant countries in the 35,000 species covered under the convention, from orchids to crocodile skins.

"After years of inaction, governments today put those countries failing to regulate the ivory trade on watch, a move that will help stem the unfettered slaughter of thousands of African elephants," said Carlos Drews, WWF's head of delegation at CITES. "The gains made to better protect species here in Bangkok are a major milestone."

"But the fight to stop wildlife crime is not over," Drews said. "These countries will now be held accountable to these pledges, and must step up the urgency in dealing with the global poaching crisis that is ravaging our wildlife."

The decisions to better regulate the ivory trade this week came after Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the opening day of the meeting announced she would shut down her country's ivory markets. The prime minister's pledge came after more than 1.5 million people signed petitions by WWF, Avaaz, and actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio asking her to end the trading of ivory in Thailand.

Governments also extended better protection to threatened rhinos by pledging to work against organized crime syndicates that are smuggling rhino horn through the black market by increasing penalties. In addition, countries adopted a plan to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products like rhino horn, which is believed wrongly to be a miracle cure in Viet Nam.

Nearly 700 South African rhinos were killed by poachers last year, and nearly 150 have died thus far in 2013. Up to 30,000 elephants are lost to poaching every year.

Governments also reaffirmed the stronger protections for three species of hammerhead sharks, in addition to porbeagle sharks, oceanic whitetips, and two species of manta rays. The sharks and manta rays were listed on CITES Appendix II, seeking to regulate their international trade at sustainable levels.

"This is an historic moment, where science has prevailed over politics, as sharks and manta rays are being obliterated from our oceans," Drews said. "This decision will put a major dent in the uncontrolled trade in shark meat and fins, which is rapidly destroying populations of these precious animals to feed the growing demand for luxury goods."

"These timely decisions to have trade in sharks and manta rays regulated by CITES show that governments can muster the political will to keep our oceans healthy, securing food and other benefits for generations to come – and we hope to see similar action in the future to protect other commercially exploited and threatened marine species, both at the national and international level," Drews said.

Negotiators also voted to ramp up trade regulations for several species of rosewood and ebony, which have been subjects of dangerous levels of illegal logging leading to deforestation, especially in Madagascar.

Governments fall short on immediate efforts to curb illegal ivory trade at wildlife trade meeting

2013-03-12

Bangkok, Thailand - World governments at the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) on Tuesday opted against immediate trade sanctions against several countries that have repeatedly failed to tackle the trade in ivory.

"We're disappointed by the lack of urgency from governments to speed up the sanctions process against countries that have failed to act for years to curb the illegal ivory trade in their countries, while the slaughter of thousands of elephants continues in Africa," said Carlos Drews, head of WWF's CITES delegation.

"However we will be watching to see that CITES holds these governments to account in the coming year."

Despite an early discussion in CITES on potential trade sanctions against countries failing to regulate their ivory markets, governments did not enact those rules against offenders including Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda.

Governments instead directed those countries to identify actions and deadlines to ensure progress in controlling illegal ivory trade before summer 2014, with the potential threat that they could face trade sanctions then if there was no significant improvement in the situation. The nine countries were given just over a year to show improvements in their performance.

"Governments have been aware for years about the lack of compliance by several countries. Forest elephants in Central Africa are declining rapidly and running out of time," Drews said. "We hope governments will speed up compliance measures against countries flouting restrictions on the ivory trade."

The worst offenders, including top demand countries China and Thailand, the host country for the meeting, as well as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam, are expected to be discussed in a separate session on Thursday.

"We hope that governments will take a stronger stance against these countries considered the biggest problems when it comes to the illegal ivory trade, and that should include much more urgency than we saw today," Drews said.

Under treaty rules, CITES member states can recommend that parties stop trading with non-compliant countries in the 35,000 species covered under the convention, from orchids to crocodile skins.

Tuesday's decisions came as poaching of elephants has reached crisis levels. Up to 30,000 elephants are slaughtered every year to feed the illegal ivory trade. The ivory trade has been regulated under CITES since the early 1970s.

There were, however, several other measures adopted by governments to help curb the illegal ivory trade, including:

The creation of an Ivory Enforcement Task Force, which will allow for better law enforcement collaboration between countries
Better DNA-based forensic techniques to identify the origin of confiscated ivory
An acknowledgement of the need for demand reduction campaigns on ivory

For further information please contact:
Ian Morrison, ian.morrison@wwfus.org, +1 202 372 6373, +66 90 414 3853
Chris Chaplin, cchaplin@wwf.sg, +65 9826 3802

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Additional CITES media materials are available at www.panda.org/citesmedia . For updates from the conference follow us on Twitter @WWF_media.

