No 293 Wildlife Trade News 13th December 2014

Your daily dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes

in the spotlight today ……………………

WWF: Over-hunting slashing wild animal population in Sabah/Malaysia: Sabah is an example, not unlike CITES and its impotent Standing Committee, where the absence of people prepared to enforce the law has enabled and empowered criminals to take what they want, when they want, with no fear of punishment.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/12/13/wwf-over-hunting-slashing-wild-animal-population-in-sabah/#ixzz3LhuFzBX0

No 293 Wildlife Trade News 13th December 2014

China in the cross hairs again over blood ivory extract: “The latest seizure yesterday by Hong Kong customs officials of 1,120 tusks, weighing nearly 2.3 tons, some 13 rhino horns, and several leopard skins, exposes the catastrophic failure of the Chinese leadership to recognize the growing global sentiment against their country, which combined with growing resentment about Chinese presence in Africa.

China is by far the largest consumer of blood ivory in the world, and their government has done nil to criminalize local demand, trade, and processing. The shipment today represents at least 560 dead elephant, perhaps more.

They wipe out our wildlife just as they are trying to wipe out our mineral and forest resources. In response, they demonize critics instead of addressing the core issues, which are that China is the single largest consumer of blood ivory, and that has to end, and it has to end now. And it is high time our leading politicians wake up and act, because if they do not, they will be just as bad as those who buy blood ivory. In fact, everyone will start thinking they have been bought and turned into willing puppets. http://www.eturbonews.com/53565/china-cross-hairs-again-over-blood-ivory

Tigers, Farms, and Confusion: What You Don’t Know About the Tiger Trade Is Killing Them [FEATURE] (NA COMMENT: Might China REALLY ant 100 or more elephants from Zimbabwe to start farming elephants for their ivory and meat in China? They are doing it already with rhinos.
Read more: http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/10609/20141124/tigers-farms-confusion-what-dont-know-tiger-trade-killing-feature.htm#ixzz3LgeOzKRt

Baby elephants are being abducted from Zimbabwe’s National Park, smuggled to Chinese zoos http://www.treehugger.com/endangered-species/animals-including-baby-elephants-are-being-abducted-zimbabwes-national-park-smuggled-chinese-zoos.html

CITES and The Illegal Wildlife Trade. A report by the highly experienced wildlife trade investigator, Karl Ammann. (NA comment: If you don’t have time to read the full report, you may find the photo on page 9 interesting as Ammann question’s the professional relationship between the secretariat and China.) http://www.karlammann.com/pdf/cites-illegal-trade.pdf

CITES National Ivory Action Plans (NA comment: All countries concerned refuse to make their plans public. WHY? What are these CITES officials wanting to hide? Are these plans audited independently in the counties concerned? If not, what is there to stop them being little more than a pack of lies told to avoid sanctions? The elephants don’t belong to these bureaucrats who, incidentally, are paid by the public. We have a right to see these plans and if necessary question them, don’t we? The fact CITES officials don’t want us to see the plans is exactly the reason why we need to see them, isn’t it? )

Protecting wildlife in South Sudan’s civil war – Reddit AMA highlights extract: Right now one of the biggest threats to elephants is human demand for ivory, largely driven by the Chinese demand.” Responding to another question about what ordinary people can do to help, he suggested that Chinese citizens petition their government to put a stop to the ivory trade.

CHINA WANTS TO TAKE 100 BABY ELEPHANTS FROM THEIR MOTHERS AND HOME IN AFRICA ………..

TO ABUSE AND HUMILATE THEM LIKE

THIS IN CHINESE ZOOS.

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China customs seizes 1,120 ivory tusks EXTRACT: Through intelligence exchange with Chinese Customs, Hong Kong Customs seized a total of 1,120 ivory tusks, 13 rhino horns and five pieces of leopard skin, weighing about 2,266 kg (4982 pounds), inside a container shipped from Nigeria to Hong Kong.

Taiwan museums show off ivory to ‘raise awareness’ for animal protection http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20141212000139&cid=1105

Poll: Phuket voters say no to animal tourism, entertainmentPHUKET: The vast majority of respondents to a recent Phuket News poll oppose animal captivity for the purposes of tourism and entertainment, with some 89 per cent declaring strong opposition to the practice.

