Sadly another dose of bad news about poaching,
wildlife and environmental crimes from around the world …
but with one upside, China is banning the importation of
ivory to the mainland for initially one year … a first step
into the right direction …
in the spotlight today ……………………
China bans ivory imports – what will happen next month? extract:
The ban will only affect mainland China and so will not incorporate Hong Kong which is the main destination of illicit ivory. As much of the trading takes place in Hong Kong it is unlikely that a mainland ban will have much impact on the elephant poaching in Africa. Until Hong Kong takes action the impact will me minimal.
http://wildlifenews.co.uk/2015/02/china-bans-ivory-imports-what-will-happen-next-month/
China imposes one-year ivory ban on eve of Prince William visit Beijing announces short ban on ivory imports ahead of Prince William’s royal visit to a Chinese elephant rehabilitation centre next week (NA COMMENT: Can you believe a word the Chinese say?)http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/11438811/China-imposes-one-year-ivory-ban-on-eve-of-Prince-William-visit.html
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei’s Regular Press Conference on February 26, 2015 extract: The Chinese government sets great store by the protection of wildlife, including elephant. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal ivory trading, and severely crack down on ivory smuggling and illegal trading activities through ways of legislation, law enforcement and jurisdiction. We also organize extensive education campaigns to raise public awareness about this. As a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, China has been following the convention and playing a positive role in international cooperation of law enforcement. (NA comment: Where is the evidence to support this load of rubbish spoken by this person? How many years has China been in breach of CITES, multiple times – 10, 20, 30 years? Facilitated by the CITES kow-towing Standing (kneeling?) Committee.
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/t1240873.shtml
China, Tanzania and the blood ivory blacklist. extract: In November of last year the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) released a damming report that shows Tanzania as a key player in the illegal ivory trade. In 2013, the East African country reportedly lost 10 000 elephants, equivalent to 30 a day. The poaching is due to a toxic mix of unlawful syndicates, often led by Chinese nationals, and corruption among some Tanzanian government officials. – See more at: http://africageographic.com/blog/china-tanzania-and-the-blood-ivory-blacklist/#sthash.UOaM8Fvh.dpuf
No 344 Wildlife Trade News 27th February 2015
IT’S WAY PAST TIME CITES GOT SERIOUS ABOUT WILDLIFE CRIME – ISN’T IT?
100,000 ELEPHANTS SLAUGHTERED IN THREE YEARS TO SUPPLY CITES PUPPET MASTERS IN CHINA. IT’S PLAIN WRONG AS WELL AS ILLEGAL – ISN’T IT?
We don’t need no legislation: wildlife protection depends on enforcement (NA comment: Seems like everyone outside of CITES agrees on this, so why don’t CITES bureaucrats enforce the convention? Why? Are they too cowardly – or simply pawns of China?) http://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-no-legislation-wildlife-protection-depends-on-enforcement-37930
Parliament group supports state’s palm oil industry. (NA bureaucrats on the palm oil gravy train suffering from selective blindness while selling their souls in return for a free lunch or two.) http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/02/26/parliament-group-supports-states-palm-oil-industry/#ixzz3Ss0mdv2H
CITES: CONCERNING: Secretary-General’s Certificates of Commendation
http://cites.org/sites/default/files/notif/E-Notif-2015-009.pdf (NA COMMENT: Why is one man allowed so much power in such a large international organisation? WHY? Wouldn’t it be seen to be more democratic and transparent if three people, possibly including a member of say, Traffic, were to assess a country’s merits for an award. CITES NEEDS TO CHANGE – DOESN’T IT?
“The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments. It has been in effect since 1 July 1975. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild.” NA COMMENT: So why doesn’t CITES walk its talk, do as it is meant to? Read that last sentence again and ask yourself ‘why does CITES repeatedly fail its own mission statement – and the wildlife? How many species are threatened because of constant CITES failures?
CITES ISN’T WORKING – IS IT?
THAI PM vows to quash illegal ivory trade
The Customs Department displays confiscated ivory products at a press briefing in Bangkok yesterday. They are among scores of contraband goods — including inhalants, sex toys, sex enhancement pills, baraku and electronic cigarettes — worth more than 500,000 baht in total, sent via the postal service since October.?Pattarapong Chatpattarasill
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crime/483845/pm-vows-to-quash-illegal-ivory-trade .
