Another dose of bad news from around the world about poaching, illegal trade,
wildlife and environmental crimes.
under the spotlight today ……………………
TANZANIA: SELLING OFF ITS WILDLIFE – DEAD AND ALIVE: If, as the government would have us believe, it is serious about protecting its fast-disappearing wildlife, why does the very same government approve of its natural heritage being shipped out at huge profit across the world? extract: African Animals (T) Ltd. is licensed animal exporter. Latest techniques and equipment for immobilizing African animals of all kinds are being utilized.
We are the only company in Tanzania officially allowed by Tanzania Wildlife Division to use Immobilization technique and equipment in wildlife capturing and medication. http://www.africananimals.biz/index.html and
http://www.africananimals.biz/animals/mammals/
No 260 Wildlife Trade News 9th November 2014
Poaching fuelled by corrupt officials – Sumaye TANZANIA extract: He said top officials have been condoning corruption within their ranks, thus fueling the raging poaching menace in the country.
He stated that it’s no surprise to see containers filled with ivory because ranking officials secretly work with poachers to transport containers of illegal ivories outside the country. WHAT IS CITES PROPOSING TO DO ABOUT THIS – NOW? WE NEED ….and HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW – DON’T WE?
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: Q&A: Report Alleges Governments’ Complicity in Tanzanian Elephant Poaching Smugglers who dominate the illicit ivory trade from Africa to China said to use Zanzibar as their shipping port.
|
“Those who have the privilege to know
have the duty to act.”
? Albert Einstein
‘Get tough on syndicates’ (Sarawak) NA comment: This is a recent example, whereby, a change of leadership in an ‘organisation’ has a) given people hope b) begun to tackle corruption c) has resulted in many arrests. This is all because one man said ‘enough was enough’ – things had to change in Sarawak. Yes. The problem before then was in the leadership. All it took to begin to redress the otherwise disastrous situation, was for a new leader to be appointed. http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/10/23/Get-tough-on-syndicates-Tunku-Aziz-Political-sanction-needed-to-tackle-illegal-logging/
CITES SECRETARIAT: In our last newsletter we asked if the CITES Secretary General would release a statement concerning the latest illegal haul of ivory to be shipped to CHINA. We need clarity and some answers from these civil servants, don’t we? Or, we will all be left to imagine for ourselves –why the silence from the Secretariat. Let’s hope we will soon see a statement.
The longer the silence the more likely people are to form their own opinions, aren’t they? What we need to know is, a) the CITES response to the recent news reports and, bearing in mind the illegal trade in ivory and rhino horn shows no signs of slowing down b) will an Emergency Meeting (not conference) be held before Christmas to decide on what more needs to be done?
CITES cannot continue with annual meetings while all around it the world’s wildlife is being decimated by its member countries; can it? The world has changed dramatically in the past 10 years, but CITES still keeps doing what it has always done even though there is no sign it is helping save apes, elephants, rhinos, etc. – is there?
Any international company which has not changed radically in the past 10 years is now facing ruin or already gone out of business. Do you agree: CITES needs to stop, now, being a rigid bureaucracy, and instead respond more quickly and flexibly to the illegal and non-stop wildlife trade disaster we all see across the world?
Headlines which must be a cause for CITES concern:
Poaching Update: More Than 730 Rhinos Killed So Far This Year (In South Africa, alone)
Read more: http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/8966/20140910/poaching-update-more-than-730-rhinos-killed-so-far-this-year.htm#ixzz3IUI1aTA9
100,000 Elephants Killed by Poachers in Just Three Years, Landmark Analysis Finds: Central Africa has lost 64 percent of its elephants in a decade. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140818-elephants-africa-poaching-cites-census/
Tanzania’s dwindling elephants http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21631202-claims-links-between-politicians-and-poachers-merit-further-investigation-big
|
Photograph by Brent Stirton, National Geographic/Getty Images
One of the largest mass elephant slaughters in decades took place in Bouba Ndjidah National Park, Cameroon, in 2012. Armed with grenades and AK-47s, poachers killed more than 300.
WILL THESE ELEPHANTS BE NEXT – OR IS IT ALREADY TOO LATE FOR THEM?
