Number 21 November 2003...prevent Big-leaf Mahogany from suffering the same declines as the other...

DISPATCHESNumber 21 November 2003

Putting CITES to work for Big-leaf Mahoganyby Ximena Buitrón, Programme Officer, TRAFFIC South America

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CITES Parties reached a landmarkdecision to regulate internationaltrade of Big-leaf Mahogany in

November 2002, during the twelfthmeeting of the Conference of the Parties toCITES (CoP 12). The listing of Big-leafMahogany in CITES Appendix II was amajor step towards sustainable manage-ment of this valuable Latin Americantimber species. As of 15 November 2003,when the listing takes effect, internationaltrade in logs, sawn logs, veneer andplywood will all be subject to CITES tradecontrols.

However, the CITES listing alone willnot secure conservation of Big-leafMahogany, which for many years has beensubject to illegal and unsustainableharvests, mostly to supply internationalmarkets. Unless strong action is taken toimplement the listing effectively, and toaddress illegal logging and trade to supplydomestic markets, this species, like theother American mahoganies before it,faces an uncertain future.

TRAFFIC South America, with supportfrom WWF, began assisting range Stateswith their efforts to implement the CITESlisting virtually as soon as the listing wasagreed, by providing advice on whatactions will be required to implement thelisting. TRAFFIC subsequently surveyedall range States to assess the capacity andneeds related to implementation, as astarting point for deciding where to focusfuture efforts.

Work to address concerns regardingsustainable forestry and implementation ofthe Appendix II listing received a criticalboost from the UK Foreign andCommonwealth Office, which providedfunding enabling TRAFFIC to monitorand strengthen local capacities toimplement CITES controls and comple-mentary sustainable forestry nationalmeasures in Peru. This work is scheduledfor completion in two years time.TRAFFIC has also received support fromthe World Bank for wider research into therole of CITES in addressing illegallogging, a significant threat to mahoganypopulations.

The CITES Secretariat relied onTRAFFIC's expertise during the secondmeeting of the CITES Mahogany WorkingGroup, held in Belem, Brazil in October2003, and involving the majority of Big-leaf Mahogany range States as well as keyimporting countries. On behalf of theSecretariat, TRAFFIC prepared andpresented a review of the internationaltrade, trade controls and existing capacityfor CITES implementation. Among theother issues covered was the developmentof non-detriment findings - the decisionsexporting governments need to make toverify that export levels will not bedetrimental to the survival of the species.The meeting concluded by recommendinga series of actions needed to ensureeffective management of the internationaltrade in this species.

Like the timber itself, such actions won'tcome cheap, with a significant investmentrequired to develop the scientificfoundation necessary to establish sus-tainable harvesting regimes and to preventillegal logging and trade fromundercutting management efforts.TRAFFIC, WWF and IUCN will bemeeting later this year to agree a plan ofaction identifying how best to supportCITES and other mechanisms, e.g.certification, aimed at securing asustainable future for Big-leaf Mahogany.The challenge ahead is to ensure that allstakeholders work together to make surethat range States are adequately equippedand assisted in this regard. Actions takennow, a year on from CITES CoP 12, willdetermine whether CITES can helpprevent Big-leaf Mahogany from sufferingthe same declines as the other Americanmahoganies, for which CITES listingcame too late.

Mahogany Swietenia macrophyllaManu National Park, Peru.

INSIDE:• TRAFFIC network news• UK National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit• Fisheries news• Queen Conch trade review• CITES workshops in Southeast Asia • Snow Leopard trade • Domestic ivory markets in India• UK Wildlife Trade Campaign• CITES enforcement workshop in Anguilla

• TRAFFIC sets course to meet its targets • Wildlife trader website in EU • Pet trade in France• Traditional medicine practitioners in South Korea• Medicinal plants in the Balkans• Medicinal plants certification in India• North America sturgeon and paddlefish• Fisheries trade measures, WTO compatible?• Thanking supporters• TRAFFIC network contact details

Staff news

2 TRAFFIC Dispatches Number 21 November 2003

TRAFFIC Dispatches219a Huntingdon Road

Cambridge UK, CB3 ODLTel. +44 (0)1223 277427Fax +44 (0)1223 277237

E-mail: [email protected] site: www.traffic.org

Editor: Maija Sirola© TRAFFIC International 2003

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trademonitoring network, works to ensure thattrade in wild plants and animals is not a

threat to the conservation of nature.

TRAFFIC Dispatches is publishedto keep partners and supporters informed

about our activities and accomplishments.TRAFFIC works in co-operation withthe Secretariat of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

is a joint programme of

CongratulationsRoland Melisch, of TRAFFIC Europe-Germany has started in a new position asthe Deputy Director for Conservation atWWF Germany in May 2003 andcontinues his work as the NationalRepresentative of TRAFFIC Europe-Germany on a part-time basis.

WelcomeOctober 2003Dr Izawa Arata joined TRAFFIC EastAsia-Japan office as the Fisheries Officer.

Liz McLellan started as ProgrammeDevelopment Officer in TRAFFICSoutheast Asia - Indochina/Cambodiaoffice.

August 2003Jonathan Evans joined TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa - South Africa officeas a new Programme Officer.

July 2003Angie Woo joined TRAFFIC SoutheastAsia-Indochina as the Project Assistantworking part-time until December 2003.

April 2003Julia Ng Su-Chen started as a newProgramme Officer in TRAFFICSoutheast Asia regional office. .

Nguyen Dao Ngoc Van commenced herwork as National projects Co-ordinatorat TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Indochina.

Tran Thanh Quang joined TRAFFICSoutheast Asia-Indochina as the Adviseron Government Affairs (part time.

March 2003Fausto Paramo joined TRAFFIC SouthAmerica regional office as a newSecretary & Finance Officer.Christine Simiyu started as a new FinanceOfficer of TRAFFIC East/SouthernAfrica.

GoodbyeSue Kang, Korea Representative leftTRAFFIC East Asia in May 2003.

Karin Berkhoudt, Programme Officer, leftTRAFFIC Europe in May 2003.

Shoko Kameoka, XX?, left TRAFFIC EastAsia-Japan in March 2003.

Vincent Chen, Programme Officer, leftTRAFFIC East Asia-Taipei Office inMarch 2003.

Nguyen Tri Man, Programme Officer, leftTRAFFIC-Indochina office in March2003.

Daniel Ndanyi, Research Officer, leftTRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - Kenyaoffice in March 2003.

Rob Barnet, Senior Programme Officer,left TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa -Kenya office in March 2003.

TRAFFIC to support the UK NationalWildlife Crime Intelligence Unit

TRAFFIC International, with supportfrom WWF-UK and the UK CITESManagement Authority (Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs,Defra), has been working towards directparticipation in the UK National WildlifeCrime Intelligence Unit (NWCIU). InOctober 2003 this goal was achieved witha part time secondment of a member ofTRAFFIC International staff, who will beworking in the Unit at the NationalCriminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) twodays a week.

NCIS provides leadership andexcellence in criminal intelligence in theUK and works on behalf of all UK lawenforcement agencies in the fight againstserious and organised crime. NCIS hasseveral specialised units for a range ofissues that generate strategic and tactical

commodities such as elephant ivory andshahtoosh shawls. TRAFFIC’s expertisein wildlife trade, its contacts and wealth ofinformation generated by its globalnetwork will be invaluable in ensuring thatintelligence analysis is based upon the bestinformation available.

"The trust that has been built up over 15years of TRAFFIC support to UK lawenforcement agencies, with funding fromWWF-UK and Defra, has been thefoundation upon which this new andexciting chapter in our enforcementsupport work is based. With thispartnership TRAFFIC has come of age inits efforts to seriously combat illegalwildlife trade, we hope this precedent willbring about a significant impact.", saidCrawford Allan from TRAFFICInternational.

intelligence, nationally and internationally.The NWCIU is the national focal point

for the collation, analysis anddevelopment of strategic assessments onthe most serious offenders in wildlifecrime. It identifies trends and patterns inwildlife crime and the links to otherserious crime. The Unit develops sourcesto gather intelligence, provides a nucleusof expertise and knowledge on the subjectand establishes links with domestic andinternational agencies dealing withwildlife crime.

Through this secondment, initially for aperiod of six months, TRAFFIC willsupport the Unit's work by focussing onthe priority targets of NWCIU. Thepriorities are focussed largely on illegaltrade in wildlife such as caviar, parrots,reptiles, traditional Asian medicines and

Number 21 November 2003 TRAFFIC Dispatches 3

The Commission for the Conservationof Antarctic Marine Living Resources

(CCAMLR) meets from 27 October to 7November in Hobart, Tasmania. TheCommission will again consider measuresto address illegal, unreported andunregulated (IUU) fishing, whichcontinues to pose an immediate threat tothe long-term sustainability of PatagonianToothfish and Antarctic Toothfish stocksas well as to the survival of several seabirdspecies. The continuing threat posed byIUU fishing was recently highlightedinternationally with the 3900 nautical milechase and eventual arrest of theUruguayan-flagged vessel 'Viarsa 1' foralleged illegal fishing inside the AustralianFishing Zone.

TRAFFIC will again attend theCCAMLR meeting as part of the IUCNdelegation and is urging Members to adoptvarious initiatives to combat IUU fishing,including a centralised vessel monitoringsystem. In particular, TRAFFIC will beurging CCAMLR to adopt an approach toco-operation with CITES that will ensurethat the respective expertise of bothorganisations is used in a way thatmaximises the contribution of each tocombating IUU fishing. CCAMLR hasalso previously recognised that analysis oftrade data has an important role inassessing and reviewing the operation ofthe Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS)for toothfish. TRAFFIC is calling for thedata collected under the CDS to be madepublicly available in a form that willenable analytical comparison withavailable trade information. Failure byCCAMLR to adopt strong measures at thismeeting to combat IUU fishing willundoubtedly result in renewed calls fortoothfish to be listed in Appendix II ofCITES at the 13th meeting of theConference of the Parties.

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Fisheries news around the globeby Anna Willock, Senior Fisheries Advisor, TRAFFIC Oceania

Conservation measuresfor PatagonianToothfish again under scrutiny

Effective managementof the world's largesttuna fishery a stepcloser

importance to the Pacific region make thetask of the new Convention both criticaland complex.

TRAFFIC has participated in thenegotiations to develop the newConvention since 1997 and continues toengage in the development of conser-vation and management measures to beconsidered by the new Commission oncethe Convention enters into force.

TRAFFIC Oceania and WWF'sEndangered Seas Programme have

prepared a joint report highlighting issuesrelating to the exploitation of deep-seafisheries resources, using the experienceof Orange Roughy Hoplostethusatlanticus fisheries world-wide to illus-trate some of these issues. The report willbe presented at the 'Deep Sea 2003'Conference, to be held from 1 to 5December in Queenstown, New Zealand.The Conference will focus on issuesconcerning the conservation and man-agement of marine fisheries below 400metres.

The relatively recent history of deep-seafisheries has demonstrated the fragility ofdeep-sea species, their habitats and theirconsequent vulnerability to overfishing.The experience of fisheries for OrangeRoughy aptly illustrates these traits.Orange Roughy live to around 120 years,

at depths between 500 and 2000 metres,and aggregate to spawn and feed on deep-sea seamounts. Fishing for theseaggregations causes significant damage tothe fragile seamount communities and hasresulted in the commercial extinction ofsome individual stocks of Orange Roughy.The pattern of Orange Roughy fisheriesworldwide has been one of rapidexpansion and then collapse after a fewintense years of high catches. TheTRAFFIC / WWF paper attempts tocritique from an ecosystem-basedperspective the management of thesemarine fisheries and make recom-mendations that can be applied to thefuture development of deep-sea fisheries.

The report will be available on theTRAFFIC website in early December. Thestudy was generously funded by the Davidand Lucile Packard Foundation.

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Bluefin and Yellowfin tuna being processed for sale at the Tokyo fishmarket in Japan.

The potential for effective conservationand management of the world's largest

tuna fishery is a step closer to beingrealised with the imminent entry into forceof the Convention for the Conservationand Management of Highly MigratoryFish Stocks in the Western and CentralPacific Ocean. Twelve countries havenow ratified the Convention with only onemore required for the Convention to enterinto force.

The tuna fishery of the western andcentral Pacific Ocean is worth aroundUSD2 billion annually and covers an areain excess of 30 million square kilometres.Yearly landings exceed two million tonnesand catch from the fishery representsaround one third of all tuna landedworldwide; 60 % of all tuna for canningand 30 % of the sashimi grade tunaimported into Japan. Around 70 % of thecatch is taken in the zones of Pacific islandcountries and territories with proceedsfrom that catch representing a significantportion of many countries’ gross domesticproduct. The size of the fishery, thedynamic nature of the pelagic ecosystemon which it is based, and its economic

Focus on deep-sea fisheries resources


After many years of concern aboutpopulation declines and alleged highlevels of illegal fishing and trade, thisdevelopment is the critical first step in aseries of measures needed in bringing theQueen Conch fishery and trade tosustainable levels. Technical and financialassistance is now urgently needed tosupport range States in their efforts toensure the long-term future of thisimportant resource.

Haiti, a third Queen Conch range Statethat was also categorised as being of'urgent concern', has not implemented therecommendation of the Animals Committeeto suspend exports of Queen Conch.Consequently, the CITES StandingCommittee recommended that all CITESParties suspend imports of Queen Conchfrom Haiti.

This temporary suspension ofinternational trade in Queen Conch hassignificant consequences for the threecountries, especially for the hundreds offishermen involved.

However, after years of reports aboutincreasing levels of illegal fishing andunsustainable harvesting practices involv-ing these three countries, the measurestaken seem unavoidable in bringing thecountries' Queen Conch fisheries tosustainable levels and to end the con-tinuous illegal harvesting in foreignwaters.

The commitment demonstrated by theDominican Republic and Honduras is apositive signal and an important first stepto implement a comprehensive set of shortand long-term recommendations made bythe CITES Animals Committee.

Country-specific recommendationshave also been made for most of theremaining Queen Conch range States,including the Bahamas, Belize, Colombia,Cuba, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis,and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, allof which export Queen Conch meat forcommercial purposes, some in significantquantities. Similar to the DominicanRepublic, Haiti and Honduras, thesecountries are requested to establish catchand export quotas that are based on stockassessments and are supported by datacollection and population monitoringprogrammes. In addition, all Queen Conchrange States are asked by the AnimalsCommittee to commit and activelyparticipate in any regional actions andefforts resulting from the CITES Reviewof Significant Trade. These actions mayinclude the development of a regionalmanagement regime, strengthening lawenforcement capacity and effectiveness,and improving population assessmentmethods and other research relating to themanagement of Queen Conch.

However, in order to implement thecomprehensive set of recommendations,range States, in particular those aboveidentified as being of 'urgent concern' arein immediate need of technical andfinancial support. Therefore, Queen Conchrange States are encouraged by thedecision made by CITES to seekassistance from international and regionalfisheries expert organisations, such as theFood and Agriculture Organisation of theUnited Nations (FAO), or the CaribbeanRegional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM).Additionally, major importing nations,such as the USA and France, are urged toassist range States, for example indesigning and undertaking stockassessments and establishing monitoringprogrammes.

It will be essential to evaluate theprogress made by the range States in

The CITES review of significant trade in Queen Conch, undertaken by TRAFFIC Europe,has shown its first results: The Dominican Republic and Honduras suspended exports ofQueen Conch Strombus gigas in late September 2003 in response to recommendationsmade by the CITES Animals Committee based on the report prepared by TRAFFICEurope. After many years of concern about ongoing population decline and alleged highlevels of illegal fishing and trade, this development is the critical first step in a series of measures needed in bringing the Queen Conch fishery and trade to sustainable levels.Technical and financial assistance is now urgently needed to support range States in their efforts to ensure the long-term future of this important resource.

First results of CITES Review of Significant Tradein Queen Conch, but still a long way to goby Stephanie Theile, Programme Officer, TRAFFIC Europe

Next page:Processedconch meatat aprocessingplant inJamaica.

Queen conchfishingvessel inJamaica.

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TRAFFIC Dispatches 5Number 21 November 2003

Thirty years after the historic signingof CITES, the lack of science inwildlife trade decision making

continues to hamper the effectiveness ofthe Convention. But in Southeast Asia, anew training initiative may hold the key tounlocking new opportunities for countriesto better manage trade in their wildliferesources.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia's partnershipwith the CITES Secretariat on developinga regional action plan for increasing theuse of "Science in CITES" began in May2003 with the first of two 5-dayworkshops planned for the region. Morethan 50 representatives from BruneiDarussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines and Thailand gathered inSabah, Malaysia, to learn more about howconservation and sustainable use ofwildlife can have a lasting benefit whenbuilt on a solid platform of science-basedmanagement.

TRAFFIC's work with the CITESSecretariat on capacity building comes ata critical time in this region. A lot of workis still needed to redress the impact ofover-exploitation on long-term conser-vation as well counter mis-perceptionsthat remain among some stakeholdersabout CITES being a global trade ban,rather than a tool to contribute to the long-term prosperity of countries wishing toexploit their resources with appropriatelysustainable management frameworks.

As well as being a source for wildanimals and plants, and their derivativesand by-products, Southeast Asia is a majorhub for trade in wildlife, functioning assupplier, consumer and a general import-export emporium of plants, animals andtheir derivatives. Nearly all the majortaxonomic groups of plants and animalsfound in Southeast Asia are traded, bothlegally and illegally, including elephantsand ivory, reptile skins, bears, orchids,timber, freshwater and marine turtles, tigerproducts, endemic birds, and the highvalue aromatic and medicinal forestproduct, agarwood.

In Sabah, workshop delegates werepresented with a series of examplesfocusing on the need to set precautionarylimits on the legal exploitation of wildlifespecies listed in Appendix II of CITES,and how to develop appropriate checksand balances to allow this to happen.

Trainers from the CITES Secretariat settasks for the trainees to conduct 'riskassessments' of harvest regimes for taxa asdiverse as corals, snakes and butterflies.

The setting and monitoring of annualquotas for harvest and export was alsodealt with during the workshop, againusing real examples of species occurringin trade in large volumes such as the AsianBox Turtle Cuora amboinensis.

At the completion of the workshop,each national delegation identified a set ofpriorities for follow-up action at nationaland regional level.

By listening to what the governmentauthorities are dealing with in the region, abetter understanding can be achieved interms of how to systematically address theproblems of managing wildlife trade in theregion. The feedback received from theparticipants also indicate that theworkshop's practical focus showed thatCITES could be a useful component of the'conservation toolbox'.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia will facilitatea second workshop in Southeast Asia in17-21 November 2003 in Phnom Penh,Cambodia. This workshop will bringtogether representatives from Cambodia,Lao PDR, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailandand Viet Nam. Of the 11 countries in theregion, only Lao PDR and the new nationof Timor Leste (East Timor) are non-Parties to CITES.

For further information on theworkshops organized in Southeast Asia,please contact TRAFFIC Southeast AsiaRegional Office.

implementing the recommendations and tomonitor the impact these measures mighthave on harvest and trade patterns in thewider Caribbean region and on the statusof the conch populations concerned. Therehas been concern that the closure of somecountries' fisheries will not effectively haltillegal harvesting, but may instead lead toillegally harvested conch being landed andexported from other countries. Therefore,it will be necessary to monitor anypotential changes in future export levels ofsome of the other major exporting nations,such as the Bahamas, Belize, Colombia,Cuba, Jamaica, Nicaragua and the Turksand Caicos Islands. This underlines theimportance of a regional strategy formanaging the Queen Conch fishery, asactions and measures taken in one country,may directly impact the fishery in another.

TRAFFIC Europe has been working onthe Queen Conch fishery and itsmanagement since 2000. For furtherbackground information, a full copy of theSignificant Trade Review report on QueenConch and the outcomes of the first phaseof the CITES Secretariat project devel-oping a model management strategy forthe Queen Conch undertaken by TRAFFICEurope in 2001, see TRAFFIC Dispatches19, March 2002 and visit the TRAFFICwebsite at http://www.traffic.org/news/dom_honduras.html.

Science in CITES: workshopsprovide missing linkby James Compton, Director, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

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A large part of the findings of the reportreleased in August 2003 in collaborationwith WWF and International SnowLeopard Trust (ISLT) is based on literaturesearches and web-based informationgathering. First-hand information was alsoreceived through a TRAFFIC ques-tionnaire survey of experts andgovernment personnel in Snow Leopardrange States and other countries. Insummer 2002, first-hand surveys wereundertaken in Mongolia and Pakistan.

The results of the report clearly showthat Snow Leopards and their parts aretraded in all 12 range States (with thepossible exception of Bhutan). This isdespite the fact that killing and trade isprohibited in most of the range States andthe species is listed in CITES Appendix I,which prohibits all commercial inter-national trade of the animal. Today, thereare only an estimated 4000-7000 SnowLeopards left in the world.

The results of the report also show thatthreats posed to snow leopards may varyamong the different regions: killing fortrade is the biggest threat for snowleopards in the central Asian region andthe Russian Federation. In the Himalayanregion, the main threat identified in thereport is conflict between snow leopardsand herders, who kill Snow Leopards toprotect their livestock, but the parts thenoften end up in trade.

National demand in the range Statescontinues to drive some trade but part ofthe goods on offer also end up in non-range regions, such as Europe and theMiddle East. Foreign visitors, includingtourists and military personnel, formanother distinct group that purchasesSnow Leopard parts.

The main products in demand are pelts.Prices for skins range from just tens of USdollars as reported by hunters in Nepal, tothousands of US dollars, as reported on theblack market in Kazakhstan.

The report further indicates that illegaltrade occurs in live Snow Leopards and inother body parts such as teeth, nails, meat,as well as bone, which is feeding intotraditional Asian medicine markets, but ona much smaller scale.

SnowLeopard

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Tighter controls needed to curb increasingthreats to snow leopards

The Snow Leopard, one of the most endangered big cats in the world, is beingseverely threatened by illegal killing throughout its range. According to the results ofa new TRAFFIC report, action is now urgently needed by the range States to addressthe root causes of illegal killing and continuing trade in Snow Leopards and their parts,to ensure survival of this highly endangered species.

"There is an urgent need for range Statesto address the gaps in their legislation forsnow leopards and increase theirenforcement efforts. For example, byenhancing anti-poaching activities in therange States where trade is the mostprominent threat," said Stephanie Theile,the author of the report from TRAFFICEurope. "It is also vital to provideeconomic incentives for snow leopardconservation to the herders who live inSnow Leopard range, for example bydeveloping livestock insurance schemes,and recover the natural prey base of SnowLeopards to prevent conflict situationsbetween the local communities and SnowLeopards in the first place."

Coinciding with the release of theTRAFFIC report, concerted efforts toimprove Snow Leopard conservation werestrengthened in August by completion of aglobal Snow Leopard Survival Strategy,an initiative co-ordinated by ISLT, which

drew upon acknowledged snow leopardexperts, conservation biologists and,development specialists, includingTRAFFIC among others.

The co-ordinated snow leopard strategyand the TRAFFIC study provide strongincentives for all stakeholders involved toachieve long-term solutions for sustain-able livelihoods of local communities inthe range States and to help save theendangered Snow Leopard before it is toolate.

For hard copies of the report contactTRAFFIC International, a soft copy canbe downloaded from TRAFFIC website atwww.traffic.org/publications/pubs_intl.

The report was generously funded by laSocieta Zoologica la Torbiera, the RuffordMaurice Laing Foundation, WWFBelgium, WWF Italy, WWF Netherlandsand WWF UK.

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Recent study shows ivory use and trade shiftunderground in India

The TRAFFIC report released in June2003 in collaboration with WWF Indiaexamines the ivory trade in 2000 and 2001and shows that hundreds of Indiancraftsmen were still using ivory.

The study found that both foreign andIndian nationals purchase ivory artifactssuch as carvings, jewelry and, evenoccasionally, name seals. It also identifieda continuing link between Indian demandand cultural traditions unique to India thatproduce religious carvings of Hindu gods,ivory and wood inlay pieces and miniatureMogul paintings on ivory.

The most active production andcollection areas for raw ivory are Orissa,Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal,and the most active markets for workedivory were found to be Murshidabad inWest Bengal, Jaipur and Udaipur inRajasthan, and Kochi and Thiruvana-

Illicit trade in elephant ivory persists in India despite national ban since the 1970saccording to TRAFFIC report released in June 2003. Domestic ivory trade continuesto be widespread in the country, but has now largely shifted underground, hinderinglaw enforcement efforts. However, as a result of the report's findings enforcementaction has been taken to impact on the individuals and networks involved. Further, aland mark decision passed by the Supreme Court in August 2003 indicates strong willby the government to put an end to this prevailing, unregulated trade.

Retail markets for ivory stillpersist in West Africa To gain a better understanding of thecurrent situation of domestic ivorymarkets in West African region, TRAFFICconducted market surveys in Nigeria,Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire during thesummer of 2002. The results to be releasedlater this year in the TRAFFIC Onlinereport series hosted at www.traffic.orgshow that similarly to Asian surveys, thedomestic trade in ivory continues in anunregulated fashion in all three countries.

For future updates on the report, seewww.traffic.org.

Ivorystatues ofLord Krishnawere foundto beavailable in a number oflocationsduring thesurveys.

thapuram in the southern state of Kerala.Nepal also stands out as an internationaldestination for Indian ivory carvings.

According to the study, the four mainsources of raw ivory were locally-poachedAsian Elephants, domesticated elephantsin India, smuggled African Elephant ivory,as well as pre-ban ivory stocks in India.

Between 1996 and 2001, an annualaverage of at least 270kg of raw ivory wasseized in India, indicating that nationallaw enforcement efforts were meetingwith some success, but also that a large,continuing domestic market still prevails.

As for India's pre-ban stock, there islittle consolidated information on itsvolume or locations. Some stocks continueto remain in possession of dealers with noongoing monitoring system to ensure theyare not leaking onto the marketplace.

The existence of a potent domestic ivorymarket in India is especially worrying inthe face of a documented increasing globaltrend in international smuggling of ivory.India, together with Kenya, hasconsistently opposed moves to re-openlimited conditional ivory trade at themeetings of the Conference of the Partiesto CITES since the 1990 ban.

Statistical analysis under ElephantTrade Information System (ETIS) byTRAFFIC tabled at the Twelfth Meetingof the Conference of the Parties to CITESlast year indicates that international,illegal trade in ivory is directly correlatedto the presence of large-scale, unregulateddomestic ivory markets. Located in bothAfrica and Asia these markets havebecome increasingly more active since1996 and account for the greatest volumeof ivory being seized throughout theworld.

TRAFFIC's information leads toenforcement action and a land markdecision

Information stemming from theTRAFFIC investigation, including theidentification of the traders and premisesdealing in illict ivory, were passed inconfidence to the Government of India.The response was immediate with

initiation of enforcement authorityinvestigations. A number of seizures andarrests have since resulted and furtherinvestigations are ongoing.

The TRAFFIC report urged theGovernment of India to take immediateaction to establish why the ban, which alsoprohibits any trade in pre-ban ivory stocksin the country, has been breached to datewith apparent ease and regularity.

To this end, TRAFFIC lauded alandmark decision in August 2003, as theSupreme Court dismissed the traders'demands which began in 1991 to beallowed to clear the stocks they heldfollowing a 1986 ban on sale, import andexport of ivory. The Supreme Court alsoordered the Indian Government to takepossession of all ivory stock includingproducts such as idols and images of God.

The decision taken by the SupremeCourt and the enforcement responsedemonstrates rigorous and importantaction by the government in its efforts tohalt the ongoing domestic commerce andaddressing the root causes of this trade

To download a copy of the fullTRAFFIC Online report An Assessment ofthe Domestic Ivory Carving Industry andTrade Controls in India, please visithttp://www.traffic.org/publications/reportseries.html. The publication of the reportwas generously funded by the RuffordMaurice Laing Foundation and WWF-UK.

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The main goals of the campaign were toensure parity in laws related to protectionof native and exotic species, particularlywith respect to penalties for offences andthe powers available to the police. Theneed for increased awareness of thejudiciary was also a priority. A secondarygoal was to evaluate the impact of the UKon the global trade in wildlife and ensuresuch activities were not detrimental. Thecampaign was extended by six monthsuntil July 2003 to be certain that the maingoals were met. This article looks at whatthe campaign has achieved, how it hasmade a difference and the challenges itfaced.

Why a UK wildlife trade campaign?A number of elements contributed to the

recognition of the need for more effectiveimplementation and enforcement ofwildlife trade laws in the UK. The mainproblem identified by law enforcers wasthe lack of powers available to the policeunder the Control of Trade in EndangeredSpecies Regulation (COTES). Thegovernment had been due to undertake areview of COTES and the campaign wasinitiated to call for changes through thereview, to make sure that the powers andpenalties available were proportionate andappropriate. Concerns were also beingvoiced about the need for more infor-mation and guidance for the judiciaryabout wildlife trade crime. A series ofdisparate judgements in recent years hadmeant that balanced information about theseriousness of offences and their impacton endangered species was required. TheEU is one of the world's largest consumersof wildlife and, as a key player in thisregard, there was very little awareness ofthe UK's impact on the international tradeand how it fares in sustaining orexhausting wildlife resources.

The need for increased powersand penalties

COTES covers domestic sales andpurchases of species regulated orprohibited in trade, according to a list ofspecies contained in the Annexes of theEU Regulations that implement the CITEStreaty. Violation of COTES is not anarrestable offence and therefore this

impedes the investigation and potential forprosecution of offenders. Under the lawsrelating to native species however, theoffences are arrestable. As was highlightedduring the campaign, "offenders can bearrested in the UK for selling a commonfrog but not a Tiger skin or rhino horn".One way to make offences arrestable wasto increase custodial penalties from twoyears to five years. The campaign aimedto ensure that the government hadcommitted to introduce new primarylegislation to increase sentences byNovember 2003.

The campaign process and toolsThe campaign approach used a range of

processes and tools to achieve its aims -from engaging the public to sign apetition, to discussions with theEnvironment Minister:

Parliamentary approach: involvedworking with Members of Parliament whotabled bills, gave supporting speeches andasked Parliamentary Questions. The mainvehicle for showing Parliament's supportfor the campaign aims was through aparliamentary pledge, which 344 MPssigned in support of the motion.

Government review: influencing theCOTES review process undertaken by theDepartment for Environment, Food andRural Affairs (Defra) was a vital elementand the campaign provided a well-researched response, as well as attempting

to make others aware of the key issues.The required changes to COTES weremade through an amendment to theCriminal Justice Bill, which is passingthrough the final stages of theparliamentary process.

Research reports: the campaignpublished five research reports on themesrelated to wildlife trade and the UK.These included studies on the scale andscope of the legal and illegal trade, theenforcement and legal systems for dealingwith wildlife trade crimes, the trade routesto the UK, the involvement of organizedcrime, and the impact of the UK onwildlife through trade.

Public engagement: the public wasengaged in the campaign through apetition supporting the main campaigngoal. The petition comprised 120 000signatures and was presented to the NatureProtection Minister in April 2003. Letter-writing kits were produced to enablemembers of the public to write to theirMPs in support of the parliamentarypledge.

Media engagement: the campaignwas supported throughout by excellentmedia coverage that was generated andbased largely around the release of thecampaign reports. Press releases wereused at various stages and timed to certainevents.

UK Wildlife Trade Campaign results arearrestingCrawford Allan, UK Wildlife Trade Campaign Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC International

As the UK Wildlife Trade Campaign of WWF-UK and TRAFFIC International, launched in January 2002, ends, the aims and achievements of the campaign to bring about changes to legislation, raise awareness and affect resource allocation to enforce trade laws, are being assessed.