THE CITES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY IN VIETNAM APPEAR UNINTERESTED IN ARRESTING THE RHINO HORN DEALERS IN THEIR COUNTRY. WHY WOULD THAT BE AND WHY DOES THE STANDING COMMITTEE ALLOW THEM TO GET AWAY WITH THIS? WHY?
HERE ARE THOSE IN VIETNAM WHO HAVE YET TO ASK FOR DETAILS OF A DEALER OFFERING 30 RHINO HORNS FOR SALE.
Viet Nam CITES Management Authority
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
A9 Building
N°2 Ngoc Ha Street
Ba Dinh District
HA NOI
Tel: +84 (4) 37 33 56 76
Fax: +84 (4) 37 34 67 42
Email: cites_vn.kl @ mard.gov.vn; tung.kl @ mard.gov.vn
1.
Forest Protection Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
A3 Building
N°. 2 Ngoc Ha Street
HA NOI
Tel: +84 (4) 38 48 99 74
Fax: +84 (4) 37 33 56 85
Email: kimdt @ kiemlam.org.vn
2.
Environmental Police Department
Ministry of Public Security
N°. 499, Nguyen Trai Road
HA NOI
Tel: +84 (9) 77 20 76 47 (Contact person: Mr. Vu Duyen Hai, Vice Director)
3.
Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department
Viet Nam General Department
Block E3, Duong Dinh Nghe street, Yen Hoa,
Cau Giay District
HA NOI
Tel: +84 (4) 39 44 08 33
Fax: +84 (4) 39 44 06 33
Email: thammuuhtqt @ gmail.com
Oystein Storkersen. oystein.storkersen
AND THE CITES STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE HERE http://www.cites.org/eng/com/sc/member.php You probably won’t be surprised to know CHINA is on this committee.
China’s Luxurious Zoo Conditions Await Zimbabwe’s Elephants (NA comment: And if you believe this you probably also believe in fairies. Oh, and it was not long ago the CHINESE CITES MA denied all knowledge of plans to import these elephants – just goes to show you can’t believe a word he says, can you?) http://en.yibada.com/articles/15927/20150226/china-s-luxurious-zoo-conditions-await-zimbabwe-s-elephants.htm
Illegally-kept tigers saved in Shandong(1/5) CHINA The two tigers were found being kept in a high-rise building in Pingdu city with another young tiger which jumped to its death on February 18, Lunar New Year’s Eve. http://www.ecns.cn/visual/hd/2015/02-27/59859.shtml
Jokowi’s environmental commitments in Indonesia http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0226-jokowi-environmental-commitments.html#ixzz3StWKnitp
Environmental Investigation Agency: Mega-rich tycoons control palm oil industry, driving deforestation and social conflict
A small group of mega-rich tycoons exercise huge control over the Indonesian palm oil sector and are directly responsible for human rights abuses, land grabbing, social conflict and deforestation, warns a new report.
The report by Transformasi untuk Keadilan (Transformation for Justice) and Profundo profiles 25 corporations dominating the sector and the families behind them. It finds that while forests get destroyed and communities are losing their land, “tycoons park their growing wealth in tax havens and continue to strengthen their grip on the sector without sufficient transparency and public control.”
An English summary of the report is at http://tuk.or.id/…/Summary%20of%20the%20tycoon%20study%20Tu…
It argues that research is needed into the “strong ties” of the tycoons with political parties and governments at different levels, warning that “their growing power could also be linked to issues like corruption, tax evasion and the poor functioning of democracy”.
The report also highlights the huge role played by the British bank HSBC in bankrolling deforestation. It reveals that, between 2009-14, HSBC provided more loans to the tycoon-controlled palm oil groups than any other bank.
EIA has previously highlighted the failings in HSBC’s internal safeguards that mean these loans have contributed directly to the destruction of orangutan habitats in Indonesia – http://www.eia-international.org/…/EIA-Banking-on-Extinctio…
The report argues that such financial institutions need to strengthen their safeguards to ensure that they are not “facilitating the further growth of human rights abuses, land grabbing and social conflicts”.