HAVE THEY BEEN KILLED AND THEIR TUSKS NOW IN STORAGE IN CHINA,
MALAYSIA OR VIETNAM? COULD CITES HAVE DONE MORE TO SAVE ELEPHANTS LIKE THESE?
Ivory photo by Kin Cheung, AP
Earlier this year the CITES Secretary General took it upon himself to give China a merit award.
Isn’t this a bit like giving the mafia an award and expecting them to give up their corruption and killing spree?
Do you think it was right and proper to give China this award – or
was it in your opinion, poor judgement?
Poachers are killing almost 35,000 elephants a year as illegal ivory trade spirals out of control in Africa As the magnitude of the problem is revealed, the Sunday Mirror launches a campaign to stop the slaughter of elephants and other animals hunted for tusks (NA COMMENT: Does this suggest to you the media is having to intervene, again, to save these species, because of multiple failures by CITES?)
IMAGE: Sunday Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/poachers-killing-35000-elephants-year-4595057
Keep Tim Alive An encounter with a wounded tusker reminds me that saving elephants is the only true measure of success of our campaigns
Tim, one of the world’s largest tuskers, seen injured in Amboseli National Park in November 2014. Photograph: John Heminway/WildlifeDirect http://www.theguardian.com/environment/africa-wild/2014/nov/09/keep-tim-alive
Ivory haul and Xi visit: It is vital to clear the mess (CITES Secretariat, please note) http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=73962
Domestic issues blamed on Chinese failure to block illegal timber trade http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8060:domestic-issues-blamed-on-chinese-failure-to-block-illegal-timber-trade&catid=44:national&Itemid=384
Upcoming Thai animal abuse law ‘too vague’ http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/asia-report/thailand/story/upcoming-thai-animal-abuse-law-too-vague-20141109
NCR has edge over Malay reserve land: MALAYSIA – AGAIN. The Sabah Native Land Owners and Development Association has implied that in Sabah, “anything goes” despite the laws providing protection to the Orang Asal.
Commission for banning display of wild animals in poll campaigns (Pakistan)
http://www.dawn.com/news/1143290/commission-for-banning-display-of-wild-animals-in-poll-campaigns
Restoring Sabah’s wildlife habitats (NA comment: Only ever believe this if and when you see it materialise. A decade or more of hearing the Sabah authorities say one thing and then do the opposite has caused us to distrust them.)
What are riparian zones? (Sabah/Malaysia) http://www.nst.com.my/node/50973
Endangered wild animals still being kept as pets illegally (UAE) extract: "There are laws in place to protect the animals but I don’t believe they are enforced adequately," she says. "I would like to see the government enforce the law more strictly when it comes to illegal import of endangered species," she said. "Worldwide, we are losing animals in their natural environment at an alarming rate." (NA comment: Readers may recall we have repeatedly flagged the UAE as an illegal importer of wildlife. And what have CITES done about this?) https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/endangered-wild-animals-still-being-kept-pets-illegally-224906519.html
Wildlife officers arrest three San Francisco men for alleged possession of 59 abalone http://www.mendocinobeacon.com/ci_26896024/wildlife-officers-arrest-three-san-francisco-men-alleged
UN troops set to ‘march for days into the jungle’ in the Congo http://wildlifenews.co.uk/2014/11/un-troops-set-to-march-for-days-into-the-jungle-in-the-congo/
No more elephants for festival in city says forest dept, moves to arrest two http://www.deccanchronicle.com/141109/nation-current-affairs/article/no-more-elephants-festival-city-says-forest-dept-moves-arrest
Our Chinese friends don’t smuggle ivory, says Tanzania (NA comment: Who believes the Tanzanian government?)
P2.3-M ‘hot’ logs seized (Philippines) http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/11/09/14/p23-m-hot-logs-seized
Africa: Bringing More International Pressure to Bear On Wildlife Crime http://allafrica.com/stories/201411090026.html
Bahrain royals hunting houbaras in Sindh KARACHI: Two members of the Bahrain royal family have been hunting the internationally protected houbara bustard in Sindh for the past several weeks, it emerged on Saturday. According to sources, another royal family member of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, has arrived in the country, but has not yet ventured into the wild for houbara bustard hunting.