A petition ofover 120,000

signature insupport of the

main goal of thecampaign was

handed over toto the Nature

ProtectionMinister,

Elliot Morley (in the middle)

in April 2003

TRA

FFIC


Stephanie Pendry / TRA

FFIC International

Guidance for the judiciaryThe campaign worked towards encour-

aging the preparation of sentencingguidelines to help magistrates and judgesdetermine the appropriate penalties forwildlife trade offences. The Minister forthe Environment, on behalf of theMagistrates' Association, launched thesentencing guidance notes in November2002. This was part of an informationtoolkit covering many aspects ofenvironmental crime.

Influencing the UK's impact onwildlife through trade

A research study looked at the broadimpact of the UK on wildlife throughconsumer demand and subsidiary effects,such as associated environmental damageand invasive species. The report includedcase studies on the impact of thehorticultural trade and the live reptiletrade. The main findings and recom-mendations were publicized through themedia, linked to the Chelsea Flower Show.The high level of media coveragesignificantly raised the profile of the issuesand the campaign.

The achievementsAll of the main aims of the campaign

were achieved, as were most of the lesserobjectives. It is almost certain that the lawwill be changed as called for by thecampaign. Although the process of thereview may have achieved the same resultwithout the campaign, it is very unlikelythat it would have been achieved soquickly. The campaign kept up themomentum and interest in the issue toensure a timely result. The magistrate'sguidance was the first of its kind in the UKand it was thought that this would not havebeen possible due to sensitivities aboutinfluencing the judiciary. Wildlife tradeissues in the UK have never received sucha high profile. The likely benefits forcontinued support for wildlife trade lawenforcement and positive governmentpolicies have been greatly increased.

The challengesThe campaign was also subject to some

challenges, particularly at the outset. Aftersome initial suspicion that the campaignwas critical of the government, mis-understandings were resolved and quitequickly the campaign and the governmentdepartments and agencies started to worktogether. The campaign was also achallenge for TRAFFIC, which had notbeen so closely involved in this type ofoperation before.

The futureWhile this is the end of the campaign, it

has set some precedents with increasedenforcement powers and sentences andgreater awareness. It is now up to WWF-UK and TRAFFIC to make sure that thislegacy is borne out, through continuedwork on the issues in the UK andengagement of all parties involved.

Partici-pants

at theAnguilla

work-shop.

As a result of a week long workshopheld in Anguilla, enforcementagencies in the United Kingdom

Overseas Territories (OTs) in theCaribbean are now better equipped withthe knowledge to combat illegal wildlifetrade in the region. Awareness of wildlifetrade issues and the importance of CITESwithin the Overseas Territories has beengreatly enhanced. In July 2003, 24participants attended the UK CaribbeanOTs Wildlife Trade Law EnforcementWorkshop, which was funded by the UKForeign and Commonwealth Office(FCO). The workshop was organised bythe FCO and TRAFFIC International inpartnership with the Governor's Office inAnguilla, and brought together Police,Customs and CITES authority repre-sentatives (or equivalent) from the fiveOTs in the Caribbean. This was the firsttime that Anguilla, the British VirginIslands, the Cayman Islands, Montserratand the Turks and Caicos Islands had metto discuss and be trained on enforcementof CITES, and their domestic laws toprotect native wildlife from illegalcollection and trade.

A five-day programme was successfullydelivered by a number of agencies, andwas well received by the participants. Thehard working trainers were from HerMajesty's Customs and Excise, the UKDepartment for Environment, Food andRural Affairs (Defra), the Joint NatureConservation Committee (JNCC), theCITES Secretariat and the United StatesFish and Wildlife Service and TRAFFIC.The workshop was also facilitated by theCITES Secretariat.

The training on how to enforce CITESwas delivered through a series ofpresentations and exercises that allowedhands-on practice by the participants. Inaddition, all participants received atraining manual and CD-ROM containingcomprehensive information on the coursecontents as well as detailed backgroundand reference materials.

The OTs have many rare and interna-tionally important species, some of whichare protected under CITES, such as marineturtles, endemic iguanas, queen conch andblack coral. As tourism greatly influencesall issues in the region, there is growingpressure on the natural resources, boththrough habitat destruction and thedemand for exotic gifts for visitors orsouvenirs to take home to remind them oftheir stay. There is also the ever-presentthreat from wildlife collectors who prizethe localised and often-endemic speciesfound in the Caribbean islands. In 2000,three German nationals were caught tryingto fly out from Grand Cayman airport.Hidden in their luggage were over 1,250wildlife specimens including live lizards,frogs and orchids.

If the OTs are to safeguard their naturalenvironment for future generations it isessential that the trade in protected speciesbe controlled. Trade in queen conch meatand shells, black coral ornaments,endemic reptiles and marine turtleproducts are a few examples of commonissues facing the OTs regarding CITESregulation. Better CITES enforcement orgreater protection of native species willnot damage the tourism industry but willensure that it is enhanced through asustainable trade that will not threaten thesurvival of these important plants andanimals.

One of the main aims of the workshopwas to train those attending so that theymay take their newly acquired knowledgeback to their territories, and using thematerials provided, train others in theiragencies and departments. This aim isalready being realised as the Turks andCaicos Islands have held their ownenforcement training workshop based onthe knowledge gained and materialsreceived by the participants at the Anguillaworkshop. The Cayman Islands are alsoorganizing their own workshop

For more information on the workshop,contact TRAFFIC International.

CITES enforcement gets a boost in the UK Caribbean Overseas Territoriesby Stephanie Pendry, UK Enforcement Support Officer,TRAFFIC International

This, initially planned as a year-longtargeted campaign in 11 EU languages, isan intiative of and financed by theEuropean Commission. The website wasdeveloped and is managed by TRAFFICEurope with support from the CITESManagement Authorities of all EUMember States.

The website is especially importantbecause of the impact wildlife consumermarkets have on the conservation ofbiodiversity around the world. Millions oflive animals and plants are imported intothe European Union every year, includingparrots from South America, chameleonsfrom Africa and orchids from SoutheastAsia. Further, a large variety of wildlifeproducts such as shoes or bags made ofreptile skin, timber products such asfurniture or dried plants used as medicinesare in high demand by EU consumers.

...continued on next page

10 TRAFFIC Dispatches

The first international websiteproviding information on wildlifetrade controls in the European

Union (EU) was launched in June 2003.The website designed to raise theawareness of those involved in wildlife

trade; from importers, wholesalers andretailers to consumers and travellers alike,by informing them about their legalresponsibilities under the EU WildlifeTrade Regulations.

TRAFFIC Europe in search of responsible wildlife tradersby Laurie Kint, Communications Officer, TRAFFIC Europe

Staff from 7 regional programmesmet at the Annual TRAFFICNetwork Meeting in Ithala Game

Reserve, South Africa, to set its course formeeting the targets of its currentconservation programme and lay thefoundation for a new programmebeginning June 2004. The meeting wasalso attended by representatives fromTRAFFIC's partner organisations, IUCNand WWF.

The aim of the meeting was forTRAFFIC to map its course for the future- not just in terms of specific priorities andactions for the coming year, but also toreview progress and lessons learned in

past years and set the blueprint for the newTRAFFIC programme to be implementedduring 2004-2008. Various aspects ofTRAFFIC's programme were discussed,including programme design andpriorities, global and regional balance,focal point roles in the TRAFFIC networkand the organisation's global supportstructure.

Key issues affecting the development ofthe network were also examined,including the organisation's profile,advocacy and campaigning opportunities,fundraising challenges and howTRAFFIC's organisational structure couldmost effectively deliver positiveconservation outcomes.

A number of key strategic themes werediscussed in special workshops. A specialworkshop was held on the theme ofwildlife trade and development, and howTRAFFIC could best engage in workrelated to development, poverty erad-ication and livelihoods. Discussionsfocussed on how to ensure conservationrecommendations do not result in negativelivelihood impacts that would in turn have

negative impacts on conservation. Themeeting also identified an urgent need towork with appropriate partners tomaximise positive impacts ofdevelopment on conservation objectivesand minimise negative impacts onconservation objectives.

Another workshop on timber tradeexchanged views and information onprogress made on this issue by TRAFFICat the regional and global level andexplored linkages and synergies betweendiverse network activities. These rangedfrom worked focussed on species such asmahogany, and ecoregions such as theMiombo Woodlands, to timbercertification, law enforcement andgovernance issues

With the 13th Meeting of theConference of the Parties to CITES takingplace in October next year, discussion alsofocussed on a number of key advocacypushes in the run-up to the Conference.These ranged from promoting stricterdomestic ivory trade controls, toenhancing regulation of musk deerproducts.

TRAFFIC sets course to meet its targetsby Sabri Zain, Campaigns and Advocacy Director, TRAFFIC International

TRAFFIC staff at the network meeting

Number 21 November 2003

Stev

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TRAFFIC Dispatches 11

In 2001, TRAFFIC Europe - Franceinitiated a study to examine importsand re-exports of CITES-listed

mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishand invertebrates listed by CITES inFrance, 1990 - 1999. This study lookedexclusively at live animals traded andcompiled information on trade volume,trends, species traded, the countries oforigin, as well as the purpose and sourceof trade at a species-by-species level.

The study, which is now nearingcompletion and will be published laterthis year, is the first global analysis ofFrench trade in live CITES-listed animalsat an international level. It provides a firststep towards better understanding ofdifferent conservation priorities related tothe live animal trade in France.

Like other European Union countries,France demonstrates an increasingfascination with new and unusual petspecies: frogs, lizards, snakes, spiders andscorpions. Also, new bird and mammalspecies are also appearing in pet shops,markets, fairs and exhibitions. Marineornamentals such as corals and giantclams which can be kept in an aquarium,are also increasingly popular in France.The two-day "Animal Expo" (Paris,September 2002), visited by over 45 000people and providing an opportunity tobuy chameleons, snakes, scorpions,parrots and rodents, further demonstratesFrance’s keen interest in this trade.

Some of the study key findingsincluded the discovery that live reptileimports increased by over 120% duringthe 1990s: that lizards accounted for 52%of the imports, followed by snakes (27%),turtles and tortoises (20%) andcrocodilians (1%); that 93% of AfricanGrey Parrots Psittacus erithacus andSenegal Parrots Poicephalus senegalus(CITES II) were taken from the wild; andthat Viet Nam, the Solomon Islands andFiji to be the main countries supplying thegiant clams imported to France.

TRAFFIC hopes that the new study willserve as a basis for further examination ofvarious aspects of the wildlife trade inFrance. Areas needing further exami-nation, to name only a few, are prefer-ences and prices of certain species, thenature of national demand, the extent ofcaptive breeding practices and of illegalactivities. In addition more detailedinformation about different stakeholdersand trading partners will be needed inorder to form a comprehensive picture ofthe status of the wildlife trade in France.

For future updates on the report,contact TRAFFIC Europe-France and seeTRAFFIC website at www.traffic.org. Thestudy was generously supported by WWFFrance.

Growing passion for exotic pets in Franceby Alexandre Affre, Research Officer, TRAFFIC Europe

Ninety-three

per cent of African

GreyParrots

Psittacuserithacus

(right) andSenegalParrots

Poicephalussenegalus

(CITES II)imported to

France in 1990-1999were taken

from thewild.


Craw

ford Allan / TR

AFFIC

International

...continued from previous page

CITES, EU Wildlife Trade Regulationsand national laws constitute acomprehensive set of legal texts thatregulate trade in wildlife around the world.This legislation also addresses relatedmatters such as holding and keeping oflive animals and plants.

A new EU Wildlife Trade regulationwas adopted in 1997, which was promotedby an EU-wide public awarenesscampaign financed by the EuropeanCommission. Compliance with andeffective implementation of all itsprovisions can still be improved throughbetter understanding among stakeholders.

According to the initial feasibility studyundertaken by TRAFFIC Europe inseveral EU Member States in 2002, tradersexperience difficulties in obtaining clearand up-to-date information on the legalprovisions of the EU Wildlife TradeRegulations.

In response to a need for morestructured and accessible information, theEuropean Commission contractedTRAFFIC Europe to develop and managethe website, which now in a user-friendlyfashion provides extensive amount ofinformation and links to about 600 otheruseful documents, pages and sitesavailable on the web.

Since its launch in June 2003, visitors,including importers, breeders and otherindividuals, have started to respond to theinteractive facilities of the website andprovide encouraging feedback.Stakeholders have showed interest also topromote the website further within theirnetwork of contacts in order to increasebetter knowledge on the implementationof CITES in the EU among their peergroups too.

Thanks to feedback by the websitevisitors, TRAFFIC Europe will be able tocontinuously develop, improve and amendthe website and strive to serve differentstakeholders with most up-to-dateinformation regarding implementation ofCITES in EU.

For further information on the newwebsite, please visit the website atwww.eu-wildlifetrade.org or contactTRAFFIC Europe Regional office.

*****


The success of actions taken willdepend on the involvement of all thosewith a vested interest in traditional Koreanmedicine, from users to practitioners totraders to regulators alike. TRAFFIChopes that the report which is the result ofa collaborative effort between TRAFFICand the traditional Korean medicinecommunity, will serve as an incentive tostep up efforts to achieve long-termsolutions for the future development oftraditional Korean medicine as well as forthe survival of endangered species.

For a copy of the report A Question ofAttitude: South Korea's TraditionalMedicine Practitioners and WildlifeConservation contact TRAFFIC East Asia,or visit www.traffic.org. The report wasgenerously funded by WWF-US.

TRAFFIC East Asia documented theattitudes of traditional Korean medicinepractitioners towards use and conservationof wildlife species of medicinal valuebased on a postal survey conducted in2001. All trade in the five species coveredby the survey is either banned (Tiger andrhinoceros) or highly restricted (muskdeer, bear, and pangolin) under SouthKorea's laws and CITES.

The survey found that a significantproportion of the more establishedpractitioners acknowledge the need toregulate the trade and are well aware ofwildlife regulations. A marked gap inknowledge regarding wildlife regulationsexists only among the practitioners withless than five years work experience.However, almost a third of the respondentsalso stated their intention to continue touse banned or restricted medicinalingredients, mainly because of the per-ceived lack of effective substitutes or theirconviction about the medical efficacy ofthe ingredient.

To address these contradictory results,the health and conservation authoritiesshould work together to test the efficacy ofsubstitutes, and promote the use ofalternatives to banned and restrictedmedicinal ingredients.

“It is vital to learn what traditionalKorean medicine practitioners think arethe feasible solutions so that we can ensureboth the future development of traditionalKorean medicine and the conservation of

Joint efforts underway to ensurethe sustainability of medicinalplants in the Balkans

The new study looks into the currentvolumes of medicinal plant trade, thesourcing of medicinal plants fromprotected areas and the legal situation in

Wildlife conservation becomes a matter of attitude in South Korea

The use of pangolin scales and musk is on the increase among traditional medicinepractitioners in South Korea, according to a new report by TRAFFIC. Coming on theheels of the 10th anniversary of South Korea's ratification of CITES in July 2003,the results of the report are also encouraging, indicating a decline in use of Tiger,rhinoceros and bear in traditional medicine in the country.

Stocks of many medicinal plant species in the Balkancountries have declined in the past decades with somespecies becoming rare or endangered due to habitat loss,habitat modification and over-exploitation, among otherreasons. A study released in September 2003 by TheGerman Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)and carried out by WWF Germany and TRAFFIC Europereveals that action is now needed to fix and implementmeasures to avert the further depletion of medicinalplant populations in the Balkan countries, most of whichare preparing for accession to the European Union.

five selected Balkan countries: Albania,Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,and Romania. It also analyses several


medicinal species,” said Sue Kang, co-author of the report. “The will to changepractices and find sustainable solutionsclearly exists – and we need to ensure thatmeans to achieve such change areavailable.”

The report calls for market research tobe carried out on the use of species withincreasing demand and species withapparently more stable demand. This isessential to understanding the dynamics ofthe illegal trade in endangered speciesused as medicine. Also, review of SouthKorea's existing system for imple-mentation of CITES and its domesticcontrols is needed. Prompt action is ofgreat importance as South Korea'spopulation is increasingly elderly withchronic conditions that traditional Koreanmedicine treatments are well suited to. Asa result, the demand for tradional Koreanmedicine is likely to increase in future.

Number 21 November 2003 TRAFFIC Dispatches 13

...continued from previous page

current projects aiming at a sustainable useof medicinal plants in protected areas inthe region and evaluates the potential forusing protected areas to effectively linknature and species conservation and thesustainable use of natural resources.

Western Europe’s herbal industry,especially in Germany, which is the largestEuropean medicinal plant importer, relieson medicinal plant supplies taken from thewild in the Balkans. In those countries,which supply them, medicinal plants are acontroversial topic. The livelihoods ofmany people in rural areas depend to aconsiderable extent on the wild collectionof such plants, but over-harvesting hasdepleted wild populations of manymedicinal plant species in areas, wherethey were abundant only some 10 to 15years ago.

The study found that the medicinal andaromatic plant species wild-collected inthe largest quantities in the region arepresently sage in Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, juniper in Bosnia-Herzegovina, dog-rose in Bulgaria, nettlein Croatia, Field Shave-grass Equisetumarvense in Croatia, as well as bilberry andraspberry in Romania. Species like YellowGentian Gentiana lutea and Mountain TeaSideritis raeseri have become threatenedalmost throughout their natural range inthe Balkans.

Most medicinal plants in the Balkansare collected from the wild by the localpopulation. As a rule, one or moreintermediate traders and wholesalers areinvolved in the chain-of-custody of thetrade; direct marketing by individualcollectors or collectors’ co-operatives isuncommon. As a consequence, the shareof the export price being earned byindividual collectors is usually low. At thesame time, all five countries havedeveloped a comprehensive system oflaws and other regulations related toenvironmental issues and the conservationof natural resources. With the exception ofBulgaria, however, the implementationand enforcement of legal instruments hasbeen so far relatively ineffective.

In December 2002, a seminar convenedby BfN, WWF Germany and TRAFFICEurope in the Isle of Vilm, Germany,brought together medicinal plant expertsfrom the Balkans and Germany to discussecological, social and financialimplications of medicinal plant sourcingand trade in the Balkans and at the same

...continued on page 15

Certifying certification formedicinal plants in Indiaby Teresa Mulliken, Research and Policy Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC International

harvests and trade channels, suggest thatcertification systems relying on consumerdemand are not a viable option formedicinal plant conservation in India atpresent. The study therefore recommendsother approaches to addressingoverexploitation, including the develop-ment of 'good sourcing practices' forindustry. As well as distributing the reportto key decision makers in India, TRAFFICwill be seeking funding to act on itsresults. The future of India's medicinalplants, medicinal systems and medicinalplant harvesters may depend on it.

For further updates on the report,please visit TRAFFIC website atwww.traffic.org. The report was gener-ously funded by The Rufford MauriceLaing Foundation.

TRAFFIC's research includedinterviews with a range of stakeholders,from certification organizations, toindustry, to NGOs. Information gatheredfrom interviews was complemented byfindings from internet and library searchesand from the specially convenedConsultation on the Certification ofMedicinal Plants, held in August 2003.

The study documents the various typesof certification in use in India that mightapply to medicinal plants. These includeindependent certification schemes aimedat promoting sustainable production,setting and confirming adherence toorganic and fair trade standards, and atsetting quality standards, both of rawmaterial and of production methods.Government schemes such as'ECOMARK' and those of theInternational Standards Organization(ISO) were also reviewed.

Despite the large number of schemes inoperation in India, none currently appliesto plants traded for medicinal use withinIndian markets, although there isexcitement among stakeholders, partic-ularly within government agencies, aboutthe idea of exploring the use ofcertification. It appears that consumers inIndia are likely to be less excited,however, as they are not well aware of theecological and social aspects of medicinalplant harvest and trade, let alone inclinedto seek out products certified as producedin a sustainable and socially responsiblemanner. The lack of a domestic market forcertified medicinal plant products,combined with the widely dispersed andunstructured nature of medicinal plant

The results of a TRAFFIC study examining whethercertification can be used to secure a sustainable futurefor India's medicinal plants, harvesters and consumerswill be published in the TRAFFIC Online Report series inmid-November. The resulting report, produced byTRAFFIC consultant Pushp Jain, builds on earlierTRAFFIC research documenting the overexploitation ofmedicinal plant species in India to supply the hugedemand for ayurvedic and other traditional medicines inthat country. Research was initiated in 2002 to see ifindependent (third party) certification schemes, such asthat implemented by the Forest Stewardship Council,could reduce unsustainable harvests and bring greaterreturns to those adopting sustainable practices.

Medicinal plants in an ayurvedic hospitalherb garden.

© W

WF-C

anon / Mauri R

autkari


In May 2003, TRAFFIC North Americareleased a report Caviar andConservation: Status, Management,

and Trade of North American Sturgeonand Paddlefish. This report provides themost comprehensive assessment done ofNorth American sturgeon and paddlefishmanagement since the dramatic decline ofthe Caspian Sea industry in the pastdecade. The report examines also otherthreats to sturgeon and paddlefish in NorthAmerica, including pollution, damming ofrivers and unregulated commercialfishing.

The focus of the report is on theperformance of US and Canadian man-agement bodies, current trends in legal andillegal trade, implementation of recentlistings and resolutions adopted by theparties to the CITES and the state ofcommercial aquaculture and sustainableproduction from the wild.

The results of the study show anincrease in both legal and illegal catch andtrade of paddlefish and sturgeon in NorthAmerica in recent years, apparentlycoinciding with the dramatic decline ofbeluga sturgeon and other traditionalcaviar-producing fisheries around theCaspian Sea. Today, North Americansturgeon and paddlefish are the largestalternative fisheries to the Caspian Sea forcaviar production. The harvest of sturgeonand paddlefish eggs for caviar could havea significant impact on several NorthAmerican species, including those alreadyconsidered endangered or threatened.

However, the results of the report showthat North American fisheries alone

North America sturgeon andpaddlefish stocks at risk

cannot supply global demand, potentiallyjeopardizing fish management and trade inthe USA and Canada. Demand in majorcaviar-consuming countries, primarily inthe European Union, Japan and the UnitedStates, far outstrips what North Americanwild stocks and commercial aquacultureare currently producing. The fledglingaquaculture industry is years away frombeing able to supplant production fromwild sources.

In North America, caviar can be aprofitable industry, but only if states withhealthy paddlefish and sturgeonpopulations manage the resource carefully.There are still some serious regulatorygaps that need to be filled.

TRAFFIC's hope is that the new reportprovides information to continue thedialogue among state and federalbiologists, fisheries managers, policymakers, the caviar industry, fishermen,and commercial aquaculture interests thatbegan at the Symposium on Harvest, Tradeand Conservation of North AmericanPaddlefish and Sturgeon, which was heldin May 1998 Chattanooga, Tennessee.

For more information on the report anda copy of the full report, please visitwww.traffic.org/publications/pubs_tna orcontact TRAFFIC North America.

The production of this report wasgenerously funded by the David and LucilePackard Foundation.

Among the debates surrounding theWorld Trade Organization (WTO)are issues of whether WTO trade

rules should outweigh those established byinter-national environmental agreements.TRAFFIC has tackled this question headon in the case of trade measures used byregional fisheries organisations (RFOs),and in September published the reportRegional Fisheries Organizations and theWorld Trade Organization: Compatibilityor Conflict?

The report assesses the RFO/WTOrelationship by identifying the types oftrade measures used or potentially used byRFOs in conjunction with agreementssuch as the Commission for theConservation of Antarctic Marine LivingResources (CCAMLR) and theInternational Convention for theConservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).It then examines the relevant WTO rulesand jurisprudence in a search for thepotential for conflict between RFOs andWTO, and provides and possible scenariosinvolving WTO challenges of RFOmeasures.

Trade measures used, or potentiallyused, by RFOs aim to achieve variouspurposes, the most important of which isto ensure compliance with their con-servation and management regimes. Assuch, most trade measures are aimed atcombating illegal, unreported andunregulated (IUU) fishing. These meas-ures include requiring specified documen-tation on catches, prohibiting landings andtranshipments from particular vessels,trade-restrictive measures as well ascertification and labelling schemes.

The report proposes the most likelyoutcomes, and concludes with recom-mendations for avoiding future conflictsbetween WTO and RFOs. Recom-mendations are also provided with regardto reducing the potential for conflictsbetween WTO and trade measures used inmultilateral environmental agreementsmore generally.

For more information and a copy of thefull report, please contact TRAFFICInternational or visit the website atwww.traffic.org/news/fisheries_trade.html

The production of this report wasgenerously funded by the David and LucilePackard Foundation.

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Fisheries trademeasures - WTOcompatible?by Teresa Mulliken, Research and PolicyCo-ordinator, TRAFFIC International



TRAFFIC staff thank the following supporters for their contributions to our work during March - October 2003:

(Balkans) continued from page 13...

time served as one of the main incentivesto develop the study.

Based on the results of the study and theseminar, action at several levels is urgentlyneeded in most areas in the Balkans.Among other things, medicinal and aro-matic plant populations and wildcollection activities have to be assessedand species-specific and geographicharvest limits for wild-collection need tobe determined.

Effective control and monitoringmechanisms must be established and acomprehensive management plan has tobe developed for every protected area,which should guarantee that medicinal andaromatic plant sourcing does not exceedsustainable levels.

In addition, collectors must – over thelong term – be guaranteed a certainincome level. It may be possible toachieve higher market prices if the rawmaterial is processed in the region andproducts are sold on the national andinternational markets.

AGF Management LimitedAgriculture, Fisheries and Conservation

Dept., Hong KongArundel EstateAssociation of Korean Oriental

MedicineBaker and McKenzie, AustraliaBfN (German Federal Agency for

NatureConservation - Bundesamt fürNaturschutz)

The CITES SecretariatConservation InternationalCorporación Andina de Fomento

Biocomercio, EcuadorCritical Ecosystem Partnership FundDANIDA (Danish Aid Agency)The David and Lucile Packard

FoundationEndangered Wildlife TrustThe Ernest Kleinworth Charitable TrustEUROPAIDEuropean Commission, Environment DGFood and Agriculture Organization of

the United NationsFriends of TRAFFICHDH Wills 1965 Charitable TrustInternational Tropical Timber

Organization - ITTOIUCN - The World Conservation UnionIUCN Eastern Africa Regional OfficeIUCN South America Regional OfficeJane Henrickson Trust

Johnson and Johnson (via WWFUS)La Societa Zoologica la Torbiera, ItalyMazda Wildlife FundMinistry of Environment, AustriaMinistry of Environment & Forests,

IndiaMinistry of Environment, Republic of

KoreaMr James FairfaxMs Shu-Jiuan LuTheMunson FoundationNatural Heritage TrustProject SeahorseRoyal Dutch Embassy, South AfricaThe Rufford Maurice Laing FoundationSociety for Wildlife and NatureTaiwan Council of AgricultureTiger's Eye RetailTony & Lisette Lewis FoundationToraya CorporationUK Department for Environment, Food

and Rural Affairs - DefraUK Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeUK Embassy, VietnamUK High Commission, MalaysiaUnited Nations Development

Programme Uppingham School, Rutland, UKUSAIDUS State Department Wildlife and Environment Society of

South Africa

The Walt Disney Company FoundationThe World BankWWF Africa and Madagaskar

ProgrammeWWF African Elephant ProgrammeWWF African Marine Ecoregion

ProgrammeWWF AustraliaWWF AustriaWWF BelgiumWWF CanadaWWF China ProgrammeWWF East Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF FranceWWF GermanyWWF Hong KongWWF InternationalWWF ItalyWWF JapanWWF NetherlandsWWF New ZealandWWF Russia Programme OfficeWWF South AfricaWWF South Pacific ProgrammeWWF Southern Africa Regional

Programme OfficeWWF SwedenWWF SwitzerlandWWF Tanzania Programme OfficeWWF UKWWF US

BfN, WWF Germany and TRAFFICGermany continue their joint efforts tomake the use of natural resources, such asmedicinal and aromatic plants, from whichnature conservation, local farmers andcollectors, traders and producers of herbalproducts and the consumers of theseproducts will all have a long-term benefit.

For more information, please visit theTRAFFIC network website atht tp: / /www.traf f ic .org/news/press-releases/balkan_plant.html or contactTRAFFIC Europe Regional Office.


Report title:Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in

Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,Croatia and Romania by

Wolfgang Kathe, Susanne Honnef andAndreas Heym. (BfN, 2003)

TRAFFIC International219a Huntingdon Rd, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, UKTel: (44) 1223 277427; Fax: (44) 1223 277237E-mail: [email protected]: www.traffic.org

TRAFFIC East Asia - Regional OfficeRoom 2001, Double Building,22 Stanley Street, Central, Hong KongTel: (852) 2 530 0587; Fax (852) 2 530 0864E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - Chinac/o WWF China Programme OfficeRoom 901, The Gateway, No.10 Yabao Road,Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, People's Republic of ChinaTel: (010) 8563-6538 (Ext.213); Fax: (010) 8561 5731E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - Japan6th Fl. Nihonseimei Akabanebashi Bldg.,3-1-14, Shiba, Minato-ku, 105-0014 Tokyo, JapanTel: (81) 3 3769 1716; Fax: (81) 3 3769 1304E-mail: [email protected]: www.trafficj.org (Japanese)

TRAFFIC East Asia - TaipeiPO Box 7-476, Taipei, TaiwanTel: (886) 2 2362 9787; Fax: (886) 2 2362 9799E-mail: [email protected]: www.wow.org.tw (Chinese)

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - Regional Officec/o WWF Southern Africa Regional ProgrammeOfficePO Box CY 1409Causeway, Harare, ZimbabweTel: (263) 4 252533/ 252534; Fax: (263) 4 703902E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - South Africac/o Endangered Wildlife Trust, Private Bag x11, Parkview 2122, Johannesburg, South AfricaTel: (27) 11 486 1102; Fax: (27) 11 486 1506E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - TanzaniaPO Box 106060, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaTel: (255-22) 2701676 (direct)(255-22) 2700077 / 272455 / 2775346 (via WWF)Fax: (255-22) 2775535E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Regional OfficeBd. Emile Jacqmain 90, B-1000 Brussels, BelgiumTel: (32) 2 343 8258; Fax: (32) 2 343 2565E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Francec/o WWF France188, rue de la Roquette, F 75011 Paris, FranceTel: (33) 1 55 25 84 84; Fax: (33) 1 55 25 84 74E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Germanyc/o Umweltstiftung WWF GermanyRebstöcker Str. 55, 60326 Frankfurt a.M.,GermanyTel: (49) 69 79144 180; Fax: (49) 69 617221E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Candidate Countries c/o WWF-Hungary, Németvölgyi út 78/b1124 Budapest, HungaryTel: (36) 1 214 5554; Fax: (36) 1 212 9353E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Italyc/o WWF Italia, Via Po, 25/c, 00198 Rome, ItalyTel: (39) 06 84497357; Fax: (39) 06 84497356E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Russiac/o WWF Russia Programme OfficePO Box 3, 109240 Moscow, Russia Tel: (007) 095 727 09 39; Fax: (007) 095 727 09 38E-mail: [email protected]: www.deol.ru/nature/protect (Russian)

TRAFFIC Europe - Swedenc/o WWF-Sweden, Ulriksdals SlottS-17081 Solna, SwedenTel: (46) 8 624 7400; Fax: (46) 8 85 1329Email: [email protected] or

TRAFFIC North America - Regional Officec/o WWF-US1250 24th Street, NW, Washington DC 20037, USATel: (1) 202 293 4800;Fax: (1) 202 775 8287E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - Canada (moving premises)E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - Mexicoc/o WWF Mexico Programme OfficeAve. Mexico No. 51, Col. Hipodromo Condesa06100 Mexico, D.F., MexicoTel: (525) 286 5631/34; Fax: (525) 286 5637E-mail: [email protected]: www.wwf.org.mx/traffic.asp (Spanish)

TRAFFIC Oceania - Regional Office GPO Box 528, Sydney NSW 2001 AustraliaTel: (61) 2 9280 1671; Fax: (61) 2 9212 1794E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC South America - Regional OfficeAv. De los Shyris 2680 y Gaspar de VillaroelEdificio MITA COBADELSA, Penthouse (PH),Quito, EcuadorTel: (5932) 226 1075 (ext.400)Fax: (5932) 226 1075 (ext.230)E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Regional OfficeUnit 9-3A, 3rd Floor, Jalan SS23/11, Taman SEA47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MalaysiaTel: (603) 7880 3940;Fax: (603) 7882 0171E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Indochinac/o WWF Indochina Programme Office,53 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, IPO Box:151Hanoi, VietnamTel: (84) 4 7338387/ (84) 4 7338386; Fax: (84) 4 8220642E-mail: [email protected]: www.trafficindo.org

TRAFFIC network website:http://www.traffic.org

�TRAFFIC International �regional TRAFFIC office �other TRAFFIC office

DISPATCHESNumber 22 June 2004

Nowhere to hide: The trade in Sumatran Tigerby Chris R. Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

Chris Shepherd /

TRA

FFIC Southeast A

sia

INSIDE:

• Promoting better CITES-CBD synergies

• Staff news

• Wildlife trade workshops in Nepal

• TRAFFIC/WWF ASEAN Wildlife Trade Initiative

• Hawksbill turtle trade in Southeast Asia

• Viet Nam to launch national action plan

• Providing ETIS training support in China

• Domestic ivory markets in West Africa

• Task force set to improve Ramin trade controls

• Using living resources sustainably

• EU enlargement and wildlife trade

• CD-ROM on wildlife law enforcement resources

• Seahorses identification guide

• CITES sea cucumber workshop

• Traditional Chinese medicine markets in the USA

• Chihuahuan Desert Cacti trade in Spanish

• Planning for one global programme

• Funding news and thanks

• TRAFFIC network contact detailsInside: Promoting ETIS in China

TRAFFIC East A

sia

Indonesia is set to lose its lastremaining Tiger species - the SumatranTiger - if the widespread illegal trade

in Tiger parts and rampant habitat loss isnot stopped.