WWF statement on rhinos at CITES

2013-03-12

Carlos Drews, head of WWF's delegation at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) issued the following statement today in response to decisions from world governments to offer better protection for rhinos:

"Governments today made a clear choice at CITES to offer more protection to rhinos by agreeing on timelines that will help two of the worst offenders in the rhino horn trade, Viet Nam and Mozambique, clean up their act.

"This is a big step forward for the protection of rhinos, a prehistoric animal that are being butchered for their horns at alarming rates to feed demand primarily in Viet Nam.

"A record 668 South African rhinos were killed by poachers last year, and close to 150 have died so far in 2013 - we're already moving at a pace that could see even more rhinos killed for their horns than last year.

"The challenge now is to ensure that Viet Nam and Mozambique make progress on their CITES commitments within the agreed time frame to avoid trade sanctions in the summer of 2014."

Viet Nam is the main destination for rhino horn and is now required to implement a strategy to reduce demand in the country and ensure horn traffickers are prosecuted and strongly punished.

Today's success also means that Mozambique, a major transit country for rhino horn, must strengthen legislation and enforcement to reduce trade flows exiting the African continent. It is currently only a misdemeanour to smuggle rhino horns through Mozambique. The country shares a border with South Africa's Kruger National Park, home to most of the world's rhinos and also the epicentre of illegal killing.

Rhino poaching has hit record highs and is currently exacerbated by increasingly sophisticated criminal networks. There is also a marked increase in consumption in Vietnam, fuelled by claims that rhino horn cures cancer and hangovers.

Thai Buddhist leaders pray for poached elephants, call for end to ivory use

2013-03-09

Bangkok, Thailand – As world governments meet here to discuss global wildlife trade, revered Thai Buddhist leaders today held the first-ever Buddhist merit-making ceremony to pray for the tens of thousands of elephants poached annually. They also called on their congregations and other temples to reject the use and trade of ivory.

A large percentage of Thailand's ivory is bought by foreign tourists, but there is significant demand among devout Buddhists for ivory carved into images of the Buddha, amulets, and other objects of worship.

Leading the merit-making ceremony were Ajahn Jayasaro, a forest monk and Buddhist teacher; Phra Maha Jerm Suvaco of the Maha Chula Buddhist University; Mae Chee Sansanee, founder and director of Sathira-Dhammasathan Center; and Phra Paisal Visalo, abbot of Wat Pasukato. Each offered teachings on conservation and the role of Buddhists in saving elephants from wildlife crime.

"We are honored to come together with the Buddhist leadership of Thailand, on this auspicious occasion of making merit for African elephants – the first ever for elephants," said Dekila Chungyalpa, director of the Sacred Earth program for WWF. "Because faith leaders are speaking up about environmental sustainability being consistent with religious values, we are now seeing a new movement of faith-based conservation all over the world."

Supported by WWF, the event at Wat That Thong in downtown Bangkok sought to educate the deeply religious Thai public on the link between ivory and wildlife crime, and encourage the leadership of Buddhist temples and congregations to discontinue the use and trade of ivory.

Thailand is the world's largest unregulated ivory market and a major sink for ivory poached from Africa. In opening the current meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) here on 3 March, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced a shutdown of the country's ivory market though gave no timeline.

The event also featured a giant chalk drawing of an elephant designed by artist Remko van Schaik with messages in English and Thai saying "I am not a trinket" and "Ivory belongs to elephants." Attendees took photos with the elephant artwork and also wrote prayers for poached elephants and hung them from trees in the courtyard of the temple.

"Having prestigious leaders from the Buddhist community in Thailand lead this ceremony here, which is usually practiced for a family member who has passed away, emphasizes that we are all interdependent and part of one great web of life," said Phansiri Winichagoon, country director of WWF-Thailand.

Monks, members of the Thai public, government representatives, and delegates from the ongoing CITES attended the ceremony.

The CITES trade talks continue through 13 March. Conservation groups are calling on the 178 countries in attendance to take action by the end of the meeting against countries failing to comply with their international commitments to stop unregulated ivory trade. Tens of thousands of elephants are poached in Africa every year to feed world demand for ivory.

For more information contact:

Ua-phan Chamnan-ua, uchamnanua@wwf.panda.org +66 81 928 2426

Carmen Arufe, carufe@wwf.es +34 638603884