Another dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes …
in the spotlight today ……………………
Three countries receive CITES trade bans for failing elephants (NA Comment: Keep in mind the reports the secretariat have received from Thailand etc, are all kept secret: WHY? Elephants don’t belong to CITES do they?
CHINA – CITES most favoured country and the world’s most prolific convention-buster, has again escaped sanctions. Odd that, isn’t it? China never gets a negative press mention of the CITES web site, is given an award by the Secretary General, and despite China’s appalling abuse of the convention, its ‘business as usual – as you can see from all the news reports. And it’s not only China who inexplicably escape sanctions. Do you think INTERPOL should investigate CITES and why it does not sanction certain countries who are openly complicit in the illegal wildlife trade? i.e. an international convention is not being enforced and we don’t know why. http://wildlifenews.co.uk/2015/03/three-countries-receive-cites-trade-bans-for-failing-elephants/
No 361 Wildlife Trade News 20th March 2015
How did Prince William end up promoting a cruel China elephant circus? (NA comment: Published in China!) http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1741798/how-did-prince-william-end-promoting-cruel-china-elephant-circus
Price of Ivory? 100 Elephants Killed Per day (NA comment: Shame on CHINA and CITES) http://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2015/03/19/price-of-ivory-100-elephants-killed-per-day-the-short-answer/
Mozambique will be stripped of its forests ‘in just a few years’
extract: The Chinese sell the rare exotic hardwood trees such as chanate, ebony, monzo (leadwood), panga panga, pau preto and wenge for a hundred times as much back in their home country. Like Silva and Abilio, many Mozambicans are illegally logging for Chinese companies. Often, in the beginning, the Chinese lend them the money to buy equipment such as a chainsaw, locking them into dependency and forcing them to continue cutting to be able to pay off their debts. By buying from individual Mozambicans, the Chinese avoid the high costs of obtaining a logging licence and the obligation to replant trees.
“If Chinese companies would respect the rules, they would only make about 10% profit,” says Ana Alonso (65), a Spanish writer who has been campaigning against illegal logging in Mozambique for more than 20 years. According to her, bribing officials instead of paying taxes leads to a 50% increase in profits. http://mg.co.za/article/2015-03-19-moz-will-be-stripped-of-its-forests-in-just-a-few-years
Tiger Cub’s Death Leap Exposes Black Market Breeding Ring CHINA
(Photo: ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images) http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/03/19/china-tiger-busted-high-rise-death-traffic
Horns won’t cure your sickness, so stop killing rhinos for them (NA COMMENT: SHAME ON CHINA, VIETNAM AND LAOS) http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0320-friday-animals-extinction-20150320-story.html
Govt seeks to clamp down on ivory smuggling. MALAYSIA (NA COMMENT: A highly optimistic headline as the Malaysian authorities are useless, incompetent and under a cloud for the secrecy behind the actual stocks of ivory – which some believe have been illegally plundered….but this appears to be conveniently ignored by the CITES secretariat.) extract: "A Chinese citizen has been sentenced to two months’ jail and a fine of RM250,000 (S$93,000) for possession and exporting of 16 units of elephant tusks without special permit, …”
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/govt-seeks-clamp-down-ivory-smuggling
Parly urges contraceptives for elephants. ZIMBABWE. EXTRACT: The committee advised the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to also consider culling and export sales under guidance from CITES. http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/news/zimsit-m-parly-urges-contraceptives-for-elephants-newsday-zimbabwe/
Tay Yen Tu primeval forest ravaged by illegal loggers VietNamNet Bridge – The 7,100-hectare Khe Ro primeval forest in Bac Giang province’s Tay Yen Tu Natural Sanctuary is becoming bare in areas as its ancient trees have been chopped down by illegal loggers.
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Preah Rokar community members demonstrate in front of the provincial Forestry Administration yesterday. PON LOK KHMER http://www.phnompenhpost.com/p-vihear-families-call-govt-stop-logger
Ethiopia destroys illegal tusks, ivory products
http://en.starafrica.com/news/ethiopia-destroys-illegal-tusks-ivory-products.html
Cameroon’s rare chimps take on human encroachmenthttp://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/03/cameroon-rare-chimps-human-encroachment-150305111600967.html
Healing Cameroonians Chinese style Chinese medicine practitioners have set up shop in Cameroon – and many locals have welcomed them with open arms. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/03/healing-cameroonians-chinese-style-150308084015308.html
Malaysian, Thai arrested in ivory trade
http://news.thaivisa.com/thaivisa-news/malaysian-thai-arrested-in-ivory-trade/40834/
Wildlife Matters – Malayan tapir running out of time. (NA comment: Along with the Malaysian orangutan, rhino, elephants and tigers – all because of government complacency and lack of law enforcement – much like CITES really.) http://www.thesundaily.my/node/301005
Undercover Photos Show the Plight of Zimbabwe’s Captured Baby Elephants ( NA COMMENT: ELEPHANTS WANTED BY CHINA …. DEAD OR ALIVE. SHAME ON CHINA – AND ZIMBABWE)
High-end Laos resort serves up illegal wildlife for Chinese tourists Shocking undercover investigation finds restaurants offering live bear cubs ‘to eat on request’ washed down with tiger bone wine in the ‘lawless playground’ of Laos’ Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone http://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2015/mar/19/high-end-laos-resort-serves-up-illegal-wildlife-for-chinese-tourists
Sultan of Johor speaks his mind. MALAYSIA. extract: Driving up the road leading to the palace, it was amazing to see several huge cages on both sides, with tigers, panthers and cats inside them. (NA comment: How does this sit with CITES?) http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/03/18/Sultan-of-Johor-speaks-his-mind-Ruler-gives-a-special-no-holds-barred-interview-on-a-wide-range-of-t/
Lashes for two men with zebra meat http://citizen.co.za/347082/lashes-for-two-men-with-zebra-meat/
Africa: Bushmeat Guide ‘Unrealistic About Commercial Hunting http://allafrica.com/stories/201503191493.html
Kenya prosecutors block ‘ivory kingpin’ bail release http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Crime/268547-Kenya-prosecutors-block-ivory-kingpin-bail-relea
Another Calf seized from a house at Kandalama. SRI LANKA http://www.hirunews.lk/105845/another-calf-seized-from-house-at-kandalama
PETA urges Bombay HC to rehabilitate baby elephant seen in television show ‘Bandhan’