A new report released by TRAFFIC andWWF in March 2004 on trade in theSumatran Tiger reveals that as many as 50Sumatran Tigers were poached per yearbetween 1998 and 2002. The latestavailable figures show that there arebetween 400 and 500 tigers left in the wildin Sumatra.

The report exposes the relentless killingof a critically endangered species byprofessional and semi-professionalhunters. This is being driven by a sub-stantial domestic Indonesian market fortiger skins and other parts, especiallyclaws and teeth for trophies, charms andsouvenirs. Tiger parts are readily availablefrom dealers, within Sumatra, many ofthese openly displayed for sale.

TRAFFIC's investigators found tigerproducts in 17 of the 24 towns surveyedand 20 per cent of 453 shops visited. Thereport also reveals illegal internationaltrade in Sumatran Tiger parts sold to otherparts of Asia.

Improved enforcement is critical tosaving Sumatran tigers. As a first step,action should be taken against the markets,trade hubs and retail outlets highlighted inthe report, especially in northern Sumatra.More specialised anti-poaching units alsoneed to be urgently established.

Loss of habitat is also a major threat tothe Sumatran Tiger. The clearing ofSumatra's lowland forests, prime Tigerterritory has resulted in the Tigersroaming into local villages, where they aresometimes captured and killed.

With only a few hundred SumatranTigers remaining, there is a fear that theywill suffer the same fate as two otherIndonesian Tiger subspecies, the Bali andJavan Tigers which became extinct in the1940s and 1980's respectively.

Indonesia's efforts to address the tradethreats to the Sumatran Tiger were underscrutiny also at a meeting of the CITESStanding Committee in March 2004. TheCommittee agreed that it would report atCoP13 about progress made by the rangeand consumer States that were earliersubject to CITES Technical and PoliticalTiger Missions, especially with regard tothe implementation on the recom-mendations made by these Missions. Thereport may contain recommendationsregarding appropriate measures where noprogress has been made.

TRAFFIC highlighted its concerns

regarding a lack of progress inimplementing CITES recommendationssuch as the establishment of specialisedTiger enforcement units in manySoutheast and East Asian Tiger countries.Many of the governments in the countriesreviewed by the CITES Tiger Missionsmay not be in a position to implement allrecommendations and undertake activitiesunless long-term funding support andtechnical assistance from the internationalcommunity is provided.

The findings of the TRAFFIC reportshow the structure and extent of the tradein Sumatra and add to the extensive workof TRAFFIC on Tiger trade to date, whichhelp guide conservation efforts regardingthis highly endangered big cat.

For copies of the report Nowhere tohide: The trade in Sumatran Tiger, pleasecontact TRAFFIC Southeast Asia (forcontact details see page 16) or visithttp://www.traffic.org/sumatrantigers.pdf.The research and report were generouslyfunded by 21st Century Tiger and WWFUK.

Staff news

2 TRAFFIC Dispatches Number 22 June 2004


Cambridge UK, CB3 ODLTel. +44 (0)1223 277427Fax +44 (0)1223 277237









Welcome

Angie Woo has started her work for theTRAFFIC Southeast Asia Regional Officeas the Co-ordinator for the Southeast AsiaWildlife Trade Advocacy Initiative inMarch 2004. Angie is based inPathumthani, Thailand c/o WWFInternational Thailand Programme.

Lazaro Linjano has commenced his workas the new Research Officer in TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa-Tanzania in April2004.

Vera John has joined TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa-Tanzania as theAdministrative Assistant in April 2004.

Goodbye

Sware Semesi, Research Officer, leftTRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - Tanzaniain December 2003.

Wolfgang Kathe, Senior Research Officer,left TRAFFIC Europe Regional Office inDecember 2003.

Kim Davis, Fisheries Officer, leftTRAFFIC North America in January2004.

Liz McLellan, Cambodia ProgrammeDevelopment Officer left TRAFFICSoutheast Asia - Indochina/Cambodia inJanuary 2004.

Angela Barden, CITES ProgrammeOfficer, left TRAFFIC International inApril 2004.

Laurie Kint, Communications andAdministration Officer, left TRAFFICEurope Regional Office in June 2004.

Katalin Kecse-Nagy, CommunicationsAssistant, left TRAFFIC Europe -Candidate Countries office in June 2004.

*

Promoting better CITES-CBD synergiesby Teresa Mulliken, Research and Policy Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC International

The Convention on InternationalTrade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and

the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) have a lot in common. Both aredesigned to tackle issues related to the useand trade of wild species, both count themajority of the world's countries asmembers, and neither works very muchwith the other. Concerned about the lowlevels of co-operation in the imple-mentation of the two Conventions at boththe national and international levels,TRAFFIC, IUCN - The WorldConservation Union and Flora & FaunaInternational (FFI) decided to organise anexperts workshop to explore ways toincrease synergies in their operation.

Thanks to critical support from theGerman Federal Agency for NatureConservation (BfN), German Agency forTechnical Co-operation (GTZ), theDivision of Environmental Conventions ofthe UN Environmental Programme(UNEP), and the UK Department ofEnvironment, Food, and Rural Affairs

(Defra), the workshop "Promoting CITES-CBD Co-operation and Synergy" was heldfrom 20-24 April at BfN's InternationalAcademy for Nature Conservation, on theIsle of Vilm, Germany. The workshop'sorganisation also owed a great deal to theefforts of individual workshop SteeringCommittee members and those of theCITES and CBD Secretariats, whocollaborated in the shaping of theworkshop agenda and participation.

Participants from over 20 countries anda variety of backgrounds consideredCITES-CBD implementation in thecontext of issues including sustainable useof wildlife resources, linking site andspecies based approaches to conservation,and access and benefit sharing.

Discussions in working groups andplenary sessions led to the identification ofa number of recommendations for achiev-ing greater synergies at the national andinternational national levels. These includemechanisms to achieve greater co-operation among national CITES andCBD implementing agencies and

Convention decision making bodies suchas Committees and CoPs, and to increasesharing of information and lessons learnedwith regard to the use and trade of wildspecies.

The challenge now is to ensure that thelearning and momentum gained in Vilmwill not be lost. The government ofIreland, on behalf of the Member States ofEuropean Community, has already taken amajor step toward meeting this challengeby submitting the workshop report forconsideration during CITES CoP 13.Hopefully a similar effort will be made toput the report before the next meeting ofthe CBD's Subsidiary Body on Scientific,Technical and Technological Advice(SBSTTA) and the CBD CoP that follows.A message from one of the participantsconfirms that efforts are also already beingmade to put the workshop outcomes towork at the national level. TRAFFIC,which chaired the workshop SteeringCommittee, will continue to support theseand other efforts aimed at enhancing betterCITES-CBD synergies.

Number 22 June 2004 TRAFFIC Dispatches 3

In late April 2004, delegates from sixSouth Asian countries identifiedpriority actions to be taken at national

and regional levels to mitigate illegalwildlife trade and to enhance wildlife traderegulations, particularly CITES, in aregion where trade is threatening the long-term survival of some of the world's rarestspecies, such as Great Indian Rhinoceros,Tiger, and Tibetan Antelope. Two work-shops were held in Kathmandu, Nepal, athree day "Diagnostic Workshop" (26-28April) to identify key issues and seeksolutions and a two day "EnforcementWorkshop" (29-30 April) to providetraining, raise awareness and develop co-operative approaches to enforcementproblems.

TRAFFIC brought together 70representatives from government depart-ments, law enforcement and non-governmental organisations from SouthAsia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal,Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and keyneighbouring countries of China andMyanmar. The participants sought tounderstand each other's concerns, needsand constraints to find ways that theregion can move forward throughcollaborative efforts towards common setof goals. The key themes of theworkshops were co-ordination, co-operation and communication betweencountries in South Asia, and the region'sneighbours.

A TRAFFIC overview study of thewildlife trade in South Asia was providedto advise the workshops on the currentsituation and this had been undertakenthrough field visits to several countries inthe region, questionnaires and correspon-dence directly with the key stakeholders,as well as desk based research.Participants discussed how wildlife tradebrings with it many potential benefits andthreats through the use of species forpurposes ranging from ornaments andluxury items to medicine, food and shelter.Ensuring that trade regulation addressesthe balance between the needs of wildlifeand those of human populations is a hugechallenge. Although each country in theregion has already established nationallaws and programmes to protect wildlifespecies and manage wildlife trade, it wasgenerally acknowledged that thesepolicies could be further improved andstreamlined.

Steven Broad, the Executive Director ofTRAFFIC International, who facilitated

the Diagnostic Workshop stated "This wasthe first event of its kind in South Asia,bringing the governments, IGOs, NGOsand donors to work together to seekconsensus on the future of wildlife traderegulation and enforcement throughimproved co-ordination, co-operation andcommunication. The realisation that therewas so much potential for improvementwas overwhelming, the hope is now thatthis realisation catalyses change."

Establishing active networks forcommunication and information sharingon wildlife trade was identified as apriority issue that needs to be overcomeboth at regional level, and betweenagencies in each country. Participantsemphasised that active exchange regard-ing such matters as enforcement, scientificdata, and legislation, would enable devel-opment of best-practice models to combatthe variety of challenges facinggovernment wildlife agencies in theregion.

Conclusions and recommendationsfrom the Diagnostic Workshop fed directlyinto the Enforcement Workshop, and thislooked specifically at the challenges oflaw enforcement to protect wildlife fromthe ongoing illegal trade at national,regional and international levels.

The responsibility now lies with theparticipants to report back to theirrespective governments and organisationsto ensure follow up on the recommended

actions from the workshop. The importantdiscussions at this workshop catalysesome measurable change on the ground -for the benefit of both wildlife and humancommunities in this region - and that canonly happen with political support fromindividual countries and effectiveengagement from civil society.

The partners working with TRAFFIC tohelp implement and direct the workshopswere WWF Nepal, IUCN Nepal, theUnited States Embassy, Kathmandu, andthe CITES Secretariat. The workshopswere assisted by international facilitatorsfrom the CITES Secretariat, the CanadianWildlife Service and TRAFFIC. Theoverview study and workshops weresupported by a grant from the UnitedStates Department of State. WWF-USalso kindly provided additional resourcesto bring a wider representation to theworkshops, including participants fromimportant neighbouring countries.Additional funding from WWF-UK alsoensured that the workshops had thegreatest impact and follow up andfacilitation by TRAFFIC after theworkshops is possible.

For more information on the South AsiaWildlife Trade Diagnostic andEnforcement Workshops contact:Crawford Allan, Regulation &Enforcement Support Co-ordinator,TRAFFIC International. For contactdetails see page 16.

South Asia Wildlife Trade Workshops - findingthe way forward for regional co-operationby Crawford Allan, Regulation & Enforcement Support Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC International

Openingceremony,

with speakerDr. Tirtha

Man Maskey,DirectorGeneral

of theDepartmentof National

Parks andWildlife

Conservation,Nepal.

Samuel Lee / TR

AFFIC

East Asia


CITES CoP 13 frames fresh opportunities inSoutheast Asiaby Angie Woo, the Co-ordinator of the ASEAN Wildlife Trade Initiative, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and James Compton, Regional Director, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

Following Lao PDR's accession toCITES in early March, all 10 members ofthe Association of South East AsianNations (ASEAN) are now Parties to theConvention, and so for the first time havea common basis upon which to conductlegal and sustainable wildlife trade.Capacity building and training, along withinformation exchange and inter-agencyco-operation, remain the major constraintsto effective implementation across theASEAN block. Availability of fundingand human resources, also, often provesdecisive in enabling countries to act uponmanagement and scientific requirementsof the Convention.

In 2003, TRAFFIC Southeast Asiaworked with the Capacity Building Unit ofthe CITES Secretariat to hold two regionalworkshops that trained relevant govern-ment officers from the 10 ASEANmember countries, as well as China, inimplementation of the Convention. At theconclusion of these workshops, whichfocused particularly on the importance ofincreasing the use of scientific approachesto guide CITES management decisions,national delegates listed their priorities forfollow-up action at both national andinternational levels. From this needsassessment, TRAFFIC has established aninformed basis upon which to buildsupport for activities within the region.

Preparations to capitalize on the first-

ever CITES CoP in Southeast Asia arealready well underway. With the supportof WWF Thailand, WWF Netherlands,WWF UK, WWF International's SpeciesProgramme and TRAFFIC International,TRAFFIC Southeast Asia is working withthe WWF colleagues in the region toimplement an ASEAN-wide advocacy andcommunications initiative.

This TRAFFIC/WWF joint initiativeaims to build synergies and co-operationaround the CITES CoP 13 event, as well asto create appropriate frameworks forfurther regional-level actions. Approacheshave already been made to the ASEANSecretariat and the ASEAN SeniorOfficials on Forestry regarding how toleverage the joint engagement of ASEANmember nations - and ideally, to develop aregional action plan on wildlife trade.

Economic growth, expansion ofinfrastructure, free trade agendas and ageneral push for development are allfactors that are contributing to a rapidlychanging socio-economic dynamic withinthe ASEAN grouping and its tradingpartners. Under an increasingly liberalisedtrade policy environment, it is all too easyto treat wildlife as just another commodityrather than paying heed to the manage-ment needs of natural production systems.Bangkok's hosting of the CITES CoP willprovide a chance to remind the mainimporters of Southeast Asia's wildlife

products (East Asia, Europe and NorthAmerica), of their responsibility as con-sumer countries; that the maintenance ofsustainable trade depends on supporting,and investing in, management systems inproducer countries.

This project highlights that national-level initiatives must be linked to achievemore effective management of trade inwild species of flora and fauna, and thatthe connectivity of trade chains makes thisindeed an ASEAN-wide regional set ofissues. It is hoped that by fosteringcollaboration between countries, externalsupport can be identified to help counterthe common shortfalls in financial andhuman resources, technical capacity andinformation sharing.

The TRAFFIC/WWF ASEAN WildlifeTrade Initiative is already working to levelthe information playing field via amonthly e-Bulletin that highlights interalia relevant events and developments inthe region. This is being sent to CITESauthorities, as well as other relevantofficials in each country whose work isrelevant to wildlife trade in SoutheastAsia.

For more information on the Initiative,please contact Angie Woo [email protected] or via TRAFFICSoutheast Asia. The e-Bulletin and otherresources will be available online in June:http://www.traffic.org/25/network9/asean.

Thailand's hosting of the 13th Conference of the Parties to CITES in October 2004

will undoubtedly bring added attention to the wildlife trade challenges facing Southeast

Asia as a region. While the international spotlight is likely to focus on the conservation

problems facing charismatic megafauna such as elephants, Asian Big Cats and the

continuing prevalence of illegal trade, there are several opportunities for the region to

demonstrate commitment and leadership in addressing wildlife trade management.

From left:

© W

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WW

F-Canon / Paul Forster

© W

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TRAFFIC Dispatches 5Number 22 June 2004

Hawksbill turtle trademanagement and enforcementefforts needed urgently

Urgent and effective managementand enforcement efforts areneeded in Indonesia and Viet Nam

in order to secure a future for the criticallyendangered Hawksbill Turtles in theregion. Two TRAFFIC Southeast Asiareports released in March 2004highlighted continuing illegal trade inbekko - products made from the shell ofthe Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelysimbricata - in the major source countriesof Southeast Asia.

TRAFFIC investigators surveyedlocalities in Indonesia and Viet Nam in2001 and 2002, known in the past to haveexported bekko to Japan, historically themain demand country for worked andunworked products. According to thefindings of the survey, the bekko tradecontinues, but has now largely shiftedunderground in Indonesia, hindering lawenforcement and management efforts. InViet Nam, the trade in turtle productscontinues openly. The size of it, withalmost 30 000 items found on offer duringTRAFFIC's survey carried out for theGovernment of Viet Nam in mid 2002,demonstrates that despite new legislationprohibiting exploitation and trade ofmarine turtles and their products, the lawis being ignored by traders.

“It is impossible to estimate the exactamount of illegal bekko for sale," saidChris Shepherd, of TRAFFIC SoutheastAsia and lead researcher for both reports."Based on our findings, the trend inIndonesia is on the decline but it is stillvital for Indonesia to seize all illegalbekko stocks in the country in order tohelp prevent further illegal export andimprove the management of anyremaining legal stocks."

In Viet Nam, relevant enforcementagencies should target marine turtle trade

hotspots - the main locations, such as HaTien, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vung Tau,found in the studies still producing orselling bekko items openly. "Thechallenge now will be to implement therecommendations of Viet Nam's nationalaction plan for marine turtles, which is dueto be launched later this month," said JulieThomson, the Viet Nam-based DeputyDirector of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

The results of the reports demonstratethat it has become imperative for bothIndonesian and Vietnamese governmentsto step up their management andenforcement efforts and bring the illegaltrade activities to a halt. Also, bothgovernments and NGOs need to continuemonitoring of the regional managementefforts and report on the developments.

At the 2nd Meeting of Signatory Statesof the Indian Ocean and Southeast AsiaMarine Turtle Memorandum ofUnderstanding (IOSEA), TRAFFICpresented the results of its reports to theparticipants, which consisted of repre-sentatives of 14 member States, includingViet Nam, and a number of observercountries, including Indonesia. Althoughtwo additional countries, Jordan andOman, signed the Agreement at themeeting, as did Thailand in early May, itis TRAFFIC's hope that Indonesia willalso become a signatory to the IOSEAMemorandum of Understanding soon.The IOSEA is a vital forum, which worksto conserve and recover marine turtlepopulations and their habitats within theSoutheast Asia region and beyond.

TRAFFIC is urging all ASEANMember States to ratify the IOSEA MarineTurtle MoU and fully implement theactions identified in their Conservationand Management Plans.

The TRAFFIC Southeast Asia reportShelled Out? A Snapshot of Bekko Tradein Selected Locations in Southeast Asiawas supported by WWF Netherlands,WWF UK, and The Rufford MauriceLaing Foundation. The TRAFFICSoutheast Asia-Indochina report TheTrade in Marine Turtle Products in VietNam, was supported by Royal DanishEmbassy, Hanoi.

For copies of the reports, please contactTRAFFIC Southeast Asia Regional andIndochina office respectively (for contactdetails see page 16) or visit TRAFFICwebsite at www.traffic.org.©

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Viet Nam to launchnational action plan to strengthen wildlifetrade controls

After months of surveys, fieldresearch, and input fromconservation experts with

Vietnamese agencies and internationalnon-governmental organizations, VietNam's National Action Plan to StrengthenTrade Controls of Wild Species of Faunaand Flora from 2004 to 2010 will officiallybe launched later this month.

With a diversity of habitats, Viet Namsupports a vast array of wild plants andanimals, many of which are foundnowhere else. As the country's populationcontinues to grow, however, wild speciesare literally losing ground. And whilstnatural habitats are being increasinglydegraded, many of the animals and plantsthemselves are being harvested fordomestic consumption or to meetinternational trade demands, despite lawsprohibiting or severely curtailing theexploitation of "rare and preciousspecies," and forbidding the export of wildterrestrial mammals.

In response to Viet Nam's trade in wildspecies, in 2002 TRAFFIC SoutheastAsia-Indochina received funding from theDanish Aid Agency (DANIDA) to workwith the Vietnamese government instrengthening the implementation andenforcement of CITES. In addition to on-the-ground activities, such as wildlife lawenforcement training for Viet Nam'senforcement agencies and airport person-nel, enforcement guidelines for captivebreeding and production of CITES resourcematerials among others, this included thedevelopment of a national action plan tostrengthen wildlife trade controls.

With the aim of facilitating a strategicapproach to addressing illegal andunsustainable wildlife trade, developmentof the action plan entailed assemblingnational research teams to investigate thekey themes pertaining to wildlife trade:government capacity, economics, aware-ness, research, legislation, and inter-national co-operation. The researchteams, comprised of national experts fromuniversities, government ministries andresearch institutions, were led by a formergovernment official from Viet Nam'sForest Protection Department andTRAFFIC’s National Projects Coordinatorfor Viet Nam, and were tasked withmaking an assessment of each of the sixthemes as they related to wildlife tradeand making recommendations for futureaction. ...continued on page 9

Live Hawskbill Turtle, speared by local fishermen, coastof the Kepala Irian Jaya, Indonesia.


ETIS, developed and maintained byTRAFFIC, is one of the two monitoringsystems operating under the auspices ofCITES, to track illegal trade in elephantproducts. The ETIS Action Toolkit, aspecial training package developed byTRAFFIC East/Southern Africa in 2001provides detailed guidelines to thegovernment authorities on how to ensurethat information arising from elephantproduct seizures and investigationsbecomes part of the database through a co-ordinated national approach. Training onhow to fill out the special ETIS reportingform ensure smooth data entry and helpsto facilitate sound statistical analysis ofpatterns and trends of the illegal trade lateron.

Today, ETIS contains nearly 9000records of elephant product seizures whichhave taken place throughout the worldsince 1989. These data implicate over 150countries in the illicit trade in ivory. Thefirst in-depth statistical analysis of ETIS,reported to the twelfth meeting of theConference to Parties to CITES (CoP12)in 2002, demonstrates that illegal trade in

ivory is directly correlated to the presenceof large-scale domestic ivory markets andpoor law enforcement effort. Located inboth African and Asian countries, thesemarkets have become increasingly moreactive since 1996 and account for thegreatest volume of ivory being seizedthroughout the world today.

China was also identified in the ETISanalysis to CoP12 as being a country ofmajor concern. It is very encouraging tonote that the Chinese Government hasresponded by ensuring that legislative andregulatory measures are in place andproperly enforced to control domestictrade in ivory in China. The ChineseGovernment has since supplied ETIS withinformation relating to significantnumbers of elephant product seizures inrecent times, and continues its efforts tointerdict the flow of ivory coming intocountry.

TRAFFIC recognizes that countriesmay need support and assistance toimplement legislative and regulatorymeasures effectively. TRAFFIC continuesits close collaboration with governments

in their capacity building programmes byfacilitating the provision of training andtools where needed and appropriate. Inthis regard, TRAFFIC East Asia andChina's CITES Management Authorityhave worked together to produce aChinese version of the ETIS trainingtoolkit and to incorporate an ETIScomponent into the national enforcementtraining workshops.

On 7 April 2004, more than 70 peoplefrom 31 provinces and 17 branch officesof CITES and the Forest Department,among them some high-ranking Chineseofficials, came together for a three-dayworkshop held in Henan. This was thefirst out of a series of three events to beheld in 2004 in China in collaboration withTRAFFIC. TRAFFIC gave a presentationas well as provided practical training onETIS. At the end of the training session,many of the participants providedfeedback indicating firm recognition ofthe value and importance of strengtheningCITES implementation in the country, andreporting relevant elephant tradeinformation back to ETIS on a regular andsystematic basis.

On 13 April, the second ETIS workshopwas held in Shanghai, a known ivorytrade "hotspot" in China, together withparticipants from the neighbouring citiesof Suzhou and Nanjing, and the provincesof Anhui, Jiangshu and Zhijiang. Themajority of the participants were Customsofficers, but also other relevantdepartments, including anti-smugglingunits from a number of provinces,participated. Copies of the Chineseversion of the ETIS tool kit, which hasbeen produced in a CD format withgenerous support received from theRufford Maurice Laing Foundation, weredistributed to the participants at bothworkshops. The third ETIS training coursewill be held in collaboration with theCITES Management Authority and theGeneral Customs of China sometimebefore October 2004.

For further information on ETIS inChina, please contact TRAFFIC East Asia.For contact details see page 16.

Providing ETIS training support to regulatorsin China by Dr. Xu Hongfa, TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Programme Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC East Asia-China

TRAFFIC East Asia and the Government of China are working on efforts to strengthen theimplementation of the CITES Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) in the country. InApril 2004, two national enforcement training workshops were convened in Henan andShanghai. TRAFFIC attended both and provided training on ETIS using the training modules, which have now been translated into the Chinese language.

TRA

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Dr. Xu Hongfa,TRAFFICWildlife TradeProgramme Co-ordinator,from TRAFFICEast Asia-Chinaoffice in Beijing giving an ETISpresentation atthe workshop in Xiang, China in April 2004.


More ivory than elephants in three WestAfrican countries

There is more illegal ivory thanelephants in three key ivory tradingcountries in West Africa, according

to a new report released by TRAFFIC andWWF in December 2003. TRAFFICinvestigators visited nine cities in Nigeria,Ivory Coast and Senegal and found morethan 4000 kg of ivory on public display , avolume that represents the ivory of morethan 760 elephants. According to thelatest status report from the IUCN/SSC'sAfrican Elephant Database, there may notbe any more than 543 elephants left inthese countries, with a top estimatereaching some 2250 elephants, when more'speculative' data is included to the totalpopulation figure.

"These studies show just a snapshot ofthe problem," said Tom Milliken, directorof TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa and co-author of the report. " When we factor inall of the uncontrolled manufacturing,buying and selling over a year, thesenumbers climb to frightening dimensions."

The TRAFFIC Online report MoreIvory than Elephants: Domestic IvoryMarkets in Three West African Countrieshighlights that these unregulated marketsare the principal forces driving elephantpoaching. Much of the ivory found onsale came from the war torn DemocraticRepublic of Congo, Cameroon, CentralAfrican Republic and Gabon. Thesecountries make up Africa's most troubledregion for elephant conservation.

The principal buyers of this ivory areex-patriots, tourists and business peoplefrom Europe (France and Italy), the EastAsia (China and South Korea), the USA,and even diplomatic staff in someinstances.

The report also found that inadequatelegislation and poor law enforcement inNigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal arethreatening the survival of elephants inthese countries and Central Africa.

All three governments appeared to be inbreach of ivory market control require-ments under international regulationsgoverning the trade in endangered wildlifespecies (CITES).

Furthermore, the wildlife authoritiesresponsible for implementing CITES aresystematically barred from the ports ofentry and exit. Not only is there a lack ofpolitical will to implement CITES,allowing traders to act with immunityfrom prosecution, corruption is preventingeffective controls on the ivory trade. Thereport says the situation in Nigeria is themost alarming, with higher volumes of

Senegal, have ivory control problems, butwere not included in the list of ten problemcountries agreed at the CoP12 (Chile,November 2002).

The Standing Committee agreed that thescope of the ivory trade review should bebroadened to all countries that allowdomestic ivory trade in the Africancontinent. TRAFFIC welcomed the moveto take a continent-wide approach to theissue of uncontrolled domestic ivorymarkets. This issue will be discussedfurther at the next meeting of the AfricanElephant Range States Dialogue conven-ing prior to CoP13 at the end of September2004, and the results will be reported toCoP13 as a formal agenda item.

The task at hand now is to develop aseries of country-specific workplans tohalt the illegal trade in ivory across theAfrican continent. TRAFFIC also sharedconcerns expressed by other countries atthe meeting that similar attention is neededfor elephant conservation in Asia, but itshould be noted that at CoP12 China,Japan and Thailand were all identified asrequiring priority attention. Action plansto better regulate domestic ivory marketsin these countries are expected soon.

TRAFFIC will continue monitoring thesituation in Asian and African countriesand assist the CITES Secretariat effortswhere possible.

ivory identified than in a previousundercover survey carried out in 1999.

TRAFFIC and WWF hope that thefindings of the surveys serve as positiveincentives to bring the domestic ivorytrade under control in these West Africancountries.

The 50th Meeting of the CITESStanding Committee

At the time of the launch of theTRAFFIC report on West Africa, controlof internal ivory trade was already on theagenda of the 50th meeting of the CITESStanding Committee, scheduled for 15-19March 2004 in Geneva, Switzerland.

During the meeting, the Committeeagreed to continue to place particularattention on those countries which hadearlier been identified in the ETIS analysisas having large-scale unregulated ivorymarkets, namely Cameroon, theDemocratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti,and Nigeria. Under decisions taken atCoP12, these countries face tradesanctions if they fail to implement themeasures required to control internal tradein ivory as outlined in Resolution Conf.10.10.

As TRAFFIC's West African surveysdemonstrated, a number of othercountries, such as Côte d'Ivoire and

The TRAFFIC Onlinereport No8

More Ivory thanElephants: Domestic

Ivory Markets inThree West African

Countries is hosted onTRAFFIC website:

http://www.traffic.org/publications/

reportseries.htmlThe WWF African

Elephant Programmekindly sponsored

this project.


Secretariat is now preparing a report onthe current Ramin trade situation forsubmission to the 51st Meeting of theCITES Standing Committee, which willbe held immediately prior to CITESCoP13 in Bangkok later this year.

TRAFFIC will continue its efforts tosupport ongoing dialogue begun at the tri-national workshop and will be producing areport analysing the effectiveness of thecurrent Appendix III listing for Ramin.

The workshop was supported by the UKForeign and Commonwealth Office'sEnvironment Fund, which has generouslyfunded TRAFFIC Southeast Asia's workon Ramin over the past 12 months.

Ramin case study feautured in ITTOproject undertaken by TRAFFIC

In addition to its Ramin work,TRAFFIC also updated the 50th Meetingof the Standing Committee regarding acase study on ramin trade in Malaysia aspart of an International Tropical TimberOrganisation (ITTO) project in MalaysiaTRAFFIC is undertaking to review forestlaw enforcement and governance.TRAFFIC hopes that this research wouldcontribute to constructive dialogue,engagement and co-operation between allparties concerned. The project isassessing the present implementation ofthe policies, legislation and administrationof forestry systems and mechanisms inMalaysia and gathering data on thedichotomy between the economic aspi-rations of Malaysians and the governmentdevelopment policies, as well as conser-vation of the forest resources. The projectis to be completed in the coming months.