In December 2014, EIA released a report revealing the role of palm oil companies in driving illegal logging as a consequence of corrupt and illegal practices in acquiring land from local governments. The companies profiled in this report control vast areas of land but are not named among the 25 tycoon-controlled firms.
Further research is needed into the role these opaque, ‘undercover tycoons’ play in driving deforestation, corruption and rights abuses away from the glare of publicity. Read our report at http://eia-international.org/…/permitting-crime-how-palm-oi…
Reports blame illegal logging for felling Sarawak forest http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0225-gfrn-harfenist-sarawak-forests-felled-by-ill.html#ixzz3Snp3lqlq
India deploys undercover commandos to combat wildlife trade http://wildlifenews.co.uk/2015/02/india-deploys-undercover-commandos-to-combat-wildlife-trade/
US hardwood flooring giant facing Lacey Act pressure http://www.ttjonline.com/news/us-hardwood-flooring-giant-facing-lacey-act-pressure-4520995/
Adenan marks first year in office with pledge to steer Sarawak away from Taib’s legacy – See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/more-time-needed-to-carry-out-development-programmes-says-sarawak-cm-bernam#sthash.yhzyUy7J.dpuf
Two rhino killed in Zim conservatory http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/two-rhino-killed-in-zim-conservatory-1.1824252#.VO89ZC7JIsc
World’s first all-female patrol protecting South Africa’s rhinos http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/26/worlds-first-all-female-patrol-protecting-south-africas-rhinos
Poachers DECAPITATE 100 deer and scatter their heads across Spanish woodland after the animals were trapped and hungry due to snowfall
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2970107/Poachers-DECAPITATE-100-deer-scatter-heads-Spanish-woodland-animals-trapped-hungry-snowfall.html#ixzz3SrkdLUAF
ZimParks recovers $50 000 elephant tusks from poachers https://www.newsday.co.zw/2015/02/26/zimparks-recovers-50-000-elephant-tusks-poachers/
Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy Driving Animals Away from Humans http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php/sid/230598749
Study finds Peru’s protected areas aren’t where they should be http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0225-gfrn-joshi-peru-protected-areas-are-not-where-they-should-be.html#ixzz3SnpLCV00
Cambodia deports activist leader…then suspends controversial dam http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0225-hance-alex-gonzalez-davidson.html#ixzz3SnMJG51W
Timber Tycoon Blasts Name-Dropping Illegal Loggers. CAMBODIA https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/timber-tycoon-blasts-name-dropping-illegal-loggers-78768/
3 Wood Thieves Found Guilty By Gabon Court http://www.spyghana.com/3-wood-thieves-found-guilty-by-gabon-court/
Dayak Kenyah community fully backs Adenan’s steadfast stance
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/02/27/dayak-kenyah-community-fully-backs-adenans-steadfast-stance/#ixzz3SvJ7JPYr
Media Release: Sea Shepherd Commends Australian Boarding of Poaching Vessel: Now Calls For Arrest http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=14970
Antique dealers wary of ivory ban bill http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-antiques-dealers-wary-ivory-ban-bill-20150226-story.html
86 Indian fishermen arrested for poaching by Sri Lankan navy, officials say http://www.breakingnews.com/item/2015/02/27/86-indian-fishermen-arrested-for-poaching-by-sri-l/
Two Russian men accused of attempting to smuggle wildlife out of WA face court http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/two-russian-men-accused-of-attempting-to-smuggle-wildlife-out-of-wa-face-court/story-fnii5thm-1227241543530
2 held for illegal hunting at Changa Manga http://nation.com.pk/national/27-Feb-2015/2-held-for-illegal-hunting-at-changa-manga
Matusadona Anti Poaching Project – MAPP. ZAMBIA BREAKING NEWS: Prison Sentences For Ivory Dealers
In the two recent incidents where ivory dealers were arrested, sentences for the accused have now been announced:
Accused 1. sentenced to nine years effective jail time/ The counts against him are: possession of ivory; possession of 303 ammunition; and possession of AK 47 ammunition.
Accused 2. sentenced to 9 years effective jail time for possession of ivory.
Five other suspects are awaiting further court appearances and both vehicles that were involved in these incidences are still being held by the state.
Congratulations to all involved in these convictions for this victory against ivory poaching!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matusadona-Anti-Poaching-Project-MAPP/199482320230811?fref=nf