– See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/poll-phuket-voters-say-no-to-animal-tourism-entertainment-50092.php#sthash.o3ltcdtV.dpuf

Forestry Officials Find Area Size of Shanghai Misused Public parks used for commercial land development among several violations, but skepticism abounds on enforcement amid conflicting agency policies

http://english.caixin.com/2014-12-12/100762524.html

Hoang Lien national forest in danger VietNamNet Bridge – Illegal logging in the Hoang Lien – Van Ban national sanctuary in the north is now being conducted underground after local authorities launched campaigns to track down the criminals.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/environment/118454/hoang-lien-national-forest-in-danger.html

Soldiers get hands-on bush training. SOUTH AFRICA http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/soldiers-get-hands-on-bush-training-1.1794607#.VIq8mXuTIsc

Making the Case for Wildlife: New Program Takes Fight Against Poachers and Traffickers to Court (NA comment: Interesting to see the Chairman of ASEAN’s Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) is also Chief of the CITES Management Authority of Vietnam. Vietnam being another country up to its eyes in the illegal wildlife trade. Ivory workshops abound in Vietnam and the government knows where they are. How can this happen when the Chairman of ASEAN-WEN comes from Vietnam? Which country is mostly responsible for the deaths of all those rhinos? Did you ever see a Vietnamese rhino horn importer get arrested – even one?

Look at them all at yet another (talking-shop) conference. No wonder they are smiling – it’s all expenses paid, as usual. If ASEAN-WEN was effective, why have you not heard a word about any ‘results’ they may have achieved? Is it because they do nothing and achieve nothing for wildlife? Officials love to have their photos taken don’t they?

We don’t see rangers attending overseas conferences, meetings, or posing for group photos, do we? Rangers work for $1 a day in Malawi saving wildlife, while bureaucrats talk about wildlife, many staying in 5* hotels and travelling the world extensively in business class. Who has your respect – the rangers or the bureaucrats?)

http://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/2014/12/asean-wildlife-crime/story.html

SHAME ON CITES, CHINA AND VIETNAM

When it comes to CITES and its leadership

the biggest mistake you can make is to judge

either by its intentions, not its results.

A terrifying true story of greed, corruption, depravity and ruthless criminal enterprise

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Profit-Exposing-Illegal-Rhino-ebook/dp/B00A3S3HI6

Rhino horn trafficking up 30-fold: Wildlife group (NA comment: Vietnam, please note)http://news.asiaone.com/news/world/rhino-horn-trafficking-30-fold-wildlife-group

Anti-poaching ‘war’ to save rhinos. (NA comment: Rangers go to war. CITES and ASEAN-WEN bureaucrats go to conferences.)

The Canadian Government Is Failing Endangered Species http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sheryl-fink/endangered-species-canada_b_6310802.html

South Africa Rhino-Tracking Dogs Foil Farm-House Robbery http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-12/south-africa-rhino-tracking-dogs-foil-farm-house-robbery.html

Danish tour operator halts 11 out of 17 elephant tours. extract: Danish tour operator Apollo stops 11 out of 17 elephant tours in Thailand and India with immediate effect. The sudden halt is the result of Apollo’s cooperation with two animal welfare NGO’s. http://scandasia.com/danish-tour-operator-halts-11-out-of-17-elephant-tours/

True rhino poaching death statistics are 30 per cent higher http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37369:true-rhino-poaching-death-statistics-are-30-higher&catid=87:border-security&Itemid=188

SA drones successful in driving away rhino poachers http://businesstech.co.za/news/electronics/75982/sa-drones-successful-in-driving-away-rhino-poachers/

On the trail of red sanders smuggling in India http://www.mid-day.com/articles/on-the-red-sanders-trail/15837186

2 held with leopard hide. NEPAL. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=2%20held%20with%20leopard%20hide%20&NewsID=436688

Will new EU food labelling rules change your purchasing decisions on palm oil? http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/poll/eu-food-labelling-change-palm-oil-purchasing-decisions-poll

EU labelling changes force industry action on palm oil http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/dec/12/eu-labelling-changes-palm-oil-consumer-change

How regular people are fixing the international palm-oil industry http://grist.org/climate-energy/how-regular-people-are-fixing-the-international-palm-oil-industry/

In Pictures: Traditions under threat in Papua Most of West Papua’s rainforest is owned by the indigenous population, but palm oil companies owned by powerful corporations are coercing communities into selling their land, sometimes for less than $1 a hectare. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2014/12/pictures-traditions-under-thre-2014127125425682245.html

Biodiverse forests are being destroyed to make palm oil http://www.theaustralian.com.au/executive-living/home-design/biodiverse-forests-are-being-destroyed-to-make-palm-oil/story-fngmet9f-1227154038034?nk=30a88a47b5f68f840aecd6674bd71832

How tourism tramples ethics. SOUTH AFRICA