For more information on ITTO project,and TRAFFIC’s timber work, contactChen Hin Keong, TRAFFIC’s SeniorForest Trade Advisor, based in TRAFFICSoutheast Asia Regional Office. Forcontact details see page 16.

After two days of productivediscussions, participants agreed that theissue of illegal trade could be best dealtwith by forming a Tri-National Taskforceto increase law enforcement co-operationon combating illegal ramin trade and toenhance effective implementation ofCITES to manage legal trade.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. WidodoS. Ramono, representing the Ministry ofForestry, Indonesia, said that he hoped thethree nations can work together in an"amicable manner and in the spirit ofmutual understanding in combating ourcommon problems". This was echoed byMr Chin Yue Mun, opening the workshopon behalf of the Malaysian delegation,who added that Malaysia desired to "showregional leadership in solving this issue,and thereby demonstrate its commitmentto CITES". Likewise, Mr. Bobby LeeFook On, from the Singapore CITESManagement Authority, noted thatSingapore does not produce Ramin butsaid: "However, as an entrepot, we believewe have and can play our part to ensurethat the trade in Ramin is properlyregulated in the region, as a substantialamount of the timber also passes throughour ports."

In a separate development in May 2004,Indonesia submitted a proposal for

consideration at CITES CoP13 to uplistthe entire genus of Ramin Gonystylus spp.to Appendix II. Indonesia hopes that sucha listing would add additional criteria oflegality and sustainability to the currentAppendix III regulation of all internationaltrade in Ramin.

Indonesia's listing of Ramin inAppendix III of CITES in 2001 set aprecedent for the regulation of trade inAsian commercial timber species.Indonesia's main concern at the time of thelisting was to ask its fellow CITES Partiesto assist with controlling illegal cargoescoming out of Indonesia, as well ashelping to verify the country of origin ofother Ramin shipments. Since then therehave been numerous allegations regardingramin being smuggled out of Indonesia viaMalaysia and Singapore. Several seizuresof illegal cargo, along with the lack ofclarity as to national legal frameworks andimport/export procedures, have causedconcern in the international community(including importing nations in the EU andthe US) about the legality of the entireRamin trade. At the 50th Meeting of theStanding Committee of CITES in March2004 the CITES Secretariat was asked toparticipate in the TRAFFIC-convenedworkshop to provide technical advice toIndonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The

The search for a solution to the illegal trade in Ramin timber has moved a step closerwith focused consultation between the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia andSingapore. At a workshop facilitated by TRAFFIC in Kuala Lumpur in April 2004,representatives of the three governments committed to work together to control theillegal trade in this valuable commercial timber species.

Tri-National task force set to improve Ramin timber trade controls by James Compton, Regional Director, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

Policing smallboats carryingmixed cargoes ofhardwood logs,often includingRamin, presentthe biggestchallenge forCITESenforcementagencies betweenthe threecountries.R

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Sustainable use of wild livingresources can play a vital role inlifting people out of poverty and

securing their future. Over-exploitation ofthese resources not only threatens thepeople that depend on them butbiodiversity itself. A new project onsustainable use of wild living resources(WLR) was launched in September withseed funding from the IUCN 3I-C Fund,established to promote innovation,integration, information andcommunication across its componentprogrammes and commissions. Furtherfunding is currently being sought in orderto complete the project, which isenvisaged to finish in May 2007.

The project implemented by apartnership including TRAFFIC withIUCN Species Survival Commission(SSC) Wildlife Trade Programme, SSCSustainable Use Specialist Group, IUCNSouth American Regional Office, IUCNAsia Regional Office, and the DurrellInstitute of Conservation and Ecology(DICE) will provide a quantitativeanalysis leading to a better understandingof factors that influence sustainability andthe way these interact. The project aims toassist policy-makers and managers how tomanage living resources more sustainably,so that they continue to contribute to long-term livelihood needs, to the benefit ofboth development and conservation.

It is vital that use of natural resources isbrought within biologically sustainablelimits to maintain biodiversity's "potentialto meet the needs and aspirations ofpresent and future generations". The term"sustainable use" is also used to describe'incentive-driven conservation' where useof a resource can create positive incentivesto conserve biological resources.Sustainable use of biodiversity is nowrecognised by the major multilateralenvironmental agreements as central tosustainable development and biodiversityconservation.

There have been many attempts toidentify factors that contribute to thelikelihood of sustainability, for exampleIUCN's work assessing factors thatinfluence sustainability of uses of wildliving natural resources, the developmentof practical principles, operationalguidance and associated instruments bythe Convention on Biological Diversity.

It is now widely accepted by theconservation community that sustainable

use of wild species depends on economic,social and biological factors. Yet there hasbeen little quantitative research showingthe relative importance of these factors, orinvestigation of the links between them.

In October 2003, the Sustainable useproject held a workshop with expertsattending from around the World to extract"Lessons Learnt" from existing reviews ofsustainable use case studies. Thisworkshop highlighted the findings,problems and successes of previousstudies of resource use and has beenvaluable in guiding and developing thisproject. The report from the workshop canbe viewed at http://iucn.org/themes/ssc/susg/LessonsLearntWorkshop.htm.

A trial analysis is being initiated to testthe project methodology and inclusion ofappropriate groups of species for this arecurrently being considered. The trialanalysis will be carried out in the next fewmonths, which will allow the project torefine the methodology and provide someinitial results before the longer-term datacollection and main analysis isundertaken.

The project aims to assist inimplementing the concept of sustainableuse and help in the development of thenecessary tools for policy-makers andmanagers to turn over-exploitation intosustainable resource use.

For more information, please contactthe project co-ordinator ThomasinaOldfield (e-mail: [email protected]) or TRAFFIC International. Forcontact details, see page 16.

Among the research teams' findingswere that poverty is not the primary factorfuelling the illegal trade, and that domesticconsumption for wildlife will continue togrow as economic conditions improve. Infact, 73% of decision-makers and govern-ment field personnel surveyed said that thedomestic wildlife meat trade is at levelsrequiring the most urgent attention.

The reasons identified for Viet Nam'sextensive trade in wild species includeweak law enforcement due to a lack oftraining and equipment, as well asconflicting or inappropriate jurisdictionalpowers. Indeed, research of Viet Nam'slegislation revealed that in some instances,laws actually discourage enforcementagencies from apprehending offenders andconfiscating illegal wildlife cargoes.

Among the key recommendations madeby the research teams is the establishmentof a centralized information system thatwill enable the government authoritiesresponsible for enforcing wildlife tradelaws to share information and to better co-ordinate their activities. Additionalrecommendations include awarenessbuilding amongst government officials ofthe threats facing Viet Nam's wild species,and amongst the general population torecognize and appreciate the benefits ofthe country's biodiversity. Strengtheningthe capacity of both the CITESManagement and Scientific Authoritieswas also recommended as well as theestablishment of a steering committee of16 relevant government ministries andagencies to help co-ordinate the imple-mentation of the action plan.

The action plan is being launched by theMinistry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment with endorsement by thePrime Minister expected later in 2004.

Currently TRAFFIC together withForest Protection Department , are lookingto raise the funds needed to beginimplementing the action plan's mosturgent recommendations.

For more information and updates visitTRAFFIC Southeast Asia-Indochinawebsite at http://www.trafficindo.org/ andTRAFFIC network website atwww.traffic.org.

...Viet Nam National Action Plan,continued from page 5

The skins of Indochinese tiger

and other rare cats openly displayed for sale

in Cholon District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, October 2002.

© W

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anon / Adam

Osw

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How can wild living resourcesbe used sustainably?by Thomasina Oldfield, IUCN/SSC Wildlife Trade Programme


EU enlargement and wildlife tradeby Caroline Raymakers, Regional Director of TRAFFIC Europe

Until 1 May 2004, with their highstandard of living and a total population ofmore than 370 million people, the 15Member States of the European Union(EU) represented one of the largest andmost diverse markets for wildlife productsin the world. On the accession date,another 75 million potential consumerswere added to the Union when 10countries joined the Union (see mapbelow). The enlargement shifted the EUexternal borders further east overnight,

placing the new Member States on thefront line of responsibility to control theintroduction of exotic wildlife to supplythe demand of the EU internal market.

In this new situation, governmentagencies, the European Commission, aswell as commercial stakeholders andconsumers need to act together to ensuretight enforcement at the external EUborders for a well-controlled trade in wildanimals and plants in the enlarged EU.Since the fall of the iron curtain, the

neighbouring EU consumer marketcreated an increasingly attractive power.Several of the 10 Candidate Countrieshave thereby become significant globaltransit points for trade in species destinedto the EU from Africa, Asia and SouthAmerica. A large portion of this trade wasdriven by demand from western Europeancountries. For example, around 70% of thelive reptiles legally exported by theAcceding States between 1996 and 2002were imported by the original EU Member

Since early 2004, TRAFFIC Europe has been leading an initiative to help strengthen co-operation and co-ordination of the EU Member States with regard to the enforcementof wildlife trade controls in the enlarged EU. TRAFFIC and WWF are calling forgovernments and policy makers to work jointly to combat illegal wildlife trade in the EUsingle market through better understanding of their responsibilities in the enlarged EU.TRAFFIC and WWF urge EU Member States to establish a EU Wildlife Trade TaskForce to work under the mandate of the EU Enforcement Group. Improved enforce-ment efforts and co-ordination by all 25 Member States are vital in order to ensurethat wildlife trade in the EU is well regulated and not a threat to wild populations.

On 1 May 2004,

Cyprus,

Czech Republic,

Estonia,

Hungary,

Latvia,

Lithuania,

Malta,

Poland,

Slovakia, and

Slovenia

joined

the European Union.


Electronic library of wildlife law enforcementresourcesby Stephanie Pendry, UK Enforcement Support Officer,TRAFFIC International

Anew CD-ROM has been produced byTRAFFIC International, with funding

from the Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and WWF-UK. Wildlife law enforcers often requirespecialist knowledge and access to a widerange of materials and resources. Evenwith the use of the internet, not all themost important resources are held in oneplace for ease of reference. Manyenforcers do not have easy access to theinternet and it takes time to find anddownload resources. This CD-ROM hasput all of these relevant materials,information and resources together in amenu driven system that can be accessed,searched and read by anyone with acomputer. It is expected that this will be ofparticular relevance for officers operatingin the field with access to a laptopcomputer, such as during search warrants.

The CD-ROM acts as a rapidinformation resource for wildlife lawenforcers in the UK, and containspertinent reference materials, national andinternational legislation, speciesidentification guides such as the CITESidentification guides produced by theCanadian Wildlife Service, reports,newsletters, guidance notes and otherresources.

The information on the CD-ROM hasbeen obtained from a number of differentsources, including many members of theUK Partnership for Action againstWildlife Crime (PAW), in particular Defraand the UK Scientific Authorities, RoyalBotanic Gardens Kew, and the JointNature Conservation Committee.

The CD-ROM was launched at the PAWOpen Seminar in February 2004. This CD-ROM is being distributed free of charge toall UK wildlife crime officers in Policeand Customs and the UK WildlifeInspectors.

Requests for copies of the CD-Romhave been high, both within the UK andoverseas. TRAFFIC has received positivefeedback from a number of agenciesincluding the CITES Secretariat, who said“this CD is excellent and will be of greatbenefit to enforcement agencies - veryimpressive” and the Metropolitan PoliceService who said “the CD is excellent andwill be extremely useful to anyone inenforcement working against wildlifecrime. Congratulations on an excellentinitiative”.

States. Conversely, the EU also exportedsignificant volumes of CITES-listedspecimens to the Candidate Countries: forexample, almost one-third of all parrotsimported legally by the 10 countriesbetween 1996 and 2002 came from theEU.

Effective control of the EU externalborders is a crucial component in ensuringthat the single EU wildlife trade market islegal and well regulated. This is ofprimary importance in the EU, where animportant principle is the free movementof people and products inside theEuropean Community. Once they havereceived clearance from a Customs officerat a port of entry to the EU, the majority ofanimal and plant species will have enteredthe single EU market and can thereby belegally transported around and sold freelywithout being subject to further systematiccontrols.

Through the establishment of aprogramme based in the CandidateCountries since October 2002, byconsulting the 10 new EU Member Stateson progress made during the past twoyears and following a study on the trendsof wildlife trade in those countries,TRAFFIC Europe compiled theinformation needed to support EUdecision makers in their struggle againstsmuggling of wild fauna and flora.

Since 1 May 2004, the 10 new EUMember States have has to implement andenforce the EU Wildlife Trade Regulationsthat implement CITES in the EU andwhich are stricter than CITES in severalways. All of the 10 countries are Parties toCITES and some had started to apply theEU provisions before the date ofaccession. Unfortunately, in some EUcountries, specific provisions for themarking of captive-bred specimens,availability of forensic techniques forspecies and specimens identification andadequate sanctions in case of violation ofthe Wildlife Trade Regulations are eitherlacking or not being implemented.

Overall in the EU, the lack of formallinkages and a systematic exchange ofinformation on illegal wildlife tradebetween enforcement agencies, theabsence of a designated national focalpoint for wildlife trade enforcement (i.e.border inspections and internalinspections) for each EU Member Stateand the insufficient co-operation betweenCITES Management Authorities,Customs and police services are amongthe common challenges of the 25 EUMember States.

Of particular concern are the structuralchanges the accession has brought to theCustoms services. For example thenumber of border control staff has beengreatly reduced due to the elimination orreduction of certain Member States'external EU borders (e.g. in Austria,

Germany and the Czech Republic). On 27 April 2004, TRAFFIC Europe

launched a report titled Expandingborders: New challenges for wildlife tradecontrols in the European Union issuing anumber of recommendations and notingthe need for immediate action by allMember States. Letters were posted toministers of the EU Member States, all 10Candidate Countries as well to the EUCommissioner for the Environment,accompanied with copies of the report. Todate, the feedback received from a numberof Member States has been veryencouraging.

Another opportunity to further discussthe challenges EU Member States arefacing presented itself in a format of aworkshop, funded under the EuropeanCommission's Phare budget. TRAFFICEurope convened this workshop inHungary in early June 2004 with an aim tostrengthen the judiciary's role inimplementing and enforcing the EUWildlife Trade Regulations in the new EUMember States.

TRAFFIC and WWF continue theirefforts to ensure that the recommendationsissued in the report, including theestablishment of the Wildlife Trade TaskForce, are followed through and adoptedby the EU and specifically by the EUEnforcement Group, which will bemeeting in September 2004.

For further information on theTRAFFIC Europe EU Accessioninitiative, please visit the EU Accessionand Wildlife Trade webpage on TRAFFICwebsite at http://www.traffic.org/25/network4/eu.html or contact TRAFFICEurope, for contact details see page 16.Generous support towards this intiativehas been received from WWF SpeciesProgramme, WWF Netherlands, WWFUK, and WWF Germany.

For more information on PAW seewww.defra.gov.uk/paw and forinquiries on the CD-ROM, pleasecontact TRAFFIC International.For contact details see page 16.


Identification guide to support internationalprotection of seahorses

At the 12th meeting of theConference of Parties to CITES inNovember 2002, the Parties voted

to include all 33 species of seahorses(genus Hippocampus) in Appendix II ofthe Convention. To allow countries timeto put in place policies to enforce thedecision, the listing was deferred to comeinto effect in May 2004 – making seahorsesone of the first commercially valuablemarine species to be managed by CITES.To mark the occasion on 15 May 2004,TRAFFIC and Project Seahorse producedan ID manual to support the seahorse traderegulations efforts around the globe.

A number of the world’s species ofseahorses are threatened because ofoverfishing and unsustainable trade. Thetrade involves both live and deadspecimens. In some regions the live tradeis the dominant pressure on seahorsepopulations, but the great majority of theseahorses in international trade are driedand destined for use in traditional Chinesemedicine and its derivatives (e.g. Japaneseand Korean medicines). Trade in recentyears appears to be increasing, withdemand particularly high in China for usein traditional medicine.

A total of an estimated 24 millionseahorses are taken from the wild everyyear, dried and sold for use in traditionalChinese medicine. Treatments includingseahorses are considered to address arange of conditions, including asthma andother respiratory disorders, sexualdysfunction such as impotence, andgeneral lethargy and pain.

Hundreds of thousands more are soldlive for the aquarium trade. Survival ratesfor seahorses in captivity are low, meaningalmost all seahorses in aquariums arewild-caught. Seahorses are tradedinternationally also as curios andsouvenirs.

In addition, the biology of seahorsesmay make them particularly vulnerable tooverfishing. Because most species ofseahorses are monogamous, for example,widowed animals don’t reproduce untilthey find a new partner, and lost partnersare not quickly replaced. And small homeranges in many species may restrictrecolonization of depleted areas.

The ID Manual has been developed tohelp countries ensure that commercialtrade of seahorses is not detrimental towild populations. The aim of the guide isto provide technically accurateinformation that is useful to specialists andnon-specialists alike. This is especially

CITES sea cucumber workshopheld in Malaysia

At its 12th meeting, the Conferenceof the Parties to CITES adoptedDecisions 12.60 and 12.61 related

to sea cucumbers within the familiesHolothuridae and Stichopodidae. TheCITES Secretariat was mandated throughDecision 12.61 to convene a technicalworkshop on the conservation of seacucumbers in co-operation with relevantbodies.

In March 2004 the workshop wasconvened in Malaysia with approximately50 participants from a great range ofgovernments, regional organisations andindustry participating, among participantsalso TRAFFIC.

The workshop prioritised regions andspecies highlighting their need as apriority for action. In additionfundamental management actions wereoutlined as a basis for the sustainablemanagement of sea cucumbers. Someinteresting points regarding sea cucumbertrade were discussed including the factthat there is only in the order of 20-30species of commercial interest in trade andthe industry present provided informationclarifying it is easy to identify thesespecies once they have been processed.

Among the documents provided byparticipants, TRAFFIC presented abackground paper to the workshop andhighlighted issues of relevance to theworkshop with regard to the differencesbetween and implementation of

Appendices II and III of CITES, theinclusion of Isostichopus fuscus inAppendix III by Ecuador and non-CITESrelated institutional measures.

The Animals Committee reviewed theoutcomes of the workshop at its March2004 meeting. Ecuador has submitted forconsideration at CoP13 a paper and draftDecision on the completion of Decision12.60 - Sea Cucumbers. The paper raisesconcerns as to the timeliness of theworkshop and the consideration byparticipants of its background papers, thelate production of a workshop report forthe consideration of the AnimalsCommittee and hence the inability of theAnimals Committee and Parties to be ableto address the issues raised by Decision12.60. Ecuador would like to see CITESattention to the issue continue.

by Glenn Sant, Regional Director, TRAFFIC Oceania

For more information on the workshopand the background document prepared byTRAFFIC, contact the CITES Secretariator Glenn Sant at TRAFFIC Oceania. Forcontact details see page 16.

Sea cucumber I. fuscus

TRA

FFICSouth A

merica

considered helpful given that manyspecies are similar in appearance and thattheir identification can therefore bechallenging.

Copies of the ID Manual are madeavailable to Customs agents and lawenforcement officials in all 166 countries,which are Parties to CITES in order tohelp their efforts in identifying thedifferent species of seahorses in trade.

To obtain a copy of the manual availablealso in CD-ROM format, contactTRAFFIC North America. For contactdetails see page 16. The manual wassupported by the NOAA Coral ReefConservation Grant Program and theCurtis and Edith Munson Foundation.

Samuel Lee / TR

AFFIC

East Asia


Tale of two cities: traditional Chinese medicinemarkets surveyed in the USA

In May 2004, TRAFFIC North Americareleased a comparative study oftraditional markets and pharmacies in

New York City and San Francisco. Thesurvey carried out in 2003 by TRAFFICinvestigators found illegal products widelyavailable made from endangered species,including Tigers, rhinos, Leopards andmusk deer. Most of the 60 stores visitedoffered at least one product containing anendangered species. The availability ofTiger and rhino products has decreasedsignificantly in San Francisco in recentyears, but availability remains high inNew York City.

The survey documented the availabilityof both raw parts and manufacturedmedicines labelled as containing Tiger,rhino, Leopard, musk deer, and bear. Theinvestigators mirrored as closely aspossible the methodology and shopsvisited during earlier TRAFFIC surveyscarried out in 1996-97 and 1999.

Furthermore, the survey was designedto gauge changes since the 1996-97survey, which led to the enactment of thefederal Rhino and Tiger Product LabellingAct in 1998. After this, WWF with theAmerican College of Traditional ChineseMedicine (ACTCM) launched a publicawareness campaign in San Francisco, andhas to date received widespread supportfrom the Chinese community.

The results of the 2003 survey showthat, for example, in 2003 only 3% of theshops surveyed in San Francisco soldproducts claiming to contain Tiger bone

while in 1997, as many as 42 % did. Theequivalent figures in New York City were41% in 2003 as opposed to 83% in 1997.Furthermore, 5 % of San Francisco shopssurveyed in 1997 sold products claimingto contain rhino horn but in 2003, no shopsdid. Equally, in 1997, 8 % of New YorkCity shops surveyed sold productsclaiming to contain rhino horn and in2003, 7 % did.

"Our findings indicate that illegalwildlife sales remain a serious problem inNew York City," said Craig Hoover ofTRAFFIC North America. "The resultswere encouraging, though, because theyshow that outreach to traditional medicineusers, like we've done in San Francisco inthe past few years, can reduce demand."

In San Francisco, although the publiceducation effort and enforcement of thefederal law appear to have had an effectresulting into Tiger bone productsbecoming scarce, there has been atroubling increase in products containingLeopard bone: In 1997, 5% of SanFrancisco shops surveyed sold productsclaiming to contain Leopard bone but in2003 this had increased to 27%. In NewYork City the increase was steeper, from17 to 63% respectively.

Also musk deer and bear bile productswere surveyed to be widely available.

At the press conference marking therelease of the findings of the TRAFFICsurvey on 19 May 2004, the New YorkCity Council announced that the NewYork City will introduce legislation to

TRAFFIC North America's study ofthe harvest, status and managementof cacti and other succulents native

to the Chihuahuan Desert will bepublished in Spanish later this year. Thereport was released in English in January2003 (see TRAFFIC Dispatches No.20).The report concluded that some speciesand localities affected by harvest for thelandscaping trade or collectors' marketrequire closer conservation attention. InMexico, cactus species new to science orrestricted to a few known populations aresusceptible to foreign hobbyists who havebeen known to collect and export cactusspecimens in violation of Mexican andinternational law (CITES).

for CDE species (197), followed byGermany (185), Sweden (115), Mexico(81), Spain (86), Italy (80) and Canada (5).

TRAFFIC identified several localities inthe Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico that arehigh priorities for cactus conservation.These 'high priority' localities wereselected on the basis of having the highestconcentration of species documented incommerce. The significance of theselocalities as once a source of germplasmfor the trade suggests that they may bemore prone to collection pressure thanareas from which fewer species in tradewere originally gathered. In addition, 40species were highlighted for conservation

Mexico contains about 85% of theChihuahuan Desert and harbors the richestdiversity of rare, endemic and recentlydiscovered cactus species, yet ranks fifthin terms of number of Chihuahuan DesertEcoregion (CDE) species sold in countriesworldwide. The variety of commerciallyavailable CDE species within Mexico ismodest relative to other countries becausethe majority of cactus collectors andpurveyors reside outside of that country,particularly in Europe and North America.The USA is far and away the leadingmarket for CDE cactus species, with 315species advertised by U.S. vendors and 54identified for sale exclusively in the USA.

The UK was the second largest market continued on next page...

Chihuahuan Desert Cacti trade revisited in Spanishby Simon Habel, Regional Director, TRAFFIC North America

make the sale of endangered species aviolation of City law.

Based on the findings of the surveys, themost effective strategy appears to be tobolster law enforcement by engagingleadership within the traditional medicinecommunity. The next steps for TRAFFICand WWF include extension of the publicawareness campaign from San Franciscoto New York, again in collaboration withthe ACTCM and at the same time,promotion of numerous herbal alternativesto the use of wildlife in traditional Chinesemedicine, among other efforts.

A copy of the TRAFFIC North Americareport A Tale of Two Cities, A ComparativeStudy of Traditional Chinese MedicineMarkets in San Francisco and New YorkCity can be downloaded from ht tp: / /www.traff ic .org/news/press-releases/tale_stories.pdf. TRAFFICthanks the National Fish and WildlifeFoundation’s Save the Tiger Fund and theSpecies Program of WWF US for theirgenerous support of this project.

© W

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arvey

The availability of productscontaining Leopard bone hasincreased in New York City andSan Francisco in recent years.

Number 22 June 200414 TRAFFIC Dispatches

Planning for one global programme

Set in the verdant tropical greenery ofthe Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve inEcuador, 36 participants from

TRAFFIC International and TRAFFIC'sseven regional offices set the foundationfor its new four-year programme with theconvening of the 20th TRAFFIC NetworkMeeting from May 2nd-8th, 2004.

In the months leading up to the meeting,TRAFFIC offices conducted problemanalyses for a number of globally impor-tant wildlife trade themes in order toidentify priorities for action. Offices alsobegan discussions on potential regionalcomponents for the new programme,addressing both global themes and anyadditional regional programme priorities.

"The aim of this process was to ensurethat we would then be able to integrateregional targets and priority global themesinto one global programme," saidTRAFFIC International ExecutiveDirector Steven Broad." This meantaiming for a more focussed programme,with targets that were specific, measurableand achievable. The meeting looked athow we could strategically prioritise ourwork so that we knew exactly what, howand especially where we needed to focus.Ultimately, we want to see even moretangible conservation change - andpositive impacts - coming out of deliveryof our programme"

Another consideration in thedevelopment of the new programme forthe network was the lessons learned fromthe External Review of TRAFFIC's pro-gramme commissioned by the TRAFFIC

Committee in 2003. The review wasdriven by two main purposes: the need foraccountability to TRAFFIC's partners andsupporters and desire for learning andimprovement in TRAFFIC's programmeand operations. (The Executive Summaryand Management response to the ExternalReview is available on TRAFFIC websiteat http://www.traffic.org/publications/External_Review_2003.pdf.)

The network meeting discussed alsonew issues of high priority that TRAFFICshould engage, as well as new approacheson existing issues. "We wanted to identifythe current wildlife trade hotspots in theTRAFFIC regions, as well as ways inwhich TRAFFIC could catalyse effectiveconservation action in response toemerging wildlife trade-related threats,"Broad added.

Emphasis was also placed on strength-ening synergy with the WWF and IUCN

programmes, and the discussions attempt-ed to identify explicit links with WWF andIUCN. "We needed to ensure that theWWF and IUCN programme interests lieat the heart of the TRAFFIC programme,"Broad stressed. Miguel Pellerano, IUCN'sregional director for South America, gavea presentation at the meeting on the IUCNProgramme and potential areas for co-operation with TRAFFIC in SouthAmerica. The meeting was attended byrepresentatives from the WWF InternationalSpecies Programme and WWF Netherlandsand the WWF Guianas Programme.

The meeting also discussed prioritiesfor the remainder of 2004, includingplanning and preparations for key eventssuch as the 13th meeting of theConference of the CITES CoP13 Parties toCITES and the 3rd IUCN WorldConservation Congress - both taking placein Bangkok, Thailand later this year.

TRAFFIC staff at

the 20thnetworkmeeting, in Mindo,

Ecuador inMay 2004.

TRA

FFIC

assistance and technology from universitygreenhouses to local nurseries. Thecurrent system for licensing growers inMexico is financially and administrativelyburdensome, creating disincentives amongnurseries to breed plants or seeds fordomestic or international markets. In theCDE of the United States, public andprivate landowners should consider theecological and economic benefits ofconserving cactus species and populationsthrough sustainable harvest.

For further information and copies ofthe forthcoming Spanish edition of thereport Prickly Trade: Trade andConservation of Chihuahuan DesertCacti, contact TRAFFIC North America.For contact details see page 16.

attention given their precarious biologicalstatus, potentially high commercialdemand or vulnerability to illegal trade.

The Spanish edition of the PricklyTrade: Trade and Conservation ofChihuahuan Desert Cacti report makes anumber of recommendations aimed atimproving the conservation of CDEspecies that are vulnerable to trade orcould become so if certain concerns areleft unaddressed. In Mexico, for instance,there is an urgent need to reduce demandfor wild specimens of endemic, rare orotherwise highly collectable species byincreasing the availability of plants grownby nurseries. To this end, the Mexicangovernment could streamline the processby which nurseries apply for licenses togrow, sell and export cactus specimensand facilitate the exchange of technical

© W

WF-C

anon / Edward Parker

...Chihuahuan cacti revisited in Spanish,continued from previous page

21st Century TigerAGF Management LimitedAnna Strasbourg/Marilyn Monroe AuctionArundel EstateAustralian Fisheries Management AuthorityAustrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture,

Forestry, Environment and WaterManagement

BfN (German Federal Agency forNatureConservation - Bundesamt fürNaturschutz)

CGMK FoundationCITES SecretariatConservation InternationalCritical Ecosystem Partnership FundThe Curtis and Edith Munson FoundationDanish Agency for Development AssistanceThe David and Lucile Packard FoundationEndangered Wildlife TrustThe Ernest Kleinworth Charitable TrustEugene LindenMs Shu-Jiuan LuEuropean Commission, Environment DGMr James FairfaxFood and Agriculture Organization of the

United NationsFrancois and Sheila BrutschHDH Wills 1965 Charitable TrustThe Hendrickson TrustInternational Institute of Environment and

DevelopmentInternational Tropical Timber OrganizationIUCN - The World Conservation UnionIUCN Regional Office for Eastern AfricaIUCN Regional Office for South AmericaJane Henrickson TrustJohn M. Simpson FoundationMrs. Niels W. JohnsenJohnson and Johnson (via WWFUS)

Jonathan MurrayLa Societa Zoologica la Torbiera, ItalyManfred Hermsen FoundationMazda Wildlife FundMinistry of Environment & Forests, IndiaMinistry of Environment, Republic of KoreaNational Botanical Institute of South AfricaNatural Heritage TrustNOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant

ProgramPhare Programmeof the European UnionMrs. Fiona PippaProject SeahorseRimbun Dahan (Malaysia)The Rufford Maurice Laing FoundationSave The Tiger Fund (National Fish and

Wildlife Foundation, US) Swedish International Development AgencySociety for Wildlife and NatureThe Taiwan Council of AgricultureTiger's Eye RetailTony & Lisette Lewis FoundationToraya Confectionery Co. Ltd. Marubeni

CorporationUK Department for Environment, Food and

Rural Affairs UK Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeUK High Commission, MalaysiaUnited Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeUSAID U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS - Florida Department of Agriculture and

Consumer AffairsUS State Department US - State of Louisiana Department of

Wildlife and FisheriesThe Walt Disney Company FoundationWildlife and Environment Society of South

AfricaThe Wildlife Conservation SocietyThe World Association for Zoos and

Aquariums The World BankWWF Africa Madagascar Programme

WWF African Rhino ProgrammeWWF AustraliaWWF AustriaWWF BelgiumWWF CanadaWWF China ProgrammeWWF East Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF FranceWWF GermanyWWF The Green Trust (ZA)WWF Hong KongWWF IndochinaWWF InternationalWWF ItalyWWF JapanWWF MalaysiaWWF NetherlandsWWF New ZealandWWF South AfricaWWF South Pacific ProgrammeWWF Southern Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF SwedenWWF SwitzerlandWWF Tanzania Programme OfficeWWF-UKWWF-US


TRAFFIC staff thank the following supporters for their contributions to our work during December 2003 - May 2004:

TRAFFIC reports on the horizon for the coming months:

Prickly Trade: Trade and Conservation ofChihuahuan Desert Cacti, Spanishedition, TRAFFIC North America report

First Choice or Fallback? Anexamination of issues relating to theapplication of Appendix III of CITES tomarine species, TRAFFIC Onlinereport

The Trade of Indian Star TortoisesGeochelone elegans in PeninsularMalaysia, TRAFFIC Southeast Asiareport

Evaluation of Ramin Gonystylus spp.CITES Appendix III implementation inSoutheast Asia, TRAFFIC Southeast Asiareport

Exploitation, trade and management ofmarine turtles in the Southern Caribbean,TRAFFIC report

'Certifying Certification: CanCertification Secure a Sustainable Futurefor Medicinal Plants, Harvesters andConsumers in India? TRAFFIC Onlinereport (No.9)

No licence to kill: The population andharvest of musk deer and trade in musk inthe Russian Federation and Mongolia,TRAFFIC Europe report

Shark product trade in Hong Kong andmainland China and implementation ofthe CITES shark listings, TRAFFIC EastAsia report

Collection, trade, and regulation ofreptiles and amphimibians of theChihuahuan Desert ecoregion, TRAFFICNorth America report

New foundation support

In May 2004 TRAFFIC receivedconfirmation of generous funding supportof EUR50 000 from the Manfred HermsenFoundation towards its work on marineturtle trade. This is a first grant toTRAFFIC from Manfred HermsenFoundation and hopefully the start of aproductive relationship for the future.

