Your daily dose of bad news about
poaching, wildlife and environmental
crimes from around the world
in the spotlight today ……………………
Zimbabwe forges ahead with plans to export elephants http://mg.co.za/article/2015-02-10-zimbabwe-forges-ahead-with-plans-to-export-elephants
The CITES Secretariat have claimed this is not an issue they can or should become involved in. Is this correct? Important questions are raised at the end of this newsletter and they deserve an answer from the secretariat. If the secretariat cares to reply we will let you know, but if the past is anything to go by we will hear nothing…..why, we don’t know, but it is an added concern isn’t it.
WHOSE SIDE IS CITES REALLY ON?
No 331 Wildlife Trade News 11th February 2015
Chinese Companies Named and Shamed on List of Deforestation ‘Powerbrokers’ http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/02/11/chinese-companies-named-and-shamed-on-list-of-deforestation-powerbrokers/
CITES ISN’T WORKING – IS IT?
WHY DOES CITES FAVOUR CHINA?
HOW MANY MORE TREES MUST BE ILLEGALLY FELLED BEFORE CHINA IS PUNISHED?
HOW MANY MORE ANIMALS WILL DIE BECAUSE CITES TREATS CHINA SO LENIENTLY?
4 Chinese sailors imprisoned in Madagascar on charge of illegal attempt to export rosewood http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/02/10/4-chinese-sailors-imprisoned-in-madagascar-on-charge-illegal-attempt-to-export/
China needs better law enforcement to protect Siberian tigers https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/7709–China-needs-better-law-enforcement-to-protect-Siberian-tigers
Lawmaker Elizabeth Quat pushes for complete ivory ban http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1709617/lawmaker-elizabeth-quat-pushes-complete-ivory-ban-mainland
South Africa: Minister Announces Committee to Probe Rhino Poaching http://allafrica.com/stories/201502101343.html
Exposing How Elephants Have Their Spirits Systematically Crushed in Captivity Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/exposing-how-elephants-have-their-spirits-systematically-crushed-in-captivity.html#ixzz3RMgtQAf0
Abused orangutan on the road to recovery
http://www.okcfox.com/story/28078242/abused-orangutan-on-the-road-to-recovery
Poacher held, carcasses of birds seized. INDIA http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/poacher-held-carcasses-of-birds-seized-115021000441_1.html
SA to decide on rhino horn sale next April http://www.moneyweb.co.za/moneyweb-south-africa/sa-to-decide-on-rhino-horn-sale-next-april
Santander: Stop financing extinction! Right now, diggers are obliterating Indonesia’s rainforests, pushing orangutans, tigers and sun bears to the edge of extinction. Santander has ploughed tens of millions of pounds into Indonesia’s number one rainforest destroyer. Ending these loans hits the forest destroyers where it hurts most – their pocket. Tell Santander to stop financing extinction. https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/page/s/stop-financing-deforestation?source=em&subsource=20150210foem01&utm_source=gpeace&utm_medium=em&utm_campaign=20150210foem01
Palm Oil Shipments From Malaysia Tumble Most in Seven Years
Katarina still languishing in Kuala Lipis Zoo. MALAYSIA http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/288826
Britain’s last circus elephant gets new luxury homeHundreds of thousands of pounds donated to build new home at Longleat Safari Park http://travel.aol.co.uk/2015/02/10/britains-last-circus-elephant-gets-new-luxury-home/
400 Poachers Snared in a Year: Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit on a Roll http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/10/400-poachers-snared-in-a-year-victoria-falls-anti-poaching-unit-on-a-roll/
Malawi stands firm against wildlife crime http://www.lilongwewildlife.org/2015/02/04/malawi-stands-firm-wildlife-crime/
Mali’s Tuareg rebels blamed as rare elephants poached http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31373711
WCS Submits Testimony Supporting Proposed Ivory Ban in Hawaii http://www.newswise.com/articles/wcs-submits-testimony-supporting-proposed-ivory-ban-in-hawaii
Kenya: Poacher shot dead in shootout after his gang killed an elephant http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2015-02-10/kenya-poacher-shot-dead-shootout-after-his-gang-killed-elephant#.VNpEqi7JIsc
Zimbabwe: Elephant tramples would-be poacher to death http://world.einnews.com/article__detail/249271238?lcode=sMqsa0jdrmsk4ziH7pNBzNYfguUYalDD4Xg-V14_P_k%3D
Ban On Ivory Sale Sought In Oklahoma http://www.news9.com/story/28077029/ban-on-ivory-sale-sought-in-oklahoma
Cruelty against elephants alleged. INDIA http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/cruelty-against-elephants-alleged/article6880988.ece
Elephant electrocuted near Ramakuppam
Why Hawaii’s new ivory trafficking bill could be a big deal http://news.yahoo.com/why-hawaii-ivory-trafficking-bill-could-big-deal-204100509.html
Poachers arrested with rhino horn. INDIA http://echoofindia.com/jalpaiguri-poachers-arrested-rhino-horn-78285
CoA frees ivory traffickers from harsh sentence http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=49097&dir=2015/february/10
Animals die from wire snares in Etosha Park http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=23184&page_type=story_detail&category_id=1
Horn trade ban could be lifted to save rhino http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/africa/article4350128.ece
APP gets moderate grade for forest conservation http://www.eco-business.com/news/app-gets-moderate-grade-forest-conservation/
Indonesia dissolves agency charged with forestry reform http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0211-lbell-indonesia-bp-redd.html
Ranking the best and worst companies in terms of deforestation http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0210-forest-500-zero-deforestation.html
Four Vietnamese Charged Over Taking Logs From Mondolkiri. CAMBODIA https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/four-vietnamese-charged-over-taking-logs-from-mondolkiri-77737/
Achim Steiner UNEP John Scanlon CITES Oystein Storkersen CITES
Executive Director Secretary General Chairman: Standing Committee
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CITES SECRETARIAT AND STANDING COMMITTEE from Karl Ammann, wildlife trade investigator.
