Our daily dose of bad news from around the world about
poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes …
in the spotlight today ……………………
Has Demand for Rhino Horn Truly Dropped in Vietnam? extract: The growing middle class in China is driving the market for rhino horn, sold in a tonic promoted with bogus claims of having medicinal properties.http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/03/has-demand-for-rhino-horn-truly-dropped-in-vietnam/ (NA comment: Can you recall ever seeing a campaign in China to reduce demand for rhino horn or ivory? Can you remember ever reading of anyone in China being prosecuted for dealing in ivory or rhino horn. China is the main driver for the demand in most illegal wildlife and wood, and yet all it ever receives from CITES is merit awards. Now what do you think of CITES and its Secretariat?)
No 255 Wildlife Trade News 4th November 2014
|
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT- Baby chimp discovered amid dead bodies of her family
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/530956/Chimpanzee-baby-dead-ape-trafficking
|
Deforestation indirectly contributing to higher malaria cases in Borneo Read more: http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2014/11/04/deforestation-indirectly-contributing-higher-malaria-cases-borneo/#ixzz3I4upY38v
Indonesia Prioritizes Companies, not Forests http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1059328-indonesia-prioritizes-companies-not-forests/
Parched future if rampant logging continues (Malaysia) http://www.nst.com.my/node/49214
Vietnam rangers accused of helping loggers in protected forest http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/vietnam-rangers-accused-of-helping-loggers-in-protected-forest-32741.html
Russia and China blamed for blocking Antarctic marine reserve
Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2014/1102-hance-ross-sea-mpa.html#YZxLPUILKofMisQi.99
Jemima Khan is caged up in huge gorilla costume at her UNICEF Halloween Ball – clearly supports PETA http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/jemima-khan-caged-up-huge-4538841
What can be done to help Katarina? (Malaysia) NA comment: Another Malaysian wildlife scandal with hapless CITES MA officials leaving this orangutan to suffer.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/279367
Bloody year for rhinos in KZN http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/bloody-year-for-rhinos-in-kzn-1.1774680#.VFedBMnXytY
Kerala: Animal rights group seeks PM Narendra Modi’s intervention to stop use of crackers inside forest http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-kerala-animal-rights-group-seeks-pm-narendra-modi-s-intervention-to-stop-use-of-crackers-inside-forest-2031650
China jails 13 for poaching red coral, fines group 1 mln yuan http://www.ecns.cn/cns-wire/2014/11-03/141259.shtml
Fiji plays leading role in global fight to save sharks http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=285046
|
“Those who have the privilege to know
have the duty to act.”
? Albert Einstein
The question now is: Will the Standing Committee and Secretariat now
punish those countries in the ape trade – and in doing so help save the great apes?
What do you think the CITES Standing Committee will do, if anything,
about this blatant trade in apes?
https://www.academia.edu/6539993/Conakry_Connection_Part_3 for more information.
Common European Birds Facing Serious Decline, Study Finds http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-common-european-birds-serious-decline-02251.html
Bangladesh’s first ‘marine protected area’ declared http://www.thedailystar.net/bangladeshs-first-marine-protected-area-declared-48628
Climate policy ‘a business case to destroy our forests’ (Australia) http://www.echo.net.au/2014/11/climate-policy-business-case-destroy-forests/
Crimes against Nature – National Geographic Channel HD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2gLS4IXLQ
Sea giants need urgent protection (UK)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29882066
Fight to save endangered Indus dolphins, turtles in Pakistan http://www.aquila-style.com/focus-points/global-snapshots/fight-save-endangered-indus-dolphins-turtles-pakistan/85064/
Wildlife Protections Remains Paramount (Tanzania) http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/37886-wildlife-protection-remains-paramount-jkui
Environmental values of forest resources (Indonesia) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/04/environmental-values-forest-resources.html
Lions near Serengeti poisoned
http://www.eturbonews.com/52162/lions-near-serengeti-poisoned
Reducing tax evasion could help save the Amazon http://news.mongabay.com/2014/1104-taxing-underutilized-amazon-land.html
Discourse: New minister weighs political, business interests in managing forests (Indonesia) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/04/discourse-new-minister-weighs-political-business-interests-managing-forests.html
How did palm oil become such a problem — and what can we do about it? http://ensia.com/features/how-did-palm-oil-become-such-a-problem-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/
INTERPOL PRESS RELEASE Operation Amazonas targets illegal timber trade in Peru
Illicit logging costs Peru USD 250 million per year
LYON, France – An operation supported by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO) targeting the criminal groups linked to the illegal timber trade in Peru has resulted in the seizure of wood and wood products worth USD 20.6 million.