TRAFFIC was extremely grateful toreceive a grant of GBP100 000 from TheRufford Maurice Laing Foundation inMay 2004 towards a range of activitiesplanned for 2004/2005. The RuffordMaurice Laing Foundation has been a keysupporter of innovation and achievementin TRAFFIC’s programme for over tenyears.

The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation

TRAFFIC International219a Huntingdon Rd Cambridge, CB3 ODL, UKTel: (44) 1223 277427; Fax: (44) 1223 277237E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - Regional OfficeRoom 2001, Double Building, 22 Stanley Street Central, Hong KongTel: (852) 2 530 0587; Fax (852) 2 530 0864E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - Chinac/o WWF China Programme Office, Wen HuaGong, (Laodong Renmin Wenhuagong Dongmen)Beijing Working People's Culture PalaceBeijing 100006, People's Republic of ChinaTel: (86) 10 65227100 (Ext. 213)Fax: (86) 10 65227300E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - Japan6th Fl. Nihonseimei Akabanebashi Bldg.3-1-14, Shiba, Minato-ku 105-0014 Tokyo, JapanTel: (81) 3 3769 1716; Fax: (81) 3 3769 1304E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - TaipeiPO Box 7-476 Taipei 106, TaiwanTel: (886) 2 2362 9787; Fax: (886) 2 2362 9799E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - RegionalOfficec/o WWF Southern Africa Regional Programme 10, Lanark Road, Belgravia, PO Box CY 1409Causeway, Harare, ZimbabweTel: (263) 4 252533/ 252534; Fax: (263) 4 703902E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - South Africac/o Endangered Wildlife Trust, Private Bag x11 Parkview 2122, Johannesburg, South AfricaTel: (27) 11 486 1102; Fax: (27) 11 486 1506E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - TanzaniaPO Box 106060, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaTel: (255-22) 2701676 / 2700077 / 272455 Fax: (255-22) 2775535E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Regional OfficeBd. Emile Jacqmain 90 B-1000 Brussels, BelgiumTel: (32) 2 343 8258; Fax: (32) 2 343 2565E-mail: [email protected]


TRAFFIC Europe - Germanyc/o Umweltstiftung WWF GermanyRebstöcker Str. 55 60326 Frankfurt a.M., GermanyTel: (49) 69 79144 180; Fax: (49) 69 617221E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Italyc/o WWF Italia, Via Po, 25/c 00198 Rome, ItalyTel: (39) 06 84497357; Fax: (39) 06 84497356E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Russiac/o WWF Russia Programme OfficeNikoloyamskaya str.19, building 3, 109240 Moscow, Russia Tel: (007) 095 727 09 39 Fax: (007) 095 727 09 38E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Swedenc/o WWF-Sweden, Ulriksdals SlottS-17081 Solna, SwedenTel: (46) 8 624 7400; Fax: (46) 8 85 1329Email: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Candidate Countries c/o WWF-Hungary, Németvölgyi út 78/b1124 Budapest, HungaryTel: (36) 1 214 5554; Fax: (36) 1 212 9353E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - Regional office1250 24th Street, NWWashington DC 20037, USATel: (1) 202 293 4800; Fax: (1) 202 775 8287E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - Canada 5612 - 47A Avenue, Delta, BC V4K 3Y2,CanadaTel: (1) 604-940-7010E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - Mexicoc/o WWF Mexico Programme OfficeAve. Mexico No. 51 Col. Hipodromo Condesa06100 Mexico, D.F., MexicoTel: (525) 286 5631/34; Fax: (525) 286 5637E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Oceania - Regional OfficeGPO Box 528 Sydney NSW 2001, AustraliaTel: (61) 2 9280 1671; Fax: (61) 2 9212 1794E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC South America - RegionalOfficeAv. De los Shyris 2680 y Gaspar de VillaroelEdificio MITA COBADELSA, Penthouse (PH),Quito, EcuadorTel: (5932) 226 1075 (ext.400)Fax: (5932) 226 1075 (ext.230)E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - RegionalOfficeUnit 9-3A, 3rd Floor, Jalan SS23/11, Taman SEA47400 Petaling Jaya Selangor, MalaysiaTel: (603) 7880 3940; Fax: (603) 7882 0171E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Indochinac/o WWF Indochina Programme Office53 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District IPO Box:151Hanoi, VietnamTel: (84) 4 733 8387 & (84) 4 733 8386Fax: (84) 4 822 0642E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC on the World Wide Web:TRAFFIC network - www.traffic.org (in English)TRAFFIC East Asia:China - http://www.wwfchina.org/traffic/ (in Chinese)Japan - www.trafficj.org (in Japanese)Taiwan - www.wow.org.tw (in Chinese)TRAFFIC Europe:Russia - www.wwf.ru/traffic (in Russian)TRAFFIC North America: Mexico - http://www.wwf.org.mx/traffic.asp (in Spanish) TRAFFIC Southeast Asia: Indochina -http://www.trafficindo.org (in English)�TRAFFIC International ▲regional TRAFFIC office �other TRAFFIC office

the wildlife trade monitoring network

DISPATCHESNumber 23 February 2005

TRAFFIC's new programme sets its targets ontrade 'hotspots'by Steven Broad, Executive Director, TRAFFIC International

INSIDE:

• Ivory and tortoiseshell products seized in UK

• Staff news

• Training team in South Africa limbers up

• Sustainable wild collection of medicinal and

aromatic plants

• TRAFFIC in South Pacific

• TRAFFIC report leads to legislative change

• Trade in reptiles of the Chihuahuan Desert

Ecoregion

• The 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress

• The 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties

to CITES

• Global Forest and Trade Network project

• Tackling the ivories in the USA

• EU-TWIX, a tool for wildlife trade enforcement

• Review of Canada’s implementation of CITES

• First choice or fallback? CITES Appendix-III

• Precautionary principle project shows results

• Pet trade in live freshwater turtles in Japan


• TRAFFIC network contact detailsInside: TRAFFIC at IUCN WCC

Anne Rodford / IU

CN Publications U

nit

Trade in wild animals and plantspresents an extremely diverse rangeof conservation and socio-economic

challenges and opportunities. A newConservation Programme for 2005-2008will help prioritise and focus TRAFFIC’swork in order to increase its effectivenessand efficiency in helping to address theseglobal concerns. The new programmereflects a need to concentrate effort arounda smaller number of common targets, witha greater geographical focus on thelocations, trade sources, hubs and markets,where greatest impact can be made. Thekey planning challenge was to identifypriority wildlife trade problems and then todecide what action is most needed andwhere it needs to take place.

At the heart of the new programme is theneed to be responsive to the emergingglobal biodiversity conservation andsustainable development agendas. It alsoreflects recent developments in the widerconservation programmes of TRAFFIC'spartners, WWF and IUCN. WWF last yearrevised its targets and milestones underglobal species, marine and forest pro-grammes. and IUCN's new programme for2005-2008 was adopted at the 3rd WorldConservation Congress in Bangkok inNovember 2004 (see page 6).

After a series of regional situationanalyses and close consultation with WWFand IUCN, a new programme structureemerged, with major themes of actionunder four result areas:

Early warning: Catalysing responses toemerging and/or poorly understood wildlifetrade issues and trends

Flagship species in trade: Interveningto address trade risks to selected threatenedspecies that act as flagships of wider tradeand conservation challenges

Resource Security: Supporting trademeasures that help improve the security ofkey wildlife resources

Wildlife trade hotspots: Reducingwildlife trade threats to species, resourcesand ecoregions through focused action inpriority trade centres and trade routes

This approach will allow TRAFFIC toeffectively strike at wildlife trade'bottlenecks' where a significant proportionof illegal and unsustainable trade can beinterdicted - whether it is a key bordercrossing, port or wildlife market.

At the same time, it also allowsTRAFFIC to respond rapidly whereemerging wildlife trade problems can beidentified and addressed - before theybecome critical. The approach also stronglyrecognises the importance of legal andsustainable use of wildlife resources to thedeveloping world for healthcare, food andincome generation, and its important role inpoverty alleviation.

A trade chain problem analysis identifiedthe key interventions to be employed,drawing from a range of methods:Mobilised knowledge, effective regulation,positive economic incentives, andsustainable consumptive behaviour.

The programme developed from thisanalysis provides a strong and ambitiousfoundation for action over the next fouryears. TRAFFIC is now gearing-up itsefforts to succeed. Key needs are to in-crease capacity within regional pro-grammes - particular priorities being inChina, Russia and South Asia. Equallyimportant is the promotion of partnershipswith other programmes within WWF andIUCN and with a wide range of externalnon-governmental and government collab-orators. At the same time, TRAFFIC is'packaging' the action planned as a basis forits funding development efforts to securethe financial resources needed to succeed.

Bear and other animal parts being sold for traditional Chinese medicine, Chengdu,Sichuan Province, China.

WW

F-Canon / Terry D

omico


Cambridge UK, CB3 ODLTel. +44 (0)1223 277427Fax.+44 (0)1223 277237



UK Charity Registration Number: 1076722






Staff news

2 TRAFFIC Dispatches Number 23 February 2005


Welcome

July 2004Katie Arbery commenced her work as the newAccounts Officer in TRAFFIC International.

October 2004Caroline Gill joined TRAFFIC Internationalas Project Administration Officer.

Eugene Lee joined TRAFFIC Southeast Asiaas Senior Programme Officer.

Wang Shasha joined TRAFFIC East Asia -China as Programme Assistant.

Britta Paetzold joined TRAFFIC Europe -Germany as Medicinal Plants ResearchOfficer.

Anne Vanden Bloock commenced her work aspart time Communication & AdministrationOfficer in TRAFFIC Europe Regional Office.

Katalin Kecse-nagy and Dorottya Papp joinedTRAFFIC Europe - Central Eastern ProjectOffice as Programme Officers.

December 2004Birgit Felgentreu joined TRAFFIC Europe -Germany as Research Assistant.

Goodbye

July 2004Programme Officer Attila Steiner leftTRAFFIC Europe - Candidate Countries.

Research Officer Lazaro Linjano andAdministrative Assistant Vera John leftTRAFFIC East /Southern Africa - Tanzania.

August 2004Deputy Director Craig Hoover leftTRAFFIC North America.

Programme Administration and EvaluationOfficer Claire Nugent left TRAFFICInternational.

September 2004Accounts Officer Tammy Tam left TRAFFICInternational.

October 2004Programme Officer Ximena Buitrón leftTRAFFIC South America.

December 2004Research Officer Anita Sancho leftTRAFFIC South America.

January 2005Programme Officer Nicholas Phoon leftTRAFFIC Oceania.

Ivory and tortoiseshell products seized in UKby Stephanie Pendry, UK Enforcement Support Officer, TRAFFIC International

Officers from the MetropolitanPolice, Gloucestershire Constabularyand Avon and Somerset

Constabulary in England carried outsimultaneous warrants on a number ofpremises believed to be involved in themanufacture and sale of ivory andtortoiseshell personal grooming items. Theoperation took place on 15 November2004, and was based on informationprovided by TRAFFIC, which showed thata number of retail premises in London'scentral shopping district were openlyoffering for sale items that claimed to bemade of genuine elephant ivory andtortoiseshell.

Commercial trade in elephant ivory andtortoiseshell, which is made from theshells of sea turtles, is banned in the UKunless an exemption certificate has beenissued by the UK CITES licensingauthority (Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs). Defra has issuedthe following advice: Antique items whichhave recently been re-carved into other

items no longer qualify under the antiquesderogation and would need an exemptioncertificate for sale to be legal.

In all, 142 elephant ivory items wereseized with a value of GBP60 000, includ-ing a substantial amount of unworked andpartially worked ivory (estimated at 125kg), as well as 32 carved ivory items andfourteen shaving bowls with tortoiseshellinlay, with an estimated street value ofGBP25 000. Her Majesty's Customs andExcise and TRAFFIC assisted the Policewith the search warrants.

Crawford Allan from TRAFFICInternational said "The illegal trade inivory is a continuing problem worldwide.If an elephant is poached for its ivory,chances are great that the ivory will end upin a market in Africa or Asia. From there,trade can spill over into other end usemarkets in North America and Europe,including the UK. While the scale of thedomestic ivory market in the UK can beconsidered small, when compared withcountries in Asia and Africa, this operation

clearly indicates the commitment of theauthorities in dealing with the seriousthreat of wildlife crime in the UK."

Since the warrants were carried out theitems that were seized have been sent toexperts to be formally identified and theindividuals responsible are to beinterviewed. Following interviews, adecision will then be taken as to whatcharges may be laid. TRAFFIC'senforcement assistance work in the UK isfunded by Defra and WWF UK.

Ivory being examined by theGloucestershire Constabulary.

TRA

FFIC International

Number 23 February 2005 TRAFFIC Dispatches 3

The training team of TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa's DANIDA-funded wildlife trade law compli-

ance training project ended 2004 on a highnote - each member successfully qualifiedas a nationally-recognized assessor fivedays before Christmas.

The team is now preparing to trainSouth African nature conservation offi-cials, as well as Customs and BorderPolice staff in wildlife trade related lawcompliance skills.

"There is a real need for thisprogramme both in South Africa and therest of our region, and we're grateful toDANIDA for enabling it," says JonathanEvans. "In summary, the training willconsist of an introduction to wildlife trade,CITES, relevant South Africanenvironmental legislation, the develop-ment of law enforcement skills andalternative compliance strategies, andfinally the identification of priority speciesin trade. One of our challenges is to fit allof that into a five-day training programme."

The project began in August 2003. Asituational analysis was conducted in thethree target provinces (Limpopo, EasternCape and KwaZulu-Natal) to ascertainfuture training needs and to brief staff who

will be trained about the programme. Aseries of workshops, presentations andtrial training sessions have also been held,and research and development of trainingand resource materials is ongoing. To setthe stage for success, memoranda ofunderstanding are being negotiated togovern training partnerships withCustoms, Police and the nationalDepartment of Environmental Affairs andTourism.

An important aspect of preparation isworking towards aligning the TRAFFICtraining programme with South Africa'sNational Qualifications Framework,which is a strategy to standardise learningacross the country. This will add value to

the programme by enabling trainees togain credits towards a nationallyrecognised qualification. It's a longprocess to become able to offer accreditedtraining, but the TESA team has alreadyprepared draft unit standards for theproposed content. Now that they havecompleted the assessor's course, whichcovered aspects of preparing for andconducting assessments, the trainers areanother step closer to making it all happen.

Training will begin early in 2005. Theteam is currently hard at work completingtraining and resource materials. Jonathanconcludes, "When you start to hear newsreports about the positive impact of thetraining, you'll know we've started."

Training team in South Africa limbers upby TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa DANIDA training team

The TRAFFIC DANIDA team

(from left): David Newton

(Project Co-ordinator),

Megan Diamond (Project

Administrator), Adam Pires (Trainer),

Jonathan Evans (Project Manager),

Carolyn Ah Shene (Trainer)

TRA

FFIC East/Southern A

frica - South Africa

An estimated 40 000 to 50 000 plantspecies are used in traditional andmodern medicine systems

throughout the world. Today, a consid-erable portion of the medicinal andaromatic plants and populations arethreatened due to over-harvesting andmajority of the species used in medicineare being collected from the wild. Otherthreats to medicinal and aromatic plantsinclude land conversion and habitat loss.

Approaches that balance the needs oflocal, regional and international marketswith necessary conservation action andsustainable use practices are neededurgently. This is especially important asprinciples and guidelines available to ustoday address mainly higher national andinternational political levels, but indirectlyonly provide the medicinal plant industryand other stakeholders, includingcollectors, with specific guidance on

sustainable sourcing practices. In an attempt to address this gap in the

existing guidelines, a steering groupconsisting of the German Federal Agencyfor Nature Conservation (BfN), the IUCNMedicinal Plant Specialist Group, WWFGermany and TRAFFIC Europe-Germany, brought together by BfN, haveinitiated a process to develop globallyapplicable Practice Standards andPerformance Criteria for the SustainableWild Collection of Medicinal andAromatic Plants.

An international Advisory Group wasformed in order to involve relevantstakeholders from ecological, socio-economic and fair trade sectors in theprocess of developing and testing thestandards and criteria. Their specificexpertise and advice on the design ofpractical guidance will support thepromotion and implementation of

medicinal and aromatic plants standards. The first expert workshop, which was

held in December 2004 on the Isle ofVilm, Germany, provided a discussionforum for the members of the AdvisoryGroup on process related issues and alsoon a preliminary draft of the Standards andCriteria document. A testing phase ofdraft standards in field projects isscheduled to take place in mid 2005 and isto complement the theoretical discussionand test the relevance and feasibility of thepractice standards and performancecriteria under development. Matchingfunds for the testing phase are currentlybeing sought.

TRAFFIC thanks BfN for theirgenerous support of this project. Forfurther information e-mail [email protected] or contactTRAFFIC Europe-Germany. For contactdetails, see page 16.

Sustainable wild collection of medicinal andaromatic plantsby Britta Paetzold and Susanne Honnef, Medicinal Plant Programme, TRAFFIC Europe-Germany


TRAFFIC in South Pacific by Rob Parry-Jones, Representative of TRAFFIC Oceania South Pacific Programme

The countries of the South Pacific varywidely in their cultures, languages, faunaand flora, and yet they all share a commondependence upon a healthy, functioningenvironment for subsistence harvestingand trade or for supporting major revenue-generating industries such as tourism,fisheries and timber.

The growth in trade of wildlife from theregion, particularly marine resources,provides an opportunity for national andlocal communities' development. Forexample in 2004, Fiji's marine aquariumtrade alone generated around USD9.5million in export earnings. Around 600people are employed directly butcollection of specimens takes place within

23 traditional fishing grounds comprisingan area of just under 1000 km2, utilised byan estimated 5000 people. It ispredominantly these people who are thebeneficiaries of a well managed trade:income from the trade is around FJD800/month (USD425) per collector ascompared to an average FJD90 /month(USD 50) for non-collectors.

However, a poorly managed trade canspell disaster for the ecosystem and thusthe livelihoods of entire communities;countries in the region therefore arelooking at CITES as a tool to managetrade. The knowledge and capacity toimplement the Convention, however, stillremains limited and meeting the

Awareness

poster

developed in

conjunction

with

government,

the Fiji Islands

National Trust

and other

conservation

organisations

on display at

Fiji's ports of

entry & exit.

obligations of international Conventionssuch as CITES can be challenging even fordeveloped countries; in Small IslandDeveloping States, such a task becomesincreasingly onerous; one official alonemay be responsible for overseeing theimplementation and reporting on three orfour Conventions.

Fiji, a CITES Party since 1997, cameunder international scrutiny becauseCITES-implementing legislation still wasnot in place in 2002, and because therewere concerns over what were perceivedto be dramatic increases in coral exportsfor the aquarium trade. Enactinglegislation, establishing the CITESScientific and Management Authorities,and developing sound systems ofmanagement and governance for themarine aquarium trade therefore becamekey focuses of the project in Fiji.

Achieving these goals ultimately camedown to a strong collaborative effortbetween TRAFFIC, the Fiji Governmentand other in-country stakeholders, withstrong support from the Australian CITESManagement Authority - one member ofwhom was seconded to the FijiDepartment of Environment for a year -and from the CITES Secretariat.

Fiji now ranks in the top category forCITES-implementing legislation and, in2004, revenue generated from fees forregistration and CITES permit applicationwould have been sufficient to pay for thesalaries and expenses of a minimum oftwo additional government staff members.Fiji, with the 25 Member States of the EUand the US, also successfully co-sponsored the proposal to list theHumphead Wrasse in CITES Appendix-IIat the Thirteenth Meeting of theConference of the Parties to CITES,October 2004. National legislationprotecting the species from all commercialcapture and sale, including the stricterdomestic measure prohibiting allcommercial exports, also was enacted.

CITES is by no means the only tool to

In response to a request from the regional governments at a CITES training

workshop in 2002, TRAFFIC Oceania, in February 2003, opened its South Pacific

Programme, located in Suva, Fiji, in the offices of the WWF South Pacific Programme.

Funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the programme was

established primarily to assist in the implementation of CITES, but also

to strengthen collaboration with WWF.

TRAFFIC Dispatches 5Number 23 February 2005

manage wildlife trade - management mustbe linked with national and regionalconservation strategies - but theConvention's overall goals both as a tradetreaty and as a conservation treaty arereadily apparent in the context of themarine aquarium trade. Collection ofmarine aquarium specimens takes placewithin the local community fishinggrounds thus sound management systemsmust be in place to safeguard theecosystem upon which the localcommunities depend for their livelihoods.Therefore, a series of workshops wereconvened by TRAFFIC in conjunctionwith government, community represen-tatives and other stakeholders, to developa methodology for determining sustain-able harvest thresholds for the marineaquarium trade, funded again by the UKGovernment, facilitated by the CITESSecretariat. Outcomes included an agreedframework of prioritized activities, someof which already have been implementedsuch as the establishment of the coralharvest Quota Review Group; funding isbeing sought to implement other activities.

To increase awareness for bordercontrol officers, TRAFFIC and theDepartment of Environment held awildlife trade workshop focusing onenforcement issues, species likely to beseen in trade, wildlife smugglingtechniques and illegal trade in species suchas Fijian iguanas and parrots. Regulatorymechanisms for the conservation ofmarine turtles, focal species for WWF'swork in the regional biodiversity hotspots- Ecoregions, also were emphasized due tothe on-going regional trade in marineturtle specimens.

TRAFFIC's initial focus on Fiji takesadvantage of its role as the regional hub ofthe Pacific from where skills developed,lessons learned and solutions devised inFiji can be applied throughout much of thePacific region. This is particularlypertinent in countries with high levels ofendemism and trade, such as Papua NewGuinea and the Solomon Islands, countrieswhich feature strongly in TRAFFIC's newGlobal Conservation Programme.

For further information contactTRAFFIC Oceania Regional Office. Forcontact details see page 16.

New York City has become the firstmunicipality in the United Statesto approve a law making it illegal

to buy or sell products containing, oradvertised as containing, endangeredspecies. The law, signed by MayorBloomberg on 1 December 2004, followsan investigation of New York City'straditional medicine shops last spring byTRAFFIC North America and theresulting report, A Tale of Two Cities: AComparative Study of Traditional ChineseMedicine Markets in San Francisco andNew York City (see TRAFFIC Dispatches,No.20).

The investigation found that illegalproducts claiming to contain endangered

species, including tigers, rhinos, leopardsand musk deer, were widely available inthe city. Though federal legislation likethe Endangered Species Act makesinterstate commerce of endangeredspecies products illegal, it does not applyto sales within a city.

The new law will close local loopholesin New York City law by making the saleof products containing, or labelled ascontaining, endangered species a violationof city law and will give New York Cityenforcement officials the authority to takeaction. The new law, drafted with the helpof TRAFFIC North America, meets animportant need in the global effort tocombat illegal wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC report leads tolegislative changeby Leigh Henry, Programme Officer, TRAFFIC North America

Trade in reptiles of theChihuahuan Desert Ecoregion

Over 130 amphibian and reptilespecies of the Chihuahuan Desertare subject to domestic and

international trade, including some speciesclassified as highly endangered, accordingto the TRAFFIC North America reportCollection, Trade and Regulation ofReptiles and Amphibians of theChihuahuan Desert Ecoregion.

The report shows that the demand forreptiles and amphibians including hornedlizards, false corals, other snakes andlizards, turtles and frogs is prevalent, thesespecies occurring in the ChihuahuanDesert ecoregion, one of the world's mostbiologically diverse deserts, stretchingfrom the central and northern regions ofMexico to southern USA. AlthoughMexico prohibits almost all exportation ofreptiles and amphibians, these species aresold in pet markets and shops, atintersections of roads or from the side ofthe highway in Mexico.

"There is little evidence of legal trade ofreptiles in Mexico," said Adrian Reuter,TRAFFIC representative in Mexico."Also, the official figures of illegal tradeare only indicative of some of the speciestraded but not of the level of trade.Sufficient information on the collectionand trade of species in both the USA andMexico is lacking, and much more isneeded in order to assess the overallsituation accurately."

Out of the 217 reptile and amphibianspecies in the ecoregion, 131 are reptiles.

At least 82 species are traded and morethan 60% are listed under Mexicanthreatened species legislation. Four of thespecies are classified as threatened by theIUCN Red List and six are listed inAppendix I or II of CITES. The BolsonTortoise and the soft shell turtles ofCuatrociénegas are listed in Appendix 1 ofCITES, which means any commercialinternational trade of these species isprohibited.

The TRAFFIC study found that 67species, including the highly endangeredturtles, are found in pet shops. Based onhistorical information, interviews, marketsurveys and seizures, the report also showsthat the horned lizard, collar lizards andGila monsters are traded for privatecollections and sold in pet stores despitethe fact that collection and trade of thesespecies is banned.

In the USA, approximately 120 speciesof the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion aretraded. The information available onseizures of live reptiles and their parts andproducts indicates that also illegal exportsoccur, mainly to satisfy the demand offood, leather, curios and pets.

The TRAFFIC study issues number ofrecommendations for action needed toensure that collection and trade do notpose a threat to some of the species. Formore information, visit http://www.traffic.org/news/trade_reptiles.html. TRAFFICthanks the Walt Disney CompanyFoundation and WWF-US for theirgenerous support for this project.

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Bolson tortoise Gopherusflavomarginatus


People and Nature - Only One WorldThe 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congressby Teresa Mulliken, Research and Policy Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC International

TRAFFIC played a central role in manyof the wildlife trade events organisedduring the World Conservation Forum,which brought together over 4000 peoplefrom governments, civil society, and theprivate sector to consider conservation anddevelopment issues. TRAFFIC East AsiaProgramme Officer Samuel Lee was co-organiser of a one-day 'Global SynthesisWorkshop' focusing on the medicinal useof wild animal and plant species. With anemphasis on securing sustainability, theworkshop explored both the threats facedby wild medicinal species, and the threatsto human livelihoods posed by theirdeclines.

Seeking to build on the momentumcreated by agreement of the ASEANInitiative (see next page), TRAFFICSoutheast Asia's Director James Comptonand other TRAFFIC colleagues organisedthe workshop 'What Future for Asia'sWildlife Trade'. Speakers included DrTony Whitten of the World Bank, DrSamedi of Indonesia's Director General ofForest Protection and NatureConservation, and TRAFFIC East AsiaDirector Craig Kirkpatrick. Participantsnoted the need for an Asia-wide strategy todefine institutional 'niches', and toconvene the appropriate level of expertiseand resources required to influence marketforces driving wildlife harvests. IUCNwas viewed as having a critical role inbringing together key players in thisregard.

Illegal wildlife trade - and how toaddress it - was the focus of the lunchtimeworkshop 'Cutting Our Losses - ReducingIllegal Trade in Natural Resources',organised by TRAFFIC and theInternational Centre for Trade andSustainable Development. The workshoplooked at the approaches to reducingillegal trade being used by differentsectors. This included donor agencies, theWorld Bank's Kathy MacKinnon offeringher perspectives, governments, the private

sector, with a view from the timberindustry provided by Hugh Blackett of theTropical Forest Trust. A summary of theoutcomes of both workshops can be foundon the IUCN Congress website.

As well as organising workshops,TRAFFIC staff made presentations inworkshops including 'Certification forSustainability - The State of the Art','Combating Illegal Logging andAssociated Trade in the Tropics', and'Presenting the Addis Ababa Principles -Sustainable Use of Biodiversity andHuman Livelihoods'.

The Congress also provided fantasticopportunities for information exchangewith other conservation experts fromaround the world. For TRAFFIC, thisincluded discussion of both issues andprogrammatic linkages with IUCNprogrammes and members. The Congressprovided TRAFFIC staff with theopportunity to meet numerous other IUCNstaff, and to discuss creating moreeffective links between TRAFFIC andother IUCN programmes. The Congressalso helped increase knowledge ofTRAFFIC's work in other ways.TRAFFIC publications were prominentlydisplayed at the IUCN ConservationBookshop and Reading Lounge, and

factsheets and publications cataloguesdistributed there and at workshop venues.

The World Conservation Forum wasfollowed by the Members BusinessAssembly, where IUCN members debatedand agreed a number of resolutions withspecific aspects relevant to the wildlifetrade. Expanded efforts to address wildlifetrade concerns within Asia were called forin RESWCC3.076 Illegal and un-sustainable international trade in theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nationsand Mekong river riparian states.Reflecting different aspects of therelationships between wildlife trade andhuman health, the members adoptedRESWCC3.011 Addressing the linkagesbetween conservation, human and animalhealth, and security, which drawsattention to the potential disease risksassociated with the trade in wild species,and RESWCC3.073 Conservation ofmedicinal plants. Concerns regardingunsustainable fishing practices werearticulated in several resolutions related toconservation of marine ecosystems, as wassupport for sustainable use of wild species,e.g. with regard to large terrestrial speciesin Africa. Recommendations were alsoagreed aimed in part at reducing tradethreats to particular species groups,including sturgeon, sharks, Saiga Antelopeand Tibetan Antelope. The importance ofensuring effective stakeholder involve-ment in decisions related to the use andtrade of biodiversity resources was notedin many of the decisions agreed. A full setof resolutions and recommendationsagreed can be found on the IUCN website.

"The IUCN 2005-2008 Programmeadopted at the 3rd World ConservatinCongress will play a key role in shapingTRAFFIC's work over the next fewyears", said Steven Broad, the ExecutiveDirector of TRAFFIC. "Effectivecollaboration with other IUCN regionaland global programmes, and themembership will be key to success".

Bangkok was the centre of wildlife trade discussions not once, but twice, during 2004. Havingas its theme People and Nature - Only One World, the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congressset the stage for a variety of wildlife trade related events, resolutions and recommendations.Both the positive and negative faces of the wildlife trade were considered during theCongress, which took place from 17-25 November 2004. Although there are clearly no easyanswers to some of the problems identified, IUCN's Programme for 2005-2008, adoptedduring the Congress, provides a framework for tackling them over the next four years.