Why are the CITES authorities in Geneva and China not being asked the pertinent questions?
There has been one vital component missing from the recent alarming articles concerning the shipment of elephant calves out of Zimbabwe. No member of the Zimbabwean government, or any member of the alleged destination countries (UAE, France and China) has mentioned conducting none-detriment findings, nor have they published the results of any such findings which are required by CITES.
This is surprising given the degree of media attention on these elephant calves, if indeed any none-detriment findings have been undertaken by the Zimbabwe CITES Scientific Authority, or any importing CITES Scientific Authority.
This research is essential to the export/import process and must be completed prior to the export of any CITES Appendix I & II specimens:
CITES Non-detriment findings:
b) Article IV (Appendix-II species):
i) An export permit shall only be granted when … a Scientific Authority of the State of export has advised that such export will not be detrimental to the survival of that species;
ii) A Scientific Authority in each Party shall monitor both the export permits granted by that State for specimens of species included in Appendix II and the actual exports of such specimens. Whenever a Scientific Authority determines that the export of specimens of any such species should be limited in order to maintain that species throughout its range at a level consistent with its role in the ecosystems in which it occurs and well above the level at which that species might become eligible for inclusion in Appendix I, the Scientific Authority shall advise the appropriate Management Authority of suitable measures to be taken to limit the grant of export permits for specimens of that species; and
(http://www.cites.org/eng/prog/ndf/index.php)
According to the latest information (from The Hunting Report – World Conservation Force Bulletin, January 2015) Zimbabwe has lost 75% of its elephant population in the Sebungwe Region (14-15,000 in 2001 and 3,500 today, and the numbers in the Zambezi Valley are down from 19,000 in 2001 to 14,500 today). How does this impact on the corresponding CITES None-detriment regulation? It is difficult to understand how there can be a non-detriment finding by either Zimbabwe or an importing Party that allows exports without first considering the relocation of these elephants to areas of Zimbabwe. That action would meet the requirement of the none-detriment findings outlined above: “limit the export of specimens of such species in order to maintain the species throughout its range at levels consistent with the role in the ecosystem.”?
Surely the ecosystem, as defined here would not be a Safari Park in Guangzhou, China?
Meng Xialin, of the CITES management authority in China: “The information you got [is] not true,” Meng wrote in an email. “We did not receive information and application concerning these elephant[s].”(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150206-elephant-conservation-zimbabwe-culling-animals/)
Prior to any import permit issued by China, there would need to be a None Detriment Finding by the Chinese CITES Scientific Authority. The CITES Management Authority would need to be provided with this before issuing an import permit. In addition, China domestically requires an import permit for CITES II species as well.
One Party to CITES, the Unites States, has already drawn its conclusions with regards to whether it could complete none detriment findings for Zimbabwe covering the import for elephant trophies which are also listed as Appendix II – the same as the baby elephants. They state:
Based on review of all available information, the Service is unable to find that the killing of an elephant whose trophy is intended for import would enhance the survival of the species in the wild for the following reasons:
• Unclear progress towards goals and objectives of elephant management plans.
• Inadequate information to confirm population status.
• Implementation and enforcement of existing laws and regulations.
• Questionable hunting quotas.
• Use of revenue generated from sport hunting
• Lack of government support
Will the CITES Secretariat and Standing Committee ask its Parties to start complying with basic aspects of the Convention instead of telling the world media that all criteria for such exports have been met?