Operation Amazonas, held from March to May 2014, was conducted jointly by Peru Customs (SUNAT), INTERPOL and the WCO. The operation saw the participation of law enforcement and customs authorities in Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru, as well as INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus in Brazil and Peru, and Regional Bureaus in Argentina and El Salvador.
Under the operation, officials targeted timber shipments leaving Peru from various ports and via land borders with Brazil, carrying out inspections and exchanging intelligence. The resulting seizures are estimated at more than 15,000 m3 of timber, enough to fill approximately six Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Authorities also seized two vessels attempting to transport illicit timber, and a machine used in illegal logging activities.
“The illegal timber trade contributes to deforestation and thus global warming. Law enforcement must act and act now against this pernicious smuggling to mitigate environmental degradation,” said WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya.
“I commend Peruvian Customs for leading Operation Amazonas and all participating partners, including INTERPOL, OSINFOR (the Peruvian forest authority) and the customs administrations from Brazil, China, Mexico and the Dominican Republic,” added Mr Mikuriya.
Operation Amazonas, the first collaboration between INTERPOL and the WCO to combat forest crime, was launched after SUNAT gathered intelligence revealing the involvement of organized criminal networks in illegal logging, the sale and use of fraudulent permits to sell illegally sourced timber, and the mislabeling of timber exports.
“Through their efforts in Operation Amazonas, law enforcement and customs agencies across Latin America and beyond have demonstrated their commitment to protecting the world’s forests and preventing criminal groups from making a profit from our natural resources,” said INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Police Services, Jean-Michel Louboutin.
INTERPOL’s involvement in the operation was under its Environmental Security unit’s Project Leaf, a consortium initiative led by INTERPOL with the United Nations Environment Programme and the financial support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. The project supports countries to tackle illegal logging and other forestry crimes.
“Though this operation achieved positive results, there is still important work ahead for the law enforcement agencies involved to continue their investigations and identify the criminal networks behind the illicit timber trade,” said David Higgins, Head of INTERPOL’s Environmental Security unit.
“Bringing an end to illegal logging and other forest crimes requires a coordinated global response, and INTERPOL applauds Peru for leading the charge,” added Mr Higgins.
Peruvian authorities estimate that illegal logging accounts for 40-60 per cent of the total logging occurring in the country. Losses due to illegal logging are estimated at more than USD 250 million per year, or 1.5 times the value of the legitimate timber industry.
“This operation has opened our eyes to the ways that criminal groups can export timber out of Peru with no reliable documentation,” said Gustavo Romero, SUNAT Chief of Intendency of Customs Control.
“Working in collaboration with INTERPOL and other organizations at the national and international levels has enabled us to achieve positive results, and will help us to better fight against the criminal organizations involved in the illegal timber business,” he concluded.
The operation also included awareness-raising activities to educate the public and law enforcement community about forest crime and the criminal networks involved, which use the profits from illegal logging to fund other serious crimes. Increasing understanding of the often hidden links between different types of crimes is also a key aspect of INTERPOL’s Turn Back Crime global campaign.
Please note: This daily newsletter has evolved from an intended single species niche target audience news report, into what is now a more general wildlife news report to a very large and widespread audience consisting of CITES, EU, UNEP, and other government officials with an interest in these issues, as well as media worldwide, NGO’s scientists and concerned members of the public. Our aim is to collate and circulate reports relating to deforestation and the illegal wildlife trade. This removes, for many officials, the excuse that they didn’t know.
The creation and distribution of the news is done on an entirely voluntary basis. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe please send a message to sw We hope you find at least some of the news helpful and interesting. The frequency and longevity of this newsletter is completely dependent on voluntary hours available; it could change frequency or end at any time.