James Compton, Director ofTRAFFIC Southeast Asia (l.) andSteven Broad, Executive Directorof TRAFFIC, next to TRAFFICpublications display area of theIUCN Conservation Bookshop.


The 13th Meeting of the Conferenceof the Parties to CITES Partnership delivers on all fronts

One of the highlights of Thailand'shosting of CITES CoP13 was theannouncement by the 10-member

Association of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN) of a regional initiative to worktogether in addressing priority wildlifetrade issues.

The ASEAN Statement on CITES unitesthe regional grouping under severalpriority themes of co-operation. Theseinclude a goals to establish comprehensivelegal frameworks for regulating wildlifetrade, to increase law enforcement co-operation to suppress illegal wildlife trade,to conduct targeted capacity building, andto enable more scientific information to bemade available to guide effective manage-ment decisions by CITES managementauthorities.

"This initiative is remarkable because ofthe diversity of nations involved, andsingular focus on wildlife trade," said HESuwit Khunkitti, Thailand's Minister ofNatural Resources and Environment, inlaunching the ASEAN Statement onCITES on October 11, 2004. "It will leadto further commitment in the region, andcloser engagement among neighbours tocombat illegal wildlife trade."

To improve co-operation betweengovernment departments involved inimplementation and enforcement ofCITES, the ASEAN countries acknowl-edged that inter-agency committees,taskforces or co-ordination groups shouldbe established where appropriate. Giventhe complex nature of wildlife trade, suchco-ordination groups could be effective atboth national and regional levels toharness available expertise andinformation.

The need for increased law enforcementco-operation, a major pillar of the ASEANStatement on CITES, was unequivocallysupported by the Prime Minister ofThailand, Thaksin Shinawatra. In hisspeech to open CoP13, Prime MinisterThaksin proposed that Thailand take the

agencies and non-government organ-isations will be important catalysts toensure action on the ground.

To guide implementation of keyactivities, the 10 countries also agreed todevelop a Regional Action Plan for 2005-2010. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and itspartners in WWF and IUCN arecontinuing to work with ASEAN membercountries and the ASEAN Secretariat tofinalise this Regional Action Plan in thefirst half of 2005.

"The ASEAN Statement on CITES putsin place the foundations for an integratedregional effort to crack down on illegaltrade and to improve the management ofanimals and plants that can be legallytraded under CITES, to also support thesustainable development of ASEANcountries," said James Compton, Directorof TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. "However,making CITES work to its optimumpotential as a conservation tool, dependson action at the national level."

The approval of a National Action Planto Strengthen the Control of Trade in WildFauna and Flora in Viet Nam to 2010provides a country-level model that canguide other ASEAN members indeveloping national wildlife trade policiesto support the Regional Action Plan.

TRAFFIC would like to thank WWFThailand, WWF Netherlands, WWF UK,and WWF International's SpeciesProgramme for assistance with both fund-ing and implementation of the first phaseof the ASEAN Wildlife Trade Initiative.Further support is currently being soughtto continue stewarding the development ofthe ASEAN Regional Action Plan and astrategy for its implementation over thenext five years.

For further information, please seehttp://www.traffic.org/25/network9/ASEAN/ or contact TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.For contact details see page 16.

lead in forming a Southeast Asia RegionalLaw Enforcement Network to combatnature crime.

Southeast Asia has long played a role assupplier and trade entrepot for asignificant portion of the global trade inwildlife. The region's own rich bio-diversity makes it a target for tradersinterested in a variety of animals andplants ranging from tigers and elephants,to rare orchids and both marine andfreshwater turtles. But as economicgrowth has increased, so too has South-east Asia's profile as a consumer region forproducts such as birds and reptiles for thepet trade, luxury items made from ivoryand hawksbill turtle shell products, andhigh-value traditional medicines such asmusk and ginseng.

Thus the engagement of the ASEANblock's major trading partners, such as theEast Asian powerhouse economies ofChina, Japan and South Korea, theEuropean Union, India and the USA willbe critical in strengthening theeffectiveness of efforts in South-east Asia.Financial as well as technical assistancefrom fellow CITES Parties, donor

TRAFFIC, WWF and IUCN partnership and collaboration at the CoP13 held in Bangkok,Thailand, in October 2004 was unprecedented. Close co-ordination was evident inissue-specific advocacy meetings, in the interventions from the floor from partners,joint participation in Working Groups, and in the production of joint communications materials. Assessed against the outcomes TRAFFIC was seeking, CoP13 was anextraordinary success. Some of the highlights are outlined in the following pages.

CITES CoP13

TRAFFIC/WWFASEAN WildlifeTrade Initiative

Press conference at CoP13,ASEAN Statement on CITES.

The CITES Secretariat


Since then, the 50th meeting of theStanding Committee moved to extend themandate of Decision 12.39 to cover allAfrican Elephant range States. CoP13formally endorsed this development byapproving an 'action plan for the control oftrade in African elephant ivory' that hadbeen drafted by the CITES Secretariat.This action plan calls for all AfricanElephant range States:

· to prohibit unregulated domestic saleof ivory, whether raw, semi-worked, orworked;

· to instruct all law enforcement andborder control agencies to enforce suchlaws; and

· to engage in public awarenesscampaigns to publicise these prohibitions.

All range States are now obliged toreport to the CITES Secretariat by 31March 2005 on ivory trade developmentsin their countries. The first assessment ofAfrica's response to this plan of action willthen be at the 53rd meeting of the StandingCommittee (SC53). Through an iterativeprocess, countries which fail to addressunregulated domestic ivory marketswithin a reasonable period of time facepossible sanctions under CITES, includingthe suspension of all wildlife trade optionsunder the Convention in the near future.

“The ETIS analyses continue toprovide unparalleled insight intocontemporary ivory trade dynamics andhave shifted the focus onto 'real' issues andpoints of engagement,” Millikenconcluded.

TRAFFIC thanks UK Government fortheir generous funding support ofTRAFFIC’s work on the Elephant TradeInformation System.

Elephant conservation can be anextremely emotive and provocativesubject. Since 1989, policy

developments under CITES have oftenunfolded within a highly-charged atmos-phere. For precisely this reason, objective,data-rich, science-based assessments areneeded to support sound decision-makingfor elephants under the Convention. SinceCoP10, the Elephant Trade InformationSystem (ETIS) has been developed toserve this purpose.

Managed by TRAFFIC as one of thetwo formal monitoring systems forelephants under CITES, ETIS is basedupon a central database of ivory and otherelephant product seizures that have takenplace anywhere in the world since 1989.

This database is supported by a series ofsubsidiary databases that track a variety ofissues, including time-based, country-specific measures of law enforcementeffort and efficiency, rates of reportingelephant product seizure information, thescale and degree of regulation of domesticivory markets, and a range of backgroundeconomic data.

During analysis, the subsidiary databasecomponents are used to improve theprecision and interpretation of the seizuresdata. In sum, the application of stronganalytical principles and statisticalmodelling techniques to what has becomethe world's largest collection of ivoryseizures records has produced a series ofresults that are now widely accepted byalmost all factions of the elephant debatewithin CITES.

For CoP13, TRAFFIC, in collaborationwith statisticians from the University ofReading's Statistical Services Centre,undertook a comprehensive analysis of9426 seizure records in ETIS. The results

of this effort continued to demonstrate thatillicit trade in ivory is most directlycorrelated with the presence of large-scaledomestic ivory markets where lawenforcement is weak or altogether absent.The ETIS report showed that, after aninitial decline, the illicit trade in ivory hascontinued to increase globally from 1995onwards, and Cameroon, China, theDemocratic Republic of the Congo(DRC), Ethiopia, Nigeria and Thailand arethe countries most highly implicated insuch trade. Indeed, the emerging marketfor ivory in China was again shown to bethe principal driving force behind theincreasing trend in illicit trade in ivoryworldwide.

“With such findings, ETIS has playedthe leading role in focusing globalattention on the detrimental impact ofdomestic ivory markets in Africa and Asiaon elephant conservation,” said TomMilliken, Director of TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa and the co-author ofthe ETIS analyses.

In 2002, at CITES CoP12, the firstcomprehensive analysis of the ETIS dataresulted in the CITES Parties adoptingDecision 12.39. This important decisionestablished an intersessional oversightprocess under the direction of the StandingCommittee to assess compliance withCITES requirements for internal trade inivory in ten problematic countries (i.e.Cameroon, China, DRC, Djibouti,Ethiopia, Japan, Nigeria, Thailand,Uganda and the USA). Most of thesenations had been identified in the firstETIS analysis as being those most heavilyimplicated in the illicit trade in ivory,while Japan was added because itbenefited from a CITES-approved one-offsale of ivory in 1999.

ETIS shapes the elephant debate at CoP13 CITES CoP13

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Coral reef fish gains trade protection CITES CoP13

Strong collaboration betweenTRAFFIC and its partners IUCNand WWF, and unequivocal support

from the FAO ad hoc Expert AdvisoryPanel contributed significantly at CITESCoP 13 to the successful Appendix-IIlisting of Humphead Wrasse Cheilinusundulatus. Recently classified by IUCNas Endangered, this giant coral reef fish isthreatened predominantly by over-fishingto meet demand in the luxury live reeffood fish trade in Asia. A listing proposalwas submitted by Fiji, Ireland (on behalfof the 25 Member States of the EuropeanCommunity) and the USA because ofmarked declines in abundance over thepast 10 years.

The Appendix-II listing complementsnational management and monitoringinitiatives and provides the legalframework to regulate imports ofspecimens exported illegally from thecountry of origin.

"This naturally rare and valuablespecies has declined markedly due

particularly to targeting of juveniles and ofspawning aggregations" said Rob Parry-Jones, Representative of the TRAFFICOceania South Pacific Programme. "TheCITES Appendix-II listing is a verypositive step forward. However, forinternational trade regulations to make ameaningful contribution to the sustain-ability of this fishery, it is crucial thatnational conservation measures are put inplace and implemented with immediateeffect.”

Together with the Appendix II listing ofthe Great White Shark at CoP13, thislisting demonstrates the growing accept-ance of the Parties to CITES' engagementin regulating commercially valuablemarine fish. Together with its partners,TRAFFIC continues to work to build onthis success to help ensure that the listingis effectively implemented, both for theHumphead Wrasse, and in order tohighlight the broader conservation issuesand challenges facing the sustainability ofthe live reef food fish trade.

Humphead WrasseCheilinus undulatus

can grow to over two metres in length.

A major boost to CITES-CBD synergies

Opportunities for synergy in theimplementation of the world's twomain international agreements that

address conservation and use of wildliferesources received a major boost whengovernments at CITES CoP 13 agreedoverwhelmingly to improve links with theConvention on Biological Diversity(CBD).

Their decision followed considerationof the report of an April 2004 expertsworkshop on CITES-CBD synergyconvened by TRAFFIC, IUCN, Flora &Fauna International, the German FederalAgency for Nature Conservation (BfN),and the German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ).

CITES member governments agreedthat the workshop's findings andrecommendations on sustainable use,applying the ecosystem approach, accessand benefit sharing and other issues shouldbe considered in revising the CITESStrategic Vision and Action Plan andfuture work programmes of the CITES andCBD Secretariats.

"This represents an important stepforward for CITES, and an opportunity tobring together the comparative strengthsof the two Conventions," said TeresaMulliken, TRAFFIC's Research andPolicy Co-ordinator and the lead organiserof CITES-CBD roundtable eventconvened at the CoP13 by TRAFFIC,IUCN and WWF. Over 100 CITESparticipants had a chance to hear andquery the views of CBD ExecutiveSecretary Hamdallah Zedan, CITESSecretary-General Willem Wijnstekersand outgoing CITES Standing CommitteeChair Kenneth Stansell during theroundtable meeting. A similar roundtablewill be organised during a future meetingof the CBD Subsidiary Body on Science,Technology and Technological Advice.

CITES CoP13

ACoP13 side generously funded bythe UK CITES ManagementAuthority, and led jointly with

TRAFFIC and WWF highlighted thebarriers to co-operation that are under-mining effective enforcement of CITESand the importance of high-level politicalcommitment to address this problem.

This issue was echoed by otherinitiatives at CoP13, such as the ASEANStatement on CITES and theannouncement by the Prime Minister ofThailand Thaksin Shinawatra thatenforcement is the most important CITESissue, with an urgent need for co-operationto combat the illegal trade in wildlife inSoutheast Asia.

"The enforcement debate, the ASEANInitiative and the Prime Ministersstatement had no doubt some positiveinfluence on the CITES delegates in theirdiscussions on the CoP13 agenda, and thisis a hopeful sign that the need to improveCITES enforcement is starting to be moreseriously recognised," said CrawfordAllan, TRAFFIC’s Regulation andEnforcement Support Co-ordinator. "Itwas also notable that the UK announced itwould therefore host a European meetingin 2005, to help drive forward solutions tothese problems," he added.

Enforcement & compliance

Audience at the CITES CoP13panel discussion event “Willing Co-operation?” C

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Growing acceptance on role of CITESin managing commercial timber species CITES CoP13

Aproposal by Indonesia to listRamin - a tropical hardwood thatis found in Asian lowland tropical

forests, and becoming increasingly rare -in CITES Appendix II was adopted byconsensus rather than by simple majority(as was the case with mahogany atCoP12), perhaps indicating growingacceptance by countries of the role ofCITES in managing commercial timberspecies.

TRAFFIC believes this listing willensure that export volumes of ramin aremaintained within levels that will ensurethe species' survival in the wild, assistrange States in tackling illegal logging,and stimulate international co-operation tocontrol the illegal trade of this tropicalhardwood. It could also provide increasedassurance to importers and consumers thatthe ramin they purchase is not from illegalor unsustainable sources.

"The decision made by the Parties also

reflects TRAFFIC's approach inaddressing the issue - encouragingdialogue and co-operation among rangeStates, with TRAFFIC playing uniquefacilitator and technical advisor roles",said Chen Hin Keong, TRAFFIC's SeniorForestry Advisor.

At the CoP, TRAFFIC also highlightedits role in convening the Tri-NationalRamin Trade Workshop of the threecountries involved - Indonesia, Malaysiaand Singapore. While a direct result ofthis initiative was establishment of a Tri-National Ramin Trade Task Force by thethree countries, a broader result was thecountries concerned approaching the issueof listings and the overall role of CITES inmanaging timber resources in a more co-operative fashion.

"This listing is a success not only inCITES terms but also serves as a flagshipof the wider illegal logging and trade issuein the Southeast Asia region," Chen added.

CITES to regulate the global trade in agarwood CITES CoP13

Effective regulation of the globalagarwood trade was given a boostwith the majority vote by CITES

Parties to list the two genera Aquilaria andGyrinops in Appendix II. A singleagarwood-producing species, Aquilariamalaccensis, has been listed in CITESAppendix II since 1995, but having onlyone species out of more than 20 regulatedby the Convention has caused difficultiesin implementation and law enforcement.

Agarwood, possibly the world's mostvaluable non-timber forest product perkilogramme, is mainly traded in the formsof wood, wood chips and oil, as well asprocessed incense products, which makesit almost impossible to distinguishbetween species. The harmonising of tradecontrols for all Aquilaria and Gyrinopsspecies under CITES, therefore, shouldallow for more streamlined managementof the trade.

The agarwood trade dates back at least2000 years and meets the cultural,medicinal and religious needs of societiesfrom the Middle East right across Asia toChina (including Hong Kong and Taiwan)and Japan. It is also used in the productionof high-grade incense and perfumes.Although harvest and trade is controlledby permit systems in major exporters such

as Indonesia and Malaysia, and banned inother range States such as Cambodia andViet Nam, the monetary incentives to tradeagarwood illegally far outweigh thedeterrents posed by law enforcement.Organised groups of illegal harvestershave been documented encroachingnational parks in many range Statesincluding Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysiaand Thailand.

During CoP13, following concernssubmitted in an Information Document bythe United Arab Emirates, an agarwoodworking group recommended to theCITES Secretariat the need for furtherproducer-consumer consultations. TheParties subsequently adopted a Decisionmandating a capacity building workshopto be held prior to CoP14. Dependent onavailable funding, the workshop wouldinvolve exporting and importing countries,significant re-exporting countries andrelevant experts, to focus on enforcementand implementation issues including theapplication of non-detriment findings.TRAFFIC has been contracted by theCITES Secretariat to continue its workwith relevant agarwood-trading Partiesand the CITES Plants Committee.

"After more than a decade highlightingthe dangerous trends of over-harvesting to

supply this trade, TRAFFIC is verypleased to see some collective action onthis issue," said James Compton, Directorof TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. "TRAFFIC'swork with range States from Indiaeastwards to Papua New Guinea hasshown that this unique group of agarwood-producing tree species is clearlythreatened by trade, and that unless this isbetter regulated, long-term suppliesremain in jeopardy."

TRAFFIC thanks the CITES Secretariatfor its support towards TRAFFIC’s workon Agarwood. TRAFFIC is currently alsoseeking funds to help the implementationof the decisions made at the CoP13.

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Large

pieces of

agarwood

on display.

TRAFFIC thanks The Rufford MauriceLaing Foundation for

the generous support received for the production of CITES CoP13

communications materials.


Global Forest and TradeNetwork project gets under wayby Chen Hin Keong, Senior Forestry Advisor, TRAFFIC

In January 2005, TRAFFIC, inpartnership with WWF Global Forestand Trade Network (GFTN) and

Proforest, were successful in obtaining amulti-million Euro, multi-year projectgrant from the European Commission tocarry out a series of actions that will helpto promote the conservation andsustainable management of tropical foreststhrough the mechanism of credible forestcertification.

This project will develop a set ofcriteria, guidelines and related activities tosupport 10 African and Asian countries intheir efforts to improve governance oftheir forest resources as well as addressconcerns of illegal logging within thecountries. The criteria are based on thelegal framework that is already in place inthe countries selected, and will addressissues related to consumer demands forlegal and, ultimately, credibly certifiedforest products. The project aims toenhance the network established by GFTNwhere both responsible producers andpurchasers can begin to trade responsiblyfollowing stepwise improvements.

The work will be carried out in 10countries: China, Malaysia, Viet Nam,Indonesia, Gabon, Cameroon, CentralAfrican Republic, Republic of Congo,Democratic Republic of Congo andGhana.

GFTN is an affiliation of national andregional Forest and Trade Networks(FTNs) comprising timber trade compa-nies and other producers, linking thebuyers group to the producer group in achain that connects responsible productspolicies and trade to legally and ultimatelycredibly certified forests.

There are 5 components to the activitiesof the project: establishing FTNs;development of action plans forcertification and progress towardssourcing of verified legal and sustainableforest products; production of regionalpractical guidelines for the stepwiseapproach, monitoring chain of custody andverifying sourcing; strengthening capacityof auditors; and the TRAFFIC ledcomponent of development of criteria andguidelines for definition and verificationof legal sources of forest products andidentification of policy implications.

Some of the work will be developed andimplemented by TRAFFIC offices inChina, Viet Nam and Malaysia, and theones in Africa will be in collaboration withpartners like Friends of the Earth (FOE)Ghana, Cameroon Environment Watch

(CEW), and the various WWF offices inthe respective regions.

The TRAFFIC actions will producecriteria and guidelines for the definition,identification and verification of legalsources of forest products for all actors inthe supply chain, including producersseeking to ensure that their forest productsare supported by adequate documentation;and those further down the supply chainrequiring evidence and documentation ofthe legality of the products they purchase.These guidelines will be developed inconjunction with documentation of theforms of forest tenure, legislativeframeworks, forest ownership andproduction systems and verificationsystems already in place within the targetcountries.

The national legality criteria andguidelines will be prepared through aconsultative process led by the localpartner, working with small nationalworking groups comprising local expertsand representatives from different actorsin the supply chain. Each set of criteriaand guidelines will be circulated for openreview by the full range of stakeholdersinterested in the definition and verificationof forest product legality.

This project, and in particular TRAFFICactions, will complement and expand thescale and scope of a number of initiativesby other organisations working on illegallogging and timber trade. TRAFFIChopes that a combination of governmentefforts and demands of the industrycombined with consideration of civilsociety and consumer pressure, will bringabout a direct impact on the way forestsare governed, and managed in a moresustainable manner in tropical countries.

Tackling the Ivories: The Status ofU.S. Trade in Elephant and HippoIvory, TRAFFIC North America's

study of both legal and illegal ivorymarkets in the USA, is the firstcomprehensive review since the globalban on commercial trade was imposed in1989. TRAFFIC found that the USA hasthe highest rate of ivory seizures in theworld and that much of the ivory caught atthe borders is being brought into thecountry by individual consumers, often assouvenirs, jewellery and carvings. Thegrowth of online commerce in the lastdecade has also created a new channel forthe ivory trade, with Americans buyingivory from overseas dealers via theInternet with little oversight.

Among TRAFFIC's findings are: · Between 1995 and 2002, TRAFFIC

found that more than 32 000 ivory itemswere legally imported into the country, themajority being ivory carvings and asmaller number of tusks, jewellery, ivorypieces and piano keys. But domestic tradeof that ivory within the USA is onlyloosely regulated by individual states'laws.

· Between 1995 and 2002, TRAFFICfound that more than 8300 ivory itemswere seized at the border or refused entryby law enforcement. These items werebeing shipped to the USA from more than80 countries around the world.

· An average of about 1000 items perweek were advertised as elephant ivoryoffered for sale on eBay duringTRAFFIC's investigation. TRAFFICfound regular shipments of ivory carvingsand jewellery being sold to customers inthe USA over Internet from vendors inChina under circumstances that may beillegal, with these web-based "stores"routinely shipping ivory to the USA viaexpress delivery service and even offeringto falsely label the shipments as containingbone.

The USA has the distinction of havingone of the most active ivory markets in theworld, with ivory being seized nearly fivetimes more often at US borders in recentyears than in any other country. Thisindicates U.S. law enforcement is doing agood job of catching illegal importsdespite limited resources. However, it alsomeans Americans are ignoring the law andcontinuing to fuel demand for ivory

TRAFFIC investigators examined U.S.Government seizure records for ivory,researched the domestic ivory market and

continued on page 14...

Tackling the ivories in the USAby Leigh Henry, Programme Officer,TRAFFIC North America

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EU-TWIX - a tool to strengthen wildlife tradeenforcement in the enlarged EUby Alexandre Affre and Stephanie Theile, TRAFFIC Europe Regional Office

National law enforcement agencies inthe EU play a crucial role in the efficientimplementation of EU Wildlife TradeRegulations through their efforts incombating illegal wildlife trade into andfrom the EU as well as within the commonsingle market of its 25 Member States.Because enforcement matters remainunder the sovereignty of each EU MemberStates and are not formally co-ordinated atEU level, effective information exchangeand co-operation among the variousenforcement agencies such as Customs,Police, Environmental Inspectorates andVeterinary Services among others, are ofgreat importance. This has become aneven greater priority since May 2004,when 10 new countries joined the EU andthe population grew from 370 to 450million people.

EU-TWIX started in May 2004 andconsists of two complementary compo-nents: An internet-based and access-secured database on detected cases ofillegal wildlife trade that have beenreported by EU Member States and anemail list-server that will serve as aplatform to exchange information, expert-ise and experience among wildlife tradeenforcement officers in the EU.

The EU-TWIX database is beingdeveloped by the Belgian Federal Policeand TRAFFIC Europe in closeconsultation with the World CustomsOrganisation (WCO) and with the adviceof Interpol and the CITES Secretariat. Itconsists of two main areas: CITESseizures and confiscations from the 25 EUMembers States containing, for example,information on species and specimensinvolved, trade routes, modus operandiand smuggling techniques. Authorisedenforcement officers will be able to enterthe database through a password system torecord new information as well as extractdata for operational or strategic analysis,for example, to identify trends or to assistin investigations. A multi-criteria searchengine, which will be part of the database,will further assist authorised officers toextract information selectively from thesystem. The database will not containpersonalized information, such as namesof offenders or companies, but will allowenforcement officers to obtain such infor-mation on a case-by-case basis through

direct contacts with their counterparts inany other EU Member State.

The second area of the EU-TWIXdatabase contains relevant reference andbackground information on technical,scientific and economic aspects, such asvalues of specimens, a list of EU forensicand scientific experts relevant to the fieldof wildlife trade as well as a list of rescuecentres where confiscated specimens canbe kept and/or be disposed of.

In September 2004, at the 9th meetingof the EU Wildlife Trade EnforcementGroup, TRAFFIC Europe presented EU-TWIX to CITES enforcement officers,representatives of CITES ManagementAuthorities, the European Commission,the CITES Secretariat and WCO. Thelarge majority of representatives showedhigh interest and commitment to supportthe EU-TWIX database as well as the list-server. In addition, TRAFFIC Europe isworking with WCO and Interpol in orderto assess the feasibility of exchanginginformation between EU-TWIX and otherexisting tools, such as the CustomsEnforcement Network database of WCO.

It is hoped that EU-TWIX, onceoperational in mid-2005, will contributegreatly to joint wildlife trade investiga-tions carried out within the EU. The key tothe success of EU-TWIX is the strong andenthusiastic participation that enforcementagencies of all Member States are commit-ted to offer. This formal participation ofthe 25 countries depends upon the officialdesignation of the most appropriatecontacts at national level and their clearresponsibility and capacity to collect andprovide all relevant data and informationfor EU-TWIX.

For further information, please contactTRAFFIC Europe Regional Office.

TRAFFIC Europe in partnership with the Belgian Federal Police, Customs and CITESManagement Authority have designed EU-TWIX (trade in wildlife informationexchange), which consists of a database and an email list-server that aim to facilitatecommunication and information exchange on illegal wildlife trade among the national lawenforcement agencies of the 25 EU Member States. EU-TWIX, which is co-funded bythe European Commission, will hold records of illegal wildlife trade and host a network of enforcement contacts within EU. It is designed to become a hub of useful data andreference information that will assist enforcers in risk assessments and supportinvestigations in the field of illegal wildlife trade.

Pol M

eule

neire

, GA

D T

eam

, Bel

gium

Caroline Raymakers, Director ofTRAFFIC Europe (l.) and GeorgesEvrard, Head of the CITES MA of Belgium inspecting an illegalshipment of over 800kg of caviar seized in Brussels,Belgium in December 2004.



First choice orfallback? CITESAppendix-III

ATRAFFIC report released inDecember 2004 takes a close lookat the appropriateness of

Appendix III of CITES as a tool forconserving marine species. The studycontributes towards improved under-standing of Appendix-III in relation to itsapplication to marine species and providesadvicer assistance to CITES Parties con-sidering listing marine species inAppendix-III. Furthermore, the reporthighlights areas relative to marine speciesand Appendix-III that may requireclarification by the CITES CoPs.

Three marine species were chosen forcase studies to review the application ofAppendix-III conditions to trade in suchspecies in general. These were the GreatWhite Shark Carcharodon carcharias(formerly in Appendix-III, now uplisted toAppendix-II), the Eastern Pacific seacucumber species Isostichopus fuscus(currently in Appendix III) and the abaloneHaliotis midae (a possible candidate forAppendix-III listing).

The report makes recommendations forbetter use of Appendix-III for prospectivelisting Parties, listing Parties and CITESParties in general as well as recom-mendations specific to the three case studyspecies (for further information on recentTRAFFIC work on South African abalone,see also http://www.traffic.org/news/press-releases/abalone.html.

TRAFFIC thanks The David and LucilePackard Foundation for the generoussupport of this report.

Anew report by TRAFFIC NorthAmerica-Canada CITES, eh? Theimplementation of CITES in

Canada since WAPRIITA highlights acomplex issue of CITES administrationand enforcement in the country, and makesa number of recommendations aimed atimproving these activities in Canada. Thegoal is to assist Canadian authorities to fillthe gaps in CITES implementation andthereby regain the role Canada establishedin 1975 as a leader in the internationalCITES community.

Canada was the 10th nation to ratifyCITES in 1975. Like all Parties to CITES,Canada is responsible for implementingthe provisions of the Convention byincorporating them into its domestic law.

WAPPRIITA, Canada's domestic legis-lation for the enforcement of CITES,received Royal Assent in 1992 although itdid not come into force until 1996, whenthe enabling regulations, the Wild Animaland Plant Trade Regulations, were passed.

WAPPRIITA provides a legislative basisfor the regulation of trade in specimenscovered by CITES. It goes beyond thebasic obligation of prohibiting trade con-trary to CITES and surpasses the provi-sions in CITES which require domesticlegislation. Furthermore, the penalty andenforcement structure in WAPPRIITAprovides a model approach that otherParties could be encouraged to follow.

However, the findings of the TRAFFICreport indicate that despite Canada's earlyratification of the Convention and devel-

opment of strong legislation, CITES doesnot appear to be a priority for the CanadianGovernment as a whole or for EnvironmentCanada, the department charged withensuring that the Convention is effectivelyimplemented. Insufficient human andfinancial resources have been directed atadministering and enforcing theConvention and as a result, there aresignificant gaps in these areas.

Gaps exist in the collection andpublication of trade data; the lack of apolicy for implementing CITES Decisionsand Resolutions; and Environment Canada'sinconsistent record for meeting the legalrequirement to amend the WAPTR within90 days after changes to a CITESAppendix.

Insufficient funding has resulted in therebeing the equivalent of only 18 full-timeFederal Game Officers enforcing CITESin all of Canada, and of these, only eightconduct inspections of wildlife importsand exports. Additional gaps include thepoor collection and management ofenforcement and trade data; the lack ofcertain inter-agency agreements; and thefailure to correctly enforce the personaland household effects exemption sectionof the WAPTR.

The full report will be available in thenear future. For further information,contact TRAFFIC North America-Canadaoffice, for contact details see page 16.

TRAFFIC thanks AGF ManagementLimited and the Schad Foundation fortheir generous support of this report.

Review of Canada'sImplementation of CITESby Ernie Cooper, National Representative, TRAFFIC North America-Canada

To obtain a copy of thereport CITES, eh? Theimplementation of CITES inCanada sinceWAPRIITA, contact TRAFFIC NorthAmerica-Canadaor see futureupdates onwww.traffic.org.

To obtain acopy of thereport Firstchoice orfallback? An Examinationof issuesrelating to theapplication ofAppendix IIIof CITES tomarine species,visit TRAFFICwebsite atwww.traffic.orgor contactTRAFFICInternational.

Number 23 February 200514 TRAFFIC Dispatches

Precautionary principle project shows resultsby Rosie Cooney, Co-ordinator of Precautionary Principle Project

These questions are being tackled byTRAFFIC in partnership with IUCN,ResourceAfrica and Fauna & FloraInternational in an on-going collaborativeinitiative. Since late 2002, theseorganizations and many partners havebeen engaged in analyses, case studies,workshops and dialogue exploring theimpacts and implications of the precau-tionary principle for both conservation andfor livelihoods and development.

In April/May this year the project willbe seeking input on draft "best-practice"guidance for applying the precautionaryprinciple. This will be reviewed anddebated at an international workshop inJuly 2005.

A new publication of broad interest forconservation decision-makers titled ThePrecautionary Principle in BiodiversityConservation and Natural ResourceManagement: an issues paper for policy-makers, researchers and practitionersexamines the meaning of the pre-cautionary principle and its incorporationinto biodiversity and natural resourcemanagement law and policy nationallyand internationally. It also discusses aseries of issues raised by its implemen-

tation in this sector, including equityimplications, potential for misuse,relationship to the ecosystem approachand adaptive management.

