The daily dose of bad news from around
the world about poaching, wildlife and
environmental crimes …
in the spotlight today ……………………
UAE destroys more than 10 tonnes of seized ivory
International Fund for Animal Welfare expresses strong support to the UAE’s move. The UAE became the first country in the Middle East to publicly crush confiscated raw and carved ivory. Over the past 24 months, countries such as the US, China, France, Belgium, among others, have crushed ivories confiscated in their ports of entry. http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/uae-destroys-more-than-10-tonnes-of-seized-ivory-1.1500921
CITES Secretary-General’s remarks to the first destruction of confiscated elephant ivory in the United Arab Emirates. (NA comment: Speech after speech ….and it all falls on deaf ears in Malaysia, as just one example, where the government still refuses to destroy its mountain of ivory or permit an independent inventory of it ….assuming the ivory has not ‘disappeared’ in the meantime. )
“The objective of CITES is to ensure that wild fauna and flora is not unsustainably exploited through international trade.” says John Scanlon, CITES http://cites.org/eng/cites_sg_wto20
So: How do you feel CITES is doing up to now?
For example: Have things got better or worse in the past 10 years? Have more countries broken the convention and not been sanctioned?
Have more species been exploited unsustainably?
Are there more elephants now, or less?
Are there more rhinos, or less?
Can you name a single traded species whose population is greater now than 10 years ago?
We all know countries which are breaking the convention with relentless frequency, without being punished by CITES. Why?
Are these not unreasonable measures by which to judge the effectiveness, or not, of CITES and its leadership?
If you were appraising CITES out of 10, what marks would you give its officials in general? 10 being top marks.
No 396 Wildlife Trade News: 30th April
Congo-Brazzaville president burns five tonnes of ivory in fight against poachers. Denis Sassou Nguesso sets pile of elephant tusks ablaze as conservationists urge Africans to ‘get angrier’ about impact of poaching
Leaked statistics confirm scale of Tanzania’s elephant crisis EXTRACT: Whether Tanzania’s judiciary has the capacity to implement such penalties is highly unlikely. EIA’s detailed analysis of court proceedings connected to major ivory seizures linked to Tanzania since 2009 found that out of 13 cases involving 26.5 tonnes of ivory, just one person has been convicted.
The international donor community, rightly concerned by the shocking decline in Tanzania’s elephant population caused by rampant poaching, is lining up to fund a range of anti-poaching and elephant conservation projects in the country. In return, it should demand basic openness and transparency from the Tanzanian Government. http://eia-international.org/leaked-statistics-confirm-scale-of-tanzanias-elephant-crisis
Thought for the day: "Change happens when the pain of staying the same
is greater than the pain of change."
Kenya: Punish Port Officials for Thai Ivory – Judge. EXTRACT: A High Court judge has blamed corruption and lack of commitment by Customs officials at the Mombasa port following the seizure of three tonnes of Kenyan ivory in Thailand. http://allafrica.com/stories/201504290271.html
Ebola Empties Villages, Bushmeat Empties Forests
http://www.bonoboincongo.com/2015/04/28/ebola-empties-villages-bushmeat-empties-forests/
Africa’s palm oil industry: new frontier or age old issue? Part 2 http://www.rspo.org/consumers/debate/interview/africas-palm-oil-industry-new-frontier-or-age-old-issue-part-2
Pangolin Prison. SUMATRA
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/28/pangolin-prison/
Kruger tourists help catch rhino poachers
Fined $14,900 over 5 tortoises. MALAYSIA (NA comment: Pathetic fines – just what you expect in Malaysia for wildlife crimes. The government there is pro-wildlife traders – always has been, probably because CITES turns a blind eye. )
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/fined-14900-over-5-tortoises Background to the case: Wildlife traders charged following TV expose on illegal wildlife trade https://www.facebook.com/notes/traffic-southeast-asia/wildlife-traders-charged-following-tv-expose-on-illegal-wildlife-trade/732856326745214
Land redistribution in Zimbabwe threatens wildlife and human populations http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0429-stewart-zimbabwe-land-reform.html
Slow lorises, pangolins, wild meat and crocodile lizards feature in latest TRAFFIC Bulletin http://www.traffic.org/home/2015/4/29/slow-lorises-pangolins-wild-meat-and-crocodile-lizards-featu.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Decline in tiger parts trade in Singapore: ACRES http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2015/04/decline-in-tiger-parts-trade-in-singapore-acres/
Wildlife sniffer dog brigade to be strengthened. INDIA http://www.ptinews.com/news/5972597_Wildlife-sniffer-dog-brigade-to-be-strengthened.html
Three rhino poachers killed in Kaziranga http://www.indiablooms.com/ibns_new/news-details/N/10139/three-rhino-poachers-killed-in-kaziranga.html