Research also continues through a set ofsome 30 case studies nearing completionacross the globe. These address sectors asdiverse as invasive species, aquaculture,deep sea fisheries, whales, communityforest management, non-timber forestproducts, bushmeat, and wildlife trade; incountries including Kenya, Uganda,Cameroon, India, The Philippines,Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, CostaRica, Australia, and the EU. The casestudies will include analysis of impacts onconservation, trade as well asdevelopment.

During 2004 two regional workshops(for East/southern Africa andSouth/South-east Asia) have led to theidentification of key issues and problems,and have stimulated dialogue anddiscussion on precaution betweenpolicymakers, practitioners and aca-demics. This dialogue is soon to becontinued in Quito, Ecuador, whereTRAFFIC is hosting the third and finalregional dialogue meeting in March 2005.

All details of activities and outputsmentioned in this article are available onthe Precautionary Principle iniative web-site at www.pprinciple.net.

The Precautionary Principle project issupported by the European Union. Forfurther information, please contact theProject Co-ordinator Rosie Cooney [email protected].

What do conserving sea turtles, protecting forest elephants, and making non-

detriment findings for mahogany have in common? Decision-makers in these various

areas wrestle with a common problem: scientific uncertainty. The right conservation

decisions need to be made, often balancing other priorities such as livelihoods and

development, in the face of huge gaps in scientific information. The precautionary

principle is an important guide to decision-making in these circumstances, but what

does it mean? How should it be applied? Does it mean no risks should ever be taken?

How can risks to biodiversity and risks to livelihoods be balanced?

continued from page 11...

...posed as prospective ivory buyers onlineto learn about the ease with whichoverseas ivory dealers get their goodsacross the US border. It was clear that theInternet has emerged as a major vehiclefor selling ivory around the world,allowing anyone with a computer to buyand sell ivory anonymously. The high

volume of ivory being bought byAmericans online is a serious concern.When TRAFFIC investigators posedonline as potential buyers, ivory sellersand other buyers stated that getting ivoryinto the USA would not be a problem.

Much of the overseas ivory beingoffered to Americans online appears tocome from China, the country with thebiggest illegal ivory market in the world,

according to international trade records.

For more infromation, see TRAFFICwebsite at http://www.traffic.org/news/press-releases/ivory_markets_usa.html.TRAFFIC thanks Francis H. Lanebequest, whose generous support madethis report possible.



BfN (German Federal Agency for NatureConservation - Bundesamt für Naturschutz)

Francois and Sheila BrutschCGMK FoundationCITES SecretariatConservation InternationalCritical Ecosystem Partnership FundThe Curtis and Edith Munson FoundationDanish Agency for Development AssistanceThe David and Lucile Packard FoundationThe Donner Canadian FoundationEndangered Wildlife TrustThe Ernest Kleinworth Charitable TrustEuropean Commission, Environment DGMr James FairfaxFundación Sinchi Sacha- EcuadorDr. Stephan Goetz HDH Wills 1965 Charitable TrustThe Hendrickson TrustInstitut Bruxellois pour la Gestion de

l'Environnement - IBGE" (BrusselsInstitute for Environmental Management)

International Tropical Timber OrganizationIUCN - The World Conservation UnionIUCN Regional Office for Eastern AfricaIUCN Regional Office for South AmericaJane Henrickson TrustJoan St Leger Lindbergh TrustJohn M. Simpson FoundationMrs Niels W. JohnsenJohnson and Johnson (via WWFUS)Francis H. Lane bequest

La Societa Zoologica la Torbiera, ItalyEugene LindenMs Shu-Jiuan LuManfred Hermsen FoundationMarubeni CorporationMazda Wildlife FundMinistry of Environment & Forests, IndiaMinistry of Environment, Republic of KoreaJonathan MurrayNational Botanical Institute of South AfricaNatural Heritage TrustNOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant

ProgramPhare Programme of the European UnionMrs Fiona PippaProject SeahorseRimbun Dahan (Malaysia)The Rufford Maurice Laing FoundationMr Stefan Sanktjohanser Society for Wildlife and NatureSwedish International Development AgencyThe Taiwan Council of AgricultureTiger's Eye RetailTony & Lisette Lewis FoundationToraya Confectionery Co. Ltd. UK Department for Environment, Food and

Rural Affairs (Defra)UK Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeUK High Commission, MalaysiaUnited Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Food and Agriculture

ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeUSAID US Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS Florida Department of Agriculture and

Consumer AffairsUS State Department US State of Louisiana Department of Wildlife

and Fisheries

The Walt Disney Company FoundationWildlife and Environment Society of South

AfricaThe Wildlife Conservation SocietyThe World Association for Zoos and

Aquariums The World BankWWF-Africa Madagascar ProgrammeWWF-African Rhino ProgrammeWWF-AustraliaWWF-AustriaWWF-BelgiumWWF-CanadaWWF-China ProgrammeWWF-East Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF-FranceWWF-GermanyWWF-The Green Trust (ZA)WWF-Hong KongWWF-IndochinaWWF-InternationalWWF-ItalyWWF-JapanWWF-MalaysiaWWF-NetherlandsWWF-New ZealandWWF-South AfricaWWF-South Pacific ProgrammeWWF-Southern Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF-SwedenWWF-SwitzerlandWWF-Tanzania Programme OfficeWWF-UKWWF-USZoo Berlin, Germany


TRAFFIC staff thank the following supporters for their contributions to our work during June 2004 - January 2005:

Pet trade in live freshwater turtles and tortoises in Japan

ATRAFFIC East Asia-Japaninvestigation into Japan’s pet tradein live freshwater turtles and

tortoises is nearing completion and will bereleased later this month. It demonstratesa major role Japan plays as the largestimporter of live freshwater turtles andtortoises as pets in the world.

Over 250 000 live freshwater turtlesand tortoises were imported to the countrybetween 1981 and 2001 and imports ofCITES-listed live turtles and tortoiseshave increased dramatically over theperiod, feeding into a vast domestic petmarket for these species.

TRAFFIC’s investigations took place in2002 with analysis of Internet websites,specialized magazines for collectors of thespecies, and visits to 32 shops in Tokyometropolitan, Kanawaga, Siatama, Chiba,Osaka, Kyoto and Aichi Prefectures.

The study found that over 190 differentspecies of freshwater turtles and tortoisesare sold in Japan. Sixty-eight of thesespecies are listed in CITES Appendices,three in Appendix-I, 62 species inAppendix-II and three in Appendix-III.Eleven of the 20 species most heavilytraded in Japan are tortoises on CITESAppendix-II. These include also the IndianStar Tortoise, which was found in 30 shopsvisited, and accounted for the mostexpensive individual found on sale, analbino Indian Star Tortoise forJPY2 500 000 (USD20 900).

There are many seizures, withspecimens originating mainly from othercountries in Asia that indicate Japan to bean end market for smuggled tortoises andturtles. Customs data must be morespecific, however, to fully understandJapan’s impact on wild populations of

these species. Border controls must bestrengthened to prevent the on-goingillegal trade, yet Japan’s Customs serviceis poorly equipped to identify the speciesin trade.

The TRAFFIC investigation makes anumber of recommendations to strengthenand broaden the trade monitoring systemand improve the legislative and regulatoryframework that protects live turtles andtortoises in Japan. In the light of theTRAFFIC investigation, Japan’s impacton these species needs to be carefullymonitored to ensure that the trade ismaintained at sustainable levels.

TRAFFIC thanks WWF-Japan for thegenerous support for the report. For moreinformation, see forthcoming news on theTRAFFIC website or contact TRAFFICEast Asia-Japan office. For contactdetails, see page 16.






TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - RegionalOfficec/o WWF Southern Africa Regional Programme PO Box CY 1409, Causeway, Harare, ZimbabweTel: (263) 4 252533/ 252534; Fax: (263) 4 703902E-mail: [email protected]




TRAFFIC Europe - Central Eastern Project Office c/o WWF-Hungary, Németvölgyi út 78/b1124 Budapest, HungaryTel: (36) 1 214 5554; Fax: (36) 1 212 9353E-mail: [email protected]







TRAFFIC North America - Canada Suite 512B, 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2, CanadaTel: (1) 604 687 5152; Fax: (1) 604 678 5155E-mail: [email protected]





TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Indochinac/o IUCN Viet Nam44/4 Van Bao Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Viet NamTel: (84) 4 726 1721; Fax: (84) 4 726 1561E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC on the World Wide Web:

TRAFFIC network - www.traffic.org (in English)

TRAFFIC East Asia:

China - http://www.wwfchina.org/traffic/ (in Chinese)

Japan - www.trafficj.org (in Japanese)

Taiwan - www.wow.org.tw (in Chinese)

TRAFFIC Europe:

Russia - www.wwf.ru/traffic (in Russian)

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia:

Indochina -http://www.trafficindo.org (in English)�TRAFFIC International �regional TRAFFIC office �other TRAFFIC office


DISPATCHESNumber 24 July 2005

INSIDE:

• WWF and IUCN sign new TRAFFIC agreement

• Tiger range States urged to take action

• Regional action for medicinal plants needed

• Big-leaf Mahogany and CITES

• Domestic ivory markets in Africa

• Clearer progress needed on sturgeon agreement

• Rhino horn stockpile management in Africa

• Managing a logging boom in Tanzania

• CITES training at the Russian Customs Academy

• Fur trade in the Russian Far East surveyed

• Workshop on wildlife and labelling systems in China

• Medan, a wildlife trade hotspot

• Timber trade transparency and illegal logging

• Crocodile Specialist Group mission in Cambodia

• Musk trade in Malaysia and Singapore

• Mazda Wildlife Fund vehicle for South Africa office


• TRAFFIC network contact details Inside: Managing a logging boomin Tanzania.

TRAFFIC East/Southern A

frica

Illegal trade in orang-utans and gibbons continues in Indonesia by Julia Ng, Programme Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

Orang-utans and gibbons are stilltraded and kept as pets in Java andBali despite having been legally

protected in Indonesia since 1931,according to a new TRAFFIC SoutheastAsia report. It calls for action to creategreater awareness among the judiciary,enforcement agencies and general public toensure that trade in the endangeredprimates is treated a serious crime.

The report titled In Full Swing, AnAssessment of Trade in Orang-utans andGibbons on Java and Bali, Indonesiaanalysed data from 1994-2003 based oninformation collected from 35 wildlifemarkets in 22 cities across the two islands.TRAFFIC investigators found a total of559 orang-utans and gibbons during thesurveys, many on sale or being illegallytraded in "bird markets" locally known aspasar burung.

The actual numbers of animals sold fromthe "bird markets", however, are largelyunknown. "Better monitoring of wildlifemarkets would enable more accurateanalysis of the trade in primates as well asother wildlife species that continue to besold in these markets," said JamesCompton, Director of TRAFFIC SoutheastAsia. "This would definitely help increasethe efficiency of law enforcement."

Orang-utans and gibbons are listed inAppendix I of CITES, prohibiting anyinternational trade in these animals. UnderIndonesian law, orang-utans and gibbonsare classified as "protected", which forbids

capturing, killing, possessing and tradingthese species. Penalties for breaking thelaw can total up to IDR100 million (USD10455) in fines and up to five years ofimprisonment.

However, the TRAFFIC report foundthat people who hunt, keep and trade inorang-utans and gibbons are rarelypunished. In all, fewer than 10% of allpersons that had specimens confiscatedfrom them were actually prosecuted. Itappears that many law enforcementpersonnel, including judges andprosecutors do not see trade in orpossession of protected species as pets as aserious offence.

The report found that from the estimated40 000 wild population of the BorneoOrang-utan, trade on Java and Bali alonemay be contributing to an annual loss ratewhich corresponds to up to some 1000individuals a year, or one to three orang-utans a day. This does not necessarilyinclude loss due to habitat destruction.

Adi Susmianto, the Director ofBiodiversity Conservation at PHKA,Indonesia's CITES Management Authority,said: "Indonesia is fully committed to stepup enforcement at major exit and entrypoints which is clearly needed to ensurethat species are not smuggled out ofSumatra and Kalimantan to other countriesor within Indonesia, to Java and Bali. Mostimportantly, the habitat of the orang-utansand gibbons must be protected to stop suchendangered species from being poached."

Both orang-utans and gibbons are huntedand traded to satisfy persistent demand forpets. Orang-utans are the most expensiveprimates for sale in the markets ofIndonesia and are kept in households asstatus symbols. Orang-utans are also intrade for the entertainment industry. InNovember 2003, the Thai Authoritiesseized 115 orang-utans from the premisesof Safari World in Bangkok and the sourceof these great apes was reportedly fromIndonesia. The case is ongoing, and theGovernment of Indonesia has requested therepatriation of the remaining orang-utansfrom Thailand on a number of occasions.

"Also, the general public needs tounderstand that buying and keeping anorang-utan or gibbon as a pet iscontributing to the depletion of wildpopulations," added Compton. "Not only isit against the law to purchase and keepthese animals in Indonesia, but it isdestroying the country's precious naturalheritage."

Generous funding support for this reportwas received from WWF-Germany, WWF-UK and WWF-Netherlands.

Julia Ng

TRA

FFICSoutheast A

sia













WWF and IUCN sign a new agreement to guidefuture of TRAFFIC

On 29 April 2005 the DirectorsGeneral of WWF and IUCN - theWorld Conservation Union signed

a new agreement to guide the futuredevelopment of TRAFFIC - the wildlifetrade monitoring network.

Welcoming the new agreement,TRAFFIC Executive Director StevenBroad said: "this is both an endorsementof TRAFFIC's strong track record to dateand a declaration of WWF and IUCN'sambition to step up their joint efforts tohelp address wildlife trade as a keyelement of biodiversity conservation andhuman development".

TRAFFIC was established in 1976 andworks under a unique arrangement as ajoint WWF and IUCN programme, with adistinct profile, a strong reputation forsound and impartial analysis and a richhistory of achievement. It operatesthrough seven regional programmes withstaff based in 24 countries, co-ordinatedby TRAFFIC International, based inCambridge, UK.

TRAFFIC plays a specialised leadershiprole within the programmes of both WWFand IUCN: developing and commu-nicating knowledge on wildlife tradeissues and trends, and supporting thedevelopment and application of practicalpolicies and solutions.

The new agreement between WWF and

IUCN draws on lessons learned from acomprehensive external review ofTRAFFIC's work carried out in 2003 andfurther strengthens their 25-yearpartnership to address the diverse conser-vation and socio-economic challenges andopportunities presented by trade in wildanimals and plants.

IUC

N

Number 24 July 2005

Directors GeneralClaude Martin, WWF(left), Achim Steiner,IUCN (right) andChris Hails, the Chairof the TRAFFICCommittee signing anew agreement toguide the futuredevelopment ofTRAFFIC, 29 April2005, Gland,Switzerland.

Staff news

March 2005

Crawford Allan, Regulation & EnforcementSupport Co-ordinator at TRAFFICInternational transferred to work as DeputyDirector of TRAFFIC North America,though he still acts as global enforcementassistance focal point for the TRAFFICnetwork.

Luan Xiaofeng joined TRAFFIC East Asia-China office as China Wildlife TradeEnforcement Assistance Officer.

April 2005

Amelie Knapp joined TRAFFIC EuropeRegional Office as Senior Research Officer,based in Cambridge, UK.

May 2005

Shelly Wade joined TRAFFIC NorthAmerica as Programme Administrator.

At its last meeting in May 2005,TRAFFIC’s governing body, theTRAFFIC Committee selected Dr Gerhard van den Top as its new chair.Gerhard works as Conservation Directorof WWF-Netherlands, a major supporterof TRAFFIC’s work, and brings a wealthof experience to this important role.

***

New TRAFFIC CommitteeChair selected

Rob Parry-Jones, representative ofTRAFFIC Oceania South PacificProgramme completed his work in Fijiand took on the role of UK EnforcementSupport Officer in the absence ofStephanie Pendry who is on maternityleave.

***

TRAFFIC DispatchesNumber 24 July 2005

Julia Ng / TR

AFFIC

Southeast Asia

Tiger range States urged to take action onCITES recommendationsby Samuel Lee, Senior Programme Officer, TRAFFIC East Asia

Recent reports regarding the declinein Tiger populations in someprotected areas in India have

forcefully re-focused the attention of theinternational conservation community onthe threats facing Tigers in the wild.While great progress has been made inTiger range States since the CITES TigerMissions were first conducted in early1999, much still needs doing. TRAFFICis focussing its efforts to support widecollaboration between the Tiger rangeStates and other stakeholders to addressnumber of issues of concern threateningthese highly endangered big cats.

The issue of illegal trade in Tigers wasdiscussed at the 53rd Meeting of theCITES Standing Committee, where theUSA proposed a series of actions,including a call for China, India, andNepal to report on their implementation ofthe recommendations from the 1998 TigerTechnical Mission and Political Missions,as well as their regional law enforcementefforts and any national controls that havebeen implemented and their effect inreducing or halting the poaching andillegal trade. The Standing Committeerequested that all range States of Asian BigCats report to the 54th Meeting of theStanding Committee next year on theirwork in combating illicit trade inspecimens of Asian Big Cat species andtheir implementation of the recommen-dations of the CITES Tiger Missions.

In addition, the Standing Committeealso directed the CITES Secretariat, inconjunction with the North AmericaWildlife Enforcement Group, to undertakean analysis of intelligence relating toillegal trade and report on this subject atthe next Standing Committee meeting.

The CITES Tiger Missions wereconducted as a result of a decision taken atthe Tenth Meeting of the Conference ofthe Parties to CITES in 1997 calling on theStanding Committee to undertaketechnical and political missions to tigerrange and consumer States to assist indeveloping strategies for improvingcontrol of Tiger trade and relatedactivities. The Missions visited 14 rangeand consumer States and made a series ofrecommendations addressing legislationand enforcement, anti-poaching efforts,public education and outreach, and otherdomestic controls.

Prior to the 50th Meeting of the CITESStanding Committee held in March lastyear, TRAFFIC conducted a quick

assessment of key recommendations fromthe CITES Tiger Missions TechnicalTeams for eight East and Southeast Asiancountries concerned, namely Cambodia,China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia,Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. Thisassessment indicated that there continuedto be implementation gaps and difficulties.Key needs identified included theestablishment of specialized enforcementunits, inter-agency co-ordination andintelligence-gathering in range Statesbeyond India, China and Nepal. Suchweaknesses were also evident in aTRAFFIC report on Tiger trade inSumatra published in March 2004 (seeTRAFFIC Dispatches No22).

With this year's Standing Committeedecision, TRAFFIC is keen to work withkey range States and consumer countriesin analyzing recent progress onstrengthening the enforcement of lawspertaining to Tiger trade, and prioritizingkey interventions needed. TRAFFIC alsohopes to meet the challenge of addressingthe Tiger trade through ongoingmonitoring, assessment and analysis oftrade dynamics and trends.

Strengthened law enforcement assis-tance will also be a focus of TRAFFIC'swork, including the provision of intel-

ligence information, encouraging interna-tional co-operation between enforcementagencies, capacity building and theprovision of law enforcement tools.Recent enforcement tools include also abilingual training toolkit in English andChinese languages, including a briefsection on identification of Tiger parts intrade. This manual, prepared by TRAFFICEast Asia-Taipei, has been provided tocustoms officials to help them in theirinvestigations.

Regional trans-boundary co-operationis essential if countries are to effectivelyaddress Tiger trade 'hot-spots'. South AsiaWildlife Trade Workshops organised byTRAFFIC in Nepal in April last yeardeveloped a series of recommendations,such as the establishment of nationalWildlife Law Enforcement Committee atFederal and State/Provincial levels and theestablishment of a South Asian RegionalWildlife Enforcement Network.

Hopefully, these recommendations canbe further developed and acted upon inforthcoming regional fora such as the SilkRoad CITES Enforcement Seminar beingorganized in August 2005 by the CITESSecretariat and CITES ManagementAuthority of China with assistance fromTRAFFIC East Asia.

Panthera tigrisaltaica L.,

Amur tiger

4 TRAFFIC Dispatches Number 24 July 2005

Regional action needed to strengthen CITESimplementation for medicinal plantsby Sabri Zain, Advocacy and Campaigns Director, TRAFFIC International

With much of the developingworld’s population dependingon traditional medicine to meet

daily health requirements, and widespreaduse of plant-based remedies in modernpharmaceutical products, maintainingmedicinal plant harvest and trade withinsustainable levels presents a majorchallenge. As a result of high demand formedicinal plants harvested from the wildaround the world, there have beennumerous cases of overexploitation As aresult, a variety of species of medicinalplants have been included in Appendix IIof CITES to ensure that their internationaltrade is regulated and associated harvestsdo not have a detrimental impact on theirlong-term survival.

However, concern remains that many ofthese CITES-listed medicinal plantspecies continue to be threatened byunregulated and illegal trade, owing to alack of CITES implementing legislation orregulations , weak trade controls and poorregional co-operation with regard tomanagement and trade of medicinal plantresources.

In 2004, the German Federal Agency forNature Conservation - Bundesamt fürNaturschutz (BfN) - contracted TRAFFICto undertake a review of the status, use,trade and trade controls for seven of thesespecies - Cistanche deserticola, Dioscoreadeltoidea, Nardostachys grandiflora,Picrorhiza kurrooa, Pterocarpussantalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina andTaxus wallichiana. These were selectedbased on indications that implementationof CITES trade controls remainsproblematic, and that international tradecontinues to contribute to their declinedespite CITES listings and earlier reviews.

For example, the Himalayan herbNardostachys grandiflora is not onlyprized as a traditional medicine in theregion, but also used in cosmetics,perfumes and incense - including a smallbut increasing trade to Europe and NorthAmerica. The species was included inAppendix II in 1997. However, there areno CITES-related controls on itsimportation into India, the main market forthis species, due to a lack of CITESimplementing legislation covering importsof this species into India, and ineffectiveexport controls in Nepal. Trade patternsfor another CITES-listed medicinal plantspecies, Taxus wallichiana, or HimalayanYew, a source of the anti-cancer drugPaclitaxel, are less clear, with much of thetrade appearing to involve extracts ratherthan raw materials. However, there isconcern that harvest from the wild of thisand other Asian Taxus species is resultingin population declines.

A summary of the findings of this studywere presented at the 15th Meeting of theCITES Plants Committee in Geneva lastMay. They indicated that gaps in effectiveCITES implementation still exist and thatthere was merit in including several ofthese species within the next phase of theCITES Review of Significant Trade. Thisis a review of biological, trade and otherrelevant information to identify problemsconcerning the implementation of CITESprovisions, particularly CITES Article IV(ensuring that exports are maintainedwithin sustainable levels), and possiblesolutions. Non-compliance by any Statewith the recommendations of the PlantsCommittee resulting from this review mayultimately lead to a recommendation bythe CITES Standing Committee tosuspend trade with that State in specimensof the species concerned.

In addition, the review alsorecommended greater regional co-

operation between the countries involvedto strengthen CITES implementation andenforcement for these species. Forexample, the trade treaty between Nepaland India should be modified in order toreflect CITES requirements. and attentionbe given by CITES Authorities of bothcountries to the lack of CITESimplementation for Nardostachysgrandiflora and other CITES-listedspecies when traded from Nepal to India.

The Plants Committee subsequentlyselected Nardostachys grandiflora; Taxuswallichiana; Pterocarpus santalinus andRauvolfia serpentina for inclusion in theSignificant Trade Review. In addition, theCITES Secretariat indicated that it wouldbe using the results of the study in amission to South Asia to promoteimproved management regimes in thecountries highlighted in the study’srecommendations such as India and Nepal.The detailed assessments and recom-mendations of the review will be pub-lished later this year and it was agreed thatthese would be further discussed at the16th Meeting of the Plants Committee in2006.

While these developments are a step inthe right direction, TRAFFIC hopes thatthe relevant range and consumer States,including China, Bhutan, India, Nepal,and Pakistan will themselves initiate aregional response to the unsustainabletrade in these species. With much of thetrade in these commodities being intra-regional, it is essential that there are themost effective levels of co-operation,collaboration and integration of efforts tomaintain harvests and trade withinsustainable levels.

In addition, it is critical that approachesencouraging more effective CITESimplementation are designed taking intoaccount the needs of rural harvesters.International trade in several of thesespecies provides an important source ofrural income in the range States,particularly within Nepal. Because of theimportance of harvests and trade to rurallivelihoods, it is imperative that countriesconcerned act so to ensure the effectivemanagement and sustainable use of thesevital resources for many decades to come.

***

Picrorhiza kurrooa

TRAFFIC Dispatches 5Number 24 July 2005

Two and half years on from listingBig-leaf Mahogany Swieteniamacrophylla in CITES Appendix II

at the Twelfth Meeting of the Conferenceof the Parties to CITES in 2002 (CoP12),serious concerns persist over the legalityof mahogany entering the internationalmarket and whether it being sustainablyharvested. It is evident that much needs tobe done to ensure its effectiveimplementation.

This despite the inclusion of Big-leafMahogany Swietenia macrophylla inCITES Appendix II having been viewed asa major step towards the sustainablemanagement of this important tropicaltimber species. More significantly, it wasalso an indication of the growingacceptance by the international com-munity of CITES as a useful tool for thesustainable use and management ofcommercially valuable timber. For many,the mahogany listing was viewed as ashowcase for promotion of sustainabletrade in timber species under CITES.

Concerns related to effectiveimplementation of the listing were raisedagain at the 15th meeting of the CITESPlants Committee last May, where Partiesagreed to re-establish the Big-leafMahogany Working Group.

The original “Mahogany WorkingGroup of the Conference of the Parties”(MWG) was established at CoP11 in 2000to address the apparent lack of regionalcohesion, co-operation and integration ofefforts related to mahogany conservationand trade. Consisting of range States andkey consumer countries, the MWG wascharged to review the effectiveness ofAppendix III listings, analyse legal andillegal trade; review studies of the status ofthe species; and encourage exchange ofinformation among CITES Managementand Scientific Authorities. The Groupreported its findings and recommendationsfor consideration at CoP 12 where Big-leafMahogany was subsequently listed inAppendix II.

The newly re-established MWG willcomprise of at least the two PlantsCommittee representatives of Central andSouth America and the Caribbean; the tworepresentatives of Europe; Brazil, Bolivia,Peru, Nicaragua, Belize (as majorexporting range States), the US and arepresentative of the EU (as majorimporters). TRAFFIC, WWF and Faunaand Flora International were also acceptedas members of the Group.

The MWG is tasked with assisting rangeStates in preparing and officially adopting,as a priority, mahogany management plansat national and sub-regional level;undertaking inventories of mahoganypopulations, including their range,population size and conservation status;and initiating capacity-buildingprogrammes.

The MWG is also to report on progressmade at the 16th Meeting of the PlantsCommittee in 2006. If the PlantsCommittee then deems that progress madeis insufficient, it will include Big-leafMahogany in the Review of SignificantTrade process. This is a review of thebiological, trade and other relevantinformation to identify problemsconcerning the implementation of CITESprovisions, and possible solutions. Non-compliance by any State with the solutionsrecommended by these Committees mayultimately lead to a recommendation bythe CITES to suspend trade with that Statein specimens of the species concerned.

TRAFFIC welcomes the re-establishment of the MWG and hopes thatit will address a number of critical issuesthat are being faced both by range Statesand consumer countries.

However, although CITES is applyingpressure through its mechanisms wherenone exist elsewhere for timber species ininternational trade, the challenge forCITES and its member countries remains.This is to prove that the revitalisation ofthe working group and other internationalmeasures now in place can catalyse muchneeded conservation action nationally andmove the current status quo towards morepractical, long-term conservationsolutions.

A number of range States are in criticalneed of technical assistance and improvedcapacity in areas such as undertaking non-detriment findings and monitoring andverification of management plans.TRAFFIC hopes to see greater efforts byrange States to curtail illegal logging andstrengthen forestry management,including activities such as supporting thedevelopment of inventories, strengtheninglogging, trade chain and cross-bordercontrols and the use of criteria andindicators for forestry management andcertification. Also the role of keyconsumer countries and issues such asresponsible buying policies, marketinformation, tariff code harmonisation andcertification needs critical attention.

CITES acts to strengthen mahogany listingby Bernardo Ortiz, Regional Director, TRAFFIC South America

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However, first a number of cross-cuttingissues need addressing - particularlyrelated to governance and the broadenvironmental, social and economicissues. CITES-specific measures are a stepin the right direction and CITES has beenarguably the only international instrumentavailable to initiate a process needed toresolve the problems at hand. But muchmore initiative is needed from the rangeStates themselves. TRAFFIC believes thatillegal logging and over-exploitation ofmahogany can be addressed effectivelyonly in the wider context of biodiversityconservation, national development, trans-parency and social equity with a fullcommitment by all stakeholders with avested interest in conservation of thiscommercially valuable and threatenedspecies.

***

Big-leaf Mahogany Swieteniamacrophylla,Alto Purus

Reserved Zone, departmentUcayali, Peru.


Action plan to crack down on domestic ivorymarkets in Africa needs major boost

The tusks of between 4 000-12 000elephants are needed to meet the annualproduction needs of local ivory carvers inAfrica each year, and virtually all of thisivory is from illegal, unsustainablesources. The CITES action plan calls onall African Elephant range States to eitherstrictly control the trade from carvers andmanufacturers through retailers to end-useconsumers, or shut the trade downaltogether.

Egypt, which has no elephants in thewild, has harboured one of Africa’s largestdomestic ivory markets in the past.Though less thriving than seven years ago,it still poses a major threat to effectiveelephant conservation efforts. A newTRAFFIC report, No Oasis: Egyptianivory trade in 2005, documents theavailability of more than 10 000 workedivory products in three Egyptian cities inMarch/April 2005. While this is half thelevel documented in 1998, the trade stillrepresents ivory from the equivalent ofbetween 310 and 875 elephants.

Egypt is not an African Elephant RangeState and so is not targeted under theCITES action plan. However, theStanding Committee has this yearinstructed the CITES Secretariat toinclude countries in Africa that are notelephant range States when monitoringillicit trade in ivory.

“The Government of Egypt is certainlymaking progress on its own, butaccountability to the CITES oversightprocess will mark an important step inspeeding things along”, said TomMilliken, Director of TRAFFIC’sprogramme in Africa. “Law enforcementdata from Egypt also indicate that over80% of the raw and worked ivory seizedfrom 2000 onwards has originated fromSudan, a country where, earlier this year,the domestic ivory trade was reported tobe on the increase.”

TRAFFIC researchers also documentedmore than 500 ivory products for sale inthe duty-free departure lounge ofMaputo’s international airport earlier thismonth. This traffic is in flagrant violationof CITES, and the Mozambicanauthorities have failed to act in the past.

“Mozambique has ignored numerousopportunities to stop this violation ofCITES, but continues to allow illegalivory trade with impunity. It’s time to takedecisive action “, said Milliken.

At the 53rd Meeting of the StandingCommittee, South Africa, on behalf of theSouthern African DevelopmentCommittee (SADC), agreed to assistrelevant range States, especially Angola,Lesotho and Mozambique.

The TRAFFIC survey in Ethiopiaearlier this spring found a major reductionin the scale of the country’s ivory tradewith only five of 82 shops surveyed sellinga total of 78 ivory products. This isremarkable, as Ethiopia has been one ofAfrica’s biggest unregulated ivory marketsand earlier last year TRAFFIC found over3500 ivory products on sale.

“Ethiopia deserves to be commendedfor undertaking a range of actions,including enhanced law enforcement bothat border points and within themarketplace and improved reporting toand participation in ETIS, the ElephantTrade Information System,” Milliken said.

Concerted effort since early 2004 tocrack down on the domestic ivory tradedemonstrates how relatively smallinvestment in capacity-building can helpto leverage a significant enforcementeffort. Ethiopia’s co-ordinated actionserves as an example for other countries tofollow. TRAFFIC and WWF are willing toprovide similar help to other states whoneed support in building their capacity toimplement the CITES action plan and toclose down illegal domestic ivory markets.

The CITES Secretariat was instructedby the Standing Committee to provide adetailed report on the implementation ofthe action at its 54th meeting in 2006.

Eight months after African countries announced a continent-wide action plan tocrack down on their domestic ivory markets, the single most important factor inthe international ivory trade, unregulated markets continue trading ivory openlythroughout Africa, according to new surveys by TRAFFIC. Also the 53rdMeeting of the Standing Committee in June noted that illicit trade in ivorycontinued to occur at significant levels and instructed the CITES Secretariatto monitor the illicit trade closely.

Esmond M

artinTom

Milliken / TR

AFFIC

East/Southern Africa

The Khan al-Khalili market inCairo has the greatest numberof ivory items - about 4000 - ofany market in Egypt.

Carved ivory tusks seized, Cairo,Egypt, 2005.


Clearer progress needed on sturgeon agreementby Sabri Zain, Advocacy and Campaigns Director, TRAFFIC International

In response to on-going and increasingproblems facing sturgeon and paddlefishfisheries around the world, the 11thmeeting of the CITES Conference of theParties in 2000 included the 25 Appendix-II listed species of Acipenseriformes in theCITES Significant Trade Review.TRAFFIC was contracted to review thefirst 10 priority species and present theresults at the 16th meeting of AnimalsCommittee where the recommendations inthe Review were agreed. As a result,Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the RussianFederation and Turkmenistan, all rangeStates of the Caspian Sea, committedthemselves to a series of urgent measuresin the so-called Paris Agreement,including a collaborative basin-levelmanagement system for sturgeon fisheries,efforts to combat illegal harvesting andtrade, regulation of domestic trade andestablishment of a caviar labelling system.

Despite the progress made so far, at the5th International Symposium on Sturgeonheld in Ramsar last May, more than 200sturgeon experts and scientists fromaround the world recognised that the statusof wild populations of EurasianAcipenseriformes species had never beenas alarming and that all existing initiativesshould join forces to consolidate theiractions. Similar concerns were discussedat a workshop organised by WWF-DanubeCarpathian Programme for an action planon Danube sturgeons held in July 2005.

With regard to domestic trade insturgeon products, including the labellingof all caviar produced, some countries stilldo not have adequate legislation toimplement the Convention and it is notclear if all range States have assessed theeffectiveness of their legislation. Illegaldomestic trade in a number of thesecountries may have become an evenbigger threat to sturgeon conservation thanthe international trade. Efforts must be

regard to the status of sturgeon stocks ofthe Amur River, the Sea of Azov and theBlack Sea and the implementation ofmanagement measures for these stocks. Itis therefore crucial that this situation isclarified and actions identified (includingup-to-date targeted recommendations withdeadlines) that address all Eurasianpopulations of the ten species of concernand all the relevant range States of theAmur River, Sea of Azov, Black Sea andCaspian Sea.

In addition, the Standing Committee didnot agree with the CITES Secretariat'sconclusion that Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,the Russian Federation and Turkmenistanhave demonstrated that export ofspecimens of Acipenseriformes complywith the provisions of Articles 2 (a), 3 and6 of the Convention and that the pendingrecommendation to suspend imports of allspecimens of these species could bewithdrawn. The Standing Committeerequested for further information on this.

Ultimately, a clear action plan andimplementation mechanisms are needed toensure the mitigating measures above areimplemented. To this purpose, the AnimalsCommittee should be given a precisemandate that will allow for concrete andon-going work. The action plan shouldalso provide for the active involvement ofthe widest range of relevant stakeholders,such as independent experts and scientists,technicians from the industry (includingfisheries and aquaculture), inter-governmental organi-sations such as theFood and Agriculture Organization and theIUCN Sturgeon Specialist Group, as wellas non-governmental organisations. Itsfor-mulation and implementation must beconsidered as part of the Significant TradeReview process of CITES - currently, theonly forum available where unified andpolitical efforts can be stimulated by theinternational community

made to strengthen legislation to effec-tively control catch and trade in theirproducts for domestic and internationalmarkets. Also, knowledge about domestictrade should be an essential component inthe formulation of non-detriment findingsfor trade.

It is also important that available andrelevant information is provided on theillegal trade as well as on specificmeasures taken to tackle illegal practices,including poaching and smuggling. This,in order to evaluate their effectiveness andimpact in the region, as well as inimporting countries.

In the context of the Significant TradeReview, while it is understood that rangeStates have provided the CITESSecretariat with information on manage-ment programmes for shared sturgeonstocks, a verification process needs to beundertaken to determine if these pro-grammes have been implemented effec-tively and are applying high standards ofscience-led management according to theagreed timeframes.

While most of the attention so far hasbeen on Caspian Sea stocks, clear actionsare needed in other Eurasian regionswhere sturgeons are also exposed to illegalcatch and trade. Countries at the 53rdMeeting of the CITES StandingCommittee last month raised concernsover the uncertainty that remains with

The Caspian Sea range States have taken remarkable steps forward inaddressing many of the threats to sturgeon species and implementing many ofthe measures outlined at the 45th meeting of CITES Standing Committee heldin Paris in June 2001. At the CITES CoP13 last October, these efforts werefurther strengthened and broadened. However, gaps remain in a number of keyareas and there is a critical need to establish a longer-term process that willimplement the crucial next steps to ensure the conservation and sustainable useof sturgeon in the Caspian Sea as well as in other Eurasian basins.

TRAFFIC


discussed at the next meeting of theStanding Committee in 2006. TheStanding Committee also called on Partiesto support TRAFFIC financially inundertaking these tasks.

Improved management andtransparency

Improvements to various rhino hornstockpile management practices have nowbeen recorded by nine managementauthorities in five countries including thethree largest African rhino range States.Overall, this translates into a reduced riskof horn reaching illegal markets.

Building on three years of awareness-raising activities, the seventh meeting ofthe IUCN/SSC African Rhino SpecialistGroup held in June 2004 was the first timethat African rhino range States formallydeclared their rhino horn stockpilevolumes, levels of seizures and poachingincidents, and is testimony to improvedtransparency, management and increasedknowledge at the national level.

Future priorities

One of the greatest remaining concernswith respect to horn stockpilemanagement is the level of compliancewithin the South Africa private sector, anincreasingly important stakeholder inrhino conservation. TRAFFIC continuesto engage with government and privatebodies at national and provincial levels topress for greater controls over not onlyprivate sector horn registration, but alsothe sale, movement and hunting of liverhinos on private property.

Ongoing efforts will also focus onassisting governments throughout theregion to apply minimum standards andbest practices. Further, TRAFFIC intendsto offer the tools developed and tested ineast and southern Africa (Rhino HornStockpile Database and MinimumStandards and Best Practices) elsewherein the world where significant hornstockpiles are known to exist, such asIndia, Nepal, Yemen, China and Taiwan.

Current work is funded by WWFNetherlands, through the WWF AfricanRhino Programme. For more information,contact TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa-Tanzania office. A full copy of the reportcan be downloaded fromhttp://www.traffic.org/news/TESA_Rhino.pdf.

Rhino horn stockpiles continue togrow in most African rhino rangeStates, accumulating from a range

of causes including natural mortalities,dehorning programmes and seizures. Inaddition to imparting an increasingfinancial burden to wildlife departmentsresponsible for their management, theyalso present a security risk to ongoing lawenforcement efforts. Rhino horn stock-piles continue to grow in most Africanrhino range States, accumulating from arange of causes including naturalmortalities, dehorning programmes andseizures. In addition to imparting anincreasing financial burden to wildlifedepartments responsible for theirmanagement, they also present a securityrisk to ongoing law enforcement efforts.

Whilst the focus of preventing illegalhorn trade in Africa has traditionallyfocused on ensuring adequate fieldprotection of rhino populations andinfiltrating illegal trade syndicates, thepotential exists for illegal trade involvinghorns collected from the field and on theirway to strong rooms. However,encouraging results are now beingwitnessed in east and southern Africa,where TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa hasbeen working with governments toimprove rhino horn stockpile managementpractices.

Stockpiles grow in line withincreasing rhino populations

Whilst some subspecies remain atcritically low numbers, both Africanrhinoceros species continue to increase innumber, with some 11 000 WhiteRhinoceros Ceratotherium simum and3600 Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis

at the end of 2003. The largest rhinopopulations are found in South Africa,Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, alongwith correspondingly the largest hornstockpiles.

TRAFFIC has now documented a totalof 18 tonnes of rhino horn in east andsouthern Africa, representing a significantincrease from that documented andreported in March 2001 (TRAFFICDispatches No. 16). Almost 80% iscomprised of only four individualstockpiles, whilst those in South Africaconstitute two-thirds of the total volume.Thus, not only do significant quantities ofrhino horn already occur within east andsouthern Africa, but they are likely tocarry on increasing in volume so long aswild populations continue to prosper.

Development of management tools

Horn stockpile management includes allthe necessary measures to ensure thatevery horn is properly marked, registeredand secured. Appropriate auditabledocumentation, protocols andresponsibilities are also needed to helpensure all horns collected from the field doindeed end up in the central strong room.TRAFFIC has played a major role infacilitating improvements to stockpilemanagement through ongoing monitoringand advocacy, the development andtraining in a specialized managementdatabase, and the promotion of bestpractices.

Buy-in to use the freely-availableAccess-based Rhino Horn StockpileDatabase now includes 13 conservationagencies from seven countries, and workis ongoing to install and conduct thenecessary training. In May 2005,TRAFFIC produced the report Rhino hornstockpile management: MinimumStandards and Best Practices from Eastand Southern Africa. This consolidatesavailable knowledge from six countries inthe SADC region including all the largeststockpiles in Africa, and is aimed at thosegovernment officers directly responsiblefor managing stockpiles.

TRAFFIC’s work on the Rhino HornStockpile Database is also now part of anactive CITES process. The recent 53rdMeeting of the CITES StandingCommittee in June requested TRAFFIC toanalyse the data on rhino horn stockpilevolumes, seizures, poaching and variables.The results of this analysis will be

Rhino horn stockpile management improvementswitnessed in east and southern Africaby Simon Milledge, Deputy Director, TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa

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Confiscated Rhinoceros horn. Nairobi, Kenya


Managing a logging boom in Tanzania

Simon Milledge, Deputy Director, TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa

Since the turn of the millennium,Tanzania has witnessed a rapidincrease in export demand for

hardwood logs, with one of the largest andgrowing export markets being China. Thegreatest increases in timber harvestpressure have been experienced since2003, in the miombo woodlands andcoastal forests of southern Tanzania. Thishas been due to the combined influence ofincreased accessibility followingcompletion of the Mkapa Bridge over theRufiji River in August 2003 (seeTRAFFIC Dispatches No. 16), andtraders’ knowledge of impending newlegislation. At the same time, due to thedepletion of traditionally used species,lesser-known timber species areincreasingly harvested for the domesticmarket.

Following growing concerns over thelevels of round wood exports,uncontrolled harvesting, signs of forestdegradation and lost government revenue,the Government of Tanzania has taken astrong stance and investment in resourcesagainst illegal, unregulated and wastefulpractices. TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa(TESA) has been centrally involved inmonitoring timber trade in this part ofTanzania, and continues to collaboratethrough a number of initiatives (see boxbelow listing activities and supporters).

Timber trade increased beyondexpectations

A recently published TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa-Tanzania report‘Bridging the Gap: Linking timber tradewith infrastructure development inSouthern Tanzania - Baseline data beforecompletion of Mkapa Bridge’ presentstimber trade dynamics before completionof this important development project aswell as highlighting evidence of illegaland unsustainable practices. However,changes in timber trade since 2003 havebeen far greater than anticipated, with thethreat posed by illegal, unregulated andwasteful harvest, trade and export ofvaluable hardwoods affecting not onlyforest status but also progress towardspoverty alleviation and socialdevelopment goals.

Timber harvests peaked between Marchand June 2004 following a temporaryharvest ban and prior to a round woodexport ban pursuant to the new Forest Act(2002), enacted on 1st July 2004. By thistime, there was already a significantincrease in investment within the timberindustry; some parts of southern Tanzaniahave shown a twenty-fold increase intimber harvesting in the last decade.During mid-2004, over 80% of roundwood in trade from southern Tanzaniaconstituted just three species, Millettiastuhlmanii, Baphia kirkii and Swartziamadagascariensis, all destined for exportmarkets.

Several initiatives undertaken by theMinistry of Natural Resources andTourism have resulted in tangible changesin awareness, commitment and capacity.These have included the provision of morestaff, transport and operational funds aswell as the implementation of revisedlicensing procedures and numeroustemporal and spatial harvest and exportrestrictions. Ultimately, however, it wasthe strictly enforced export ban (e.g.confiscation of 160 containers holdingillegal logs at Dar es Salaam port) thattruly led to an end to uncontrolled, illegalharvesting.

The real impacts of the recent loggingboom are only now being fully realizedthrough recent TRAFFIC research.Firstly, actual revenues have been a smallfraction of the potential governmentincome, with up to 96% of the potentialrevenue lost as a result of illegal trade and

deficiencies in management capacity.Secondly, local communities weremarginal beneficiaries in timber trade,collecting barely 1/100th the value at thetime of export. Indeed, the negativeimpact on rural livelihoods appears to bethe most under-rated effect of poor timbertrade management, both in terms ofunrealized, lost revenue in the short-term,and the unsustainable depletion ofrequired timber resources for participatoryforest management (PFM) and long-termtimber trade. Thirdly, forest degradationof some coastal forests and miombowoodland has occurred, both identified asglobal priorities for biodiversityconservation.

Insufficient government capacity andinter-ministerial coordination, lowcommunity awareness and delayed PFMare amongst the greatest limiting factorsaffecting timber trade management inTanzania. A national harvest ban ofhardwoods from natural forests introducedin July 2004 has twice been extended untilthe end of June 2005, to allow thecompletion of resource assessments inpriority forested areas. It is important thatthis exercise, which provides the scientificfoundation for sustainable timber harvestplans, together with targeted increases instaff, transport and operational budgets inevery district, is completed beforeharvesting is re-opened. TRAFFICcontinues to focus attention on ensuringaccurate field information is provided tohelp address the scientific, economic,social and administrative aspects of timbertrade management.

2001/2 Baseline study beforecompletion of bridge (WWF MiomboEcoregion Programme)

2002 Study of the role ofZanzibar (Rufford Maurice LaingFoundation)

2003 Report printing (FINNIDA)

2004 Reconnaissance study andstakeholder perceptions during ban(WWF East Africa Coastal ForestsEcoregion Programme)

2004/5 Update to baseline studyfollowing completion of bridge(Critical Ecosystems PartnershipFund)

2005/6 Independent stakeholderand institutional review (NorwegianEmbassy)

Simon M

illedge / TRA

FFIC East/Southern A

frica


CITES training in focus at theRussian Customs Academyby Alexander Shestakov and Alexey Vaisman, TRAFFICEurope-Russia

TRAFFIC Europe-Russia and theRussian Customs Academy havedeveloped a course on CITES

training, which will be integrated into theofficial curriculum of the Academy basedin Moscow, Russia. The course,developed in consultation with CITESexperts from the Russian Federation, theHM Customs & Excise in the UK andTRAFFIC, is to become part of thetraining of every customs officer in theRussian Federation. The first trainingcourse will take place in autumn this year,and experts from the Customs Academyand TRAFFIC Europe-Russia will lead thetraining sessions.The Russian CustomsAcademy is the principal traininginstitution in the country that provideshigh quality training for customsprofessionals throughout the RussianFederation as well as other States of theformer Soviet Union. The Academy isrecognised by the World CustomsOrganisation (WCO) as an officialregional training centre, and it trains morethan 180 students and some 600 customsofficers each year.

To date there has not been any specialtraining on issues relating to the provisionsof CITES and smuggling of wildlife inRussia apart from a special CITES trainingprogramme that was developed in2000/2001 by WWF Russia and TRAFFICEurope-Russia for the Far Eastern Branchof the Customs Academy based inVladivostok.

A need for a specialised long-termtraining programme, which covers theentire country, has been recognised, thisespecially given the major role Russiaplays in wildlife trade, both as a sourceand consumer country. The goal of thenew project is to strengthen the knowledgeand the effectiveness of the Russian

customs controls with regard to thesmuggling of protected wildlife. Thetraining programme developed is toincrease the Russian customs capacity andultimately improve controls in place forwildlife trade and enhanced CITESenforcement in the country.

Two courses, in length 12 hours each,on wildlife trade controls andimplementation of CITES will becomepart of the official curricular of theAcademy later this year: One course isaimed at students going through theirgeneral training, the second course is foralready qualified customs officers passingthrough additional qualification.

Specialised textbooks and training CDROMs, classroom posters and a user-friendly ID manual have been developedto support the training and help customsofficers to identify CITES specimens.These materials will be handed out to allparticipants of the training courses. Inaddition, materials will be widelydistributed among customs officers in thecountry and posters provided to specificcustoms checkpoints at key airports inMoscow and other cities, in order to raiseawareness also among passengers. Alltraining materials will be available onwebsites of TRAFFIC Europe-Russia(http://www.wwf.ru/about/what_we_do/traffic/) and the British Council in Russia(http://www.britishcouncil.org/russia.htm)

Generous funding for the project hasbeen received from the UK Department ofEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs andthe British Council within the frameworkof Small Environmental ProjectsProgramme (SEPS-3). For furtherinformation on the project, contactTRAFFIC Europe-Russia office. Forcontact details see p.16.

The Russian Federation…"Poormanagement of fur trade in theRussian Far East is not only

threatening livelihoods and thesustainability of the trade but may alsohave negative impacts on protectedspecies," according to a new report byTRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoringnetwork. The findings of the report arediscussed today in Moscow at a roundtablemeeting bringing together governmentofficials and other stakeholders with avested interest in wildlife trade in thisimportant Russian eco-region.

Since the breakdown of the USSR inearly 1990s, regulation and organisation ofhunting for fur and trade in furs haschanged significantly as the centralised,State-controlled system ceased to exist andprivate trade in furs was allowed andborders were opened. This, while noadequate legislative or administrativemeasures were in place to monitor andcontrol this new commercial system.

"Better management of game speciestraded for their fur, and in particular thepotential conservation role of their legaland sustainable use in the Russian FarEast, is now urgently needed in order toreduce the hunting pressure on less-abundant species, and ensure thelivelihood of the local communities,including indigenous minorities such asthe Nanai and Udege", said NataliaDronova, the co-author of the report fromTRAFFIC Europe-Russia.

TRAFFIC Europe-Russia report titledTrapping a living: Conservation andsocio-economic aspects of the fur trade inthe Russian Far East reviewed recentsocio-economic changes in the region tobetter understand the impact they mighthave had on the exploitation of wildlife ofconservation concern. The study foundthat among the 18 species most commonlyused in the Russian fur trade, Sable fur isthe most valuable and accounts for 50 to60% of the market followed by RedSquirrel, claiming around 20% of themarket. Both are abundant species in theRussian Far East.

However, new markets have alsoemerged as a result of increased cross-border trade over the years and the risingeconomy of China has stimulated thedemand for products of certain animalsand plants from the Russian Far East incontravention of the Russian law;particularly those used in traditionalmedicine in East Asia, such as ginseng

Fur trade in theRussian Far Eastsurveyed

Posters such asthis will bedisplayed atairports in Moscowand other cities, inorder to raiseawareness alsoamong passengers.


Workshop boosts labelling system forwildlife products in Chinaby Wang Shasha, Wildlife Trade Programme Assistant, TRAFFIC East Asia-China

On 17 May 2005, TRAFFIC EastAsia-China programme, the ChinaWildlife Conservation Association

and Endangered Species ScientificCommission of the People's Republic ofChina organized a workshop on wildlifeand product labelling management inBeijing, China.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)has been utilised for thousands of years,with more than 1000 species of plants andanimals appearing in numerous TCMproducts. Today, endangered species suchas Musk Deer, bear, Saiga Antelope,Leopard, Pangolin, and freshwater turtlesare used widely in the TCM industry inChina, although the majority of themedicines continue to be plant-based,posing a threat also to a number of wildplant populations such as Asian Ginseng.

In order to ensure sustainable use ofwild species in TCM, in 2003 China'sState Forestry Administration and theState Administration for Industry &Commerce introduced a labelling systemto industries using wildlife, their parts orderivatives in the TCM products in orderto confirm the origin of the ingredientsused. Since 1 May 2003, the StateForestry Administration began adoptingthe "special labels of wild animals trade,usage and management", and selected twocompanies as the pilot cases, the "SanbianWine" (containing Spotted Deer) producedby Shandong Zhangyu Group and the"Deer and Turtle Wine" produced byHannan Yedao Group.

To date only limited information hasbeen available regarding the experiencegained since the introduction of thelabelling system. In order to gain a betterunderstanding and increase theinformation exchange between thedecision and policy makers and theindustry implementing the labellingsystem, TRAFFIC East Asia-Chinabrought together the main stakeholderswith a vested interest in wildlife andproduct labelling management in China inthe May 2005 workshop.

TRAFFIC East Asia-China alsocontinues to support governmentdepartments in their efforts to expand theusage of labelling system in industry inorder to manage effectively the use ofendangered species, their parts andderivatives in medicines.

The participants of the workshopincluded the Conservation Department ofState Forestry Administration, the CITES

Management Authority, the StateAdministration for Industry & Commerce,the Ministry of Health, the StateAdministration of Traditional ChineseMedicine, the Conservation Department ofBeijing Forestry Bureau, and a number ofrepresentatives from industries using orconsidering the use of labelling systems.

Among the topics addressed during theworkshop were international labellingsystems; labelling systems used inmedicine; issues related to imports andexports, techniques and searchmechanisms used in labellingmanagement; efforts needed to increasepublic awareness on the labelling systemsin place; the labelling system used in thetraditional Chinese medicine; and thecurrent status and problems from theindustry perspective.

During the workshop, representatives ofindustry brought forward a number ofrecommendations, including a suggestionof disciplinary measures to be introducedfor the industry in case the labellingregulation is not implemented, and a pleato strengthen the public awareness of thelabelling system in place so that thecompanies can effectively promote thelabelled products among the consumers.As an encouraging and direct outcome ofthe discussions from the workshop, theState Forestry Administration and theCITES Management Authority have sincecontacted the largest TCM company inChina using musk in its products,Zhangzhou in Fujian province, in order tointroduce a labelling system to theirproducts containing wildlife parts orderivatives.

TRAFFIC East Asia-China is currentlycompiling the proceedings of theworkshop, which will contain thedeliberations of the governmental depart-ments, and other relevant organizationsand companies expressed during themeeting. TRAFFIC hopes that oncepublished, the proceedings will provide anincentive to improve further theunderstanding and implementation of suchlabelling systems in China.

TRAFFIC East Asia’s traditionalmedicine work in China has beengenerously supported by WWF-US. Forfurther information on this work, contactTRAFFIC East Asia-China office. Forcontact details, see page 16.

roots, musk pods, bear gall bladders, deerantlers and tiger bones.

The majority of hunters interviewedduring TRAFFIC surveys noted that it ismore profitable to hunt or harvest rareprotected species of higher commercialvalue than trap more abundant smallmammals for their fur. For instance 68%of the hunters interviewed recognised thatthey collect Russian Ginseng root, despiteits harvest being prohibited in the RussianFederation.

"It is difficult to evaluate to what extentthese changes in the fur market have led toan increased exploitation of wildlife in theregion," Dronova said.. "However, it isclear that these changes play a major rolein the local livelihood and consequentlyimpact hunters' behaviour."

TRAFFIC report calls upongovernmental bodies, fur trade andmarketing companies in the RussianFederation, neighbouring and mainimporting countries, as well as to otherrelevant institutions and stakeholders ofthe Russian Far East fur trade to joinefforts to ensure the ecological andeconomical sustainability of harvest ofand trade in fur. "For example,establishment of a centralised auctionmarketing system could optimise effortstowards aligning current hunting practicesand give exclusive access to the sale offurs legally harvested in the Russian FarEast."

TRAFFIC hopes that this baselinesurvey will serve as an incentive forfurther investigation into the fur tradedynamics and livelihood and catalysedecisions to adopt stricter legislativemeasures and long-term solutions to bettermonitor and control hunting for and tradein fur as well as to strengthen existinglegislation that protects threatened speciesin the Russian Far East.

Generous funding for the report wasreceived from the Rufforda Maurice LaingFoundationa and WWF-Germany.

Dm

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sia

Medan supplies domestic and internationalwildlife trade demand on a vast scale

In the months after the devastationwrought by the tsunami and furtherearthquakes, Medan has become an evenbusier transport hub as the Sumatra’scentral point for relief logistics. Despitethe national focus of attention onrebuilding Aceh and other areas, thewildlife markets of Medan are still verymuch open for business - in a three-daysurvey in May this year, TRAFFICrecorded over 3000 live animals for sale,representing 123 different species, severalnever seen before in these markets. TRAFFIC’s work documenting thewildlife markets in Medan during recentyears illustrates the huge commercialdemand for species extracted from theisland’s once-abundant forests, and raisesconcerns about the possibility of long-term detrimental effects on wildpopulations. Many species of wildlife inthe pet trade are not protected underIndonesian law, but the volumes observedin trade through Medan’s markets wouldsuggest that several species’ status shouldbe immediately reviewed by theIndonesian government authorities.

While much of the wildlife trade inMedan is to meet local demand for pets,

many species are also exported tointernational destinations, and oftenillegally. Medan, the country’s fourth-largest city, is considered an importantgateway into and out of Indonesia. Itswildlife markets offer species sourcedfrom not only Sumatra, but also fromthroughout the archipelago, from thesurrounding region, and even from as faraway as Australasia and South America.Medan has an international airport and itsports link with shipping routes toneighbouring countries and long-hauldestinations, and the city plays a majorrole as a hub for international wildlifetrade.

Surveys for the report Open Seasonwere carried out by TRAFFIC on amonthly basis between 1997 and 2001 inthe city’s major wildlife markets. Duringthese surveys a total of 300 bird species,34 mammal species and 15 reptile specieswere recorded. Thousands of animals areseen to pass through these markets eachyear, which indicates a clear need toinvestigate further the impact this trade ishaving on remaining wild populations.

Of the 349 species of animals observedin the markets from 1997-2001, 70 of the

(20%) were totally protected byIndonesian law (Conservation Act (No. 5)of 1990). Indonesia’s legislation providesfor adequate protection for these speciesbut in many cases blatant disregard for thelaw by many traders and collectorsdemonstrates an urgent need for anincrease in enforcement efficiency andeffort.

There is an urgent need to clamp downon these markets and prosecute thosetraders found violating the law. If theorganised networks driving the trade arenot disrupted, and clear deterrents andpenalties meted out to discourage illegaloffenders, the situation will not change.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia recentlysigned a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the CITES ManagementAuthority of Indonesia, the DirectorateGeneral of Forest Protection and NatureConservation (PHKA). The MoU focuseson improving management of Indonesia’strade in species of wild fauna and flora.

“Monitoring the trade in wildlife forpets in Indonesia and increasingenforcement action on illegal traderemains a priority for the Indonesiangovernment authorities,” said Dr Samedifrom Indonesia’s CITES ManagementAuthority. “We will continue to work withour government colleagues in Sumatra andelsewhere to crack down on traders whoviolate Indonesia’s laws on biodiversityconservation, and we hope to work moreclosely with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia andother partners in this regard.”

TRAFFIC’s work on monitoring themarkets of Medan was generouslysupported by the Leuser DevelopmentProgramme. The publication of the reportwas made possible by additional fundingfrom the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The Indonesian island of Sumatra is globally recognised as a “biodiversityhotspot”, but as a result of this incredible natural wealth the island has longbeen a source of large volumes of birds, reptiles, mammals, timber and otherforest products to supply demand for food, building materials, pulp and paper,traditional medicines, trophies, curios and pets. Until now, very little has beenunderstood of the nature and extent of the harvest of and trade in wild animalsfor pets. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s report Open Season: An Analysis of thePet Trade in Medan, Sumatra 1997-2001 sheds light on this massive trade andhighlights the fact that much of it is illegal and likely to be unsustainable.

Chr

is R

. She

pher

d / T

RA

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Sou

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Cages outside shops,Jalan Bitang market,Medan, Sumatra.

Number 24 July 2005 TRAFFIC Dispatches 13

In 2002, the global harvest of industrialroundwood was estimated at some 1.7billion m3. From this production, theglobal wood products trade is estimated ata value of USD69 billion, although if pulpand paper are included, it is as high asUSD168 billion. It is important for timbertrade statistics to be as accurate as possibleto reflect the quantity, value, species andother relevant data for the use bygovernments and international bodies thatassist in developing policies affecting thetrade. Timber trade statistics are to informand facilitate sustainable forest man-agement through the development ofresponsible government policies relatingto forest management and timber trade.Statistics can also help all stakeholders topromote positive public perception of theuse of this sustainable resource.

However, compiling global timber tradestatistics is a formidable task, which iscarried out by many international andmulti-lateral organisations such as ITTO,and Food and Agriculture Organization,and which are derived from the raw tradedata supplied by the official customsstatistics of individual countries. Thestatistics are organised according to theHarmonized Tariff Classification System(HS) which defines products down to theHS six-digit level; with individualcountries having the freedom to definethese down to finer levels of 10-digits.

Since 2001, ITTO has authorized thepreparation of more than ten case studiesassessing export and import data oftropical timber and timber products. Thesestudies highlighted a number of factorsthat contribute towards trade discrepanciesbetween export and import. Tradediscrepancies are not unique to tropicaltimber trade, but in many cases, these are

large and significant. In many cases,import data tend to be more reliable thanexport data as duties are captured onimports resulting in inspections that aremore vigilant.

In general, the discrepancies in dataarise due to the systems in use. Twelvefactors were identified as contributing todata dis-crepancies: time lag betweenexport and import at the end of a fiscalyear, production valuation in terms of Freeon Board (FOB) and Cost Insurance andFreight (CIF), units used (e.g. m3, m2, andkg) and conversion factors, log scalingmethods, mixed products in shipment, HScode classification, data entry errors,under-invoicing, or mis-identifying thespecies in official documentation, gradingand smuggling. The latter three are factorsassociated with illegal trade.

To follow up on the ITTO study,TRAFFIC has obtained funds fromKeidanran Foundation, Japan, to study thesystem between Japan and Indonesia, tospecifically review and define thecommon routines and procedures forchecking the data; in particular, the rawdata as obtained by Customs are the pointof export and import.

The TRAFFIC study found an obviousgap in that Japan Customs uses their ownCustoms Import Declaration Form withoutreferring at any stage to the IndonesianExport Declaration Form. The Customsforms are the most important officialdocumentation for export and import. Allother documentation such as invoice andbill of lading may not be referred to orinspected by Customs directly eventhough those are expected to be presented,but only on demand. The raw statisticsdata are lifted directly from the Customsform. Since there is no occasion for Japan

Customs to inspect or refer to theIndonesian Customs form, the likelihoodof data discrepancy is obviously higherthat it should be. Different Customs agentsor brokers operating in each country usinginformation in invoice, bill of lading andother documentation usually fill in the datain the Customs forms. There is noconsistency of documentation used orchecked by officials or agents.

The TRAFFIC study was presented at aworkshop in Jakarta, Indonesia on 9 May2005 bringing together stakeholders fromvarious Indonesian government depart-ments, Japan Embassy representative onforestry, and TRAFFIC. The workshopconcluded a number of recommendationsin order to decrease the gap in dataconsistency. The report is currently in itsfinal stages and will be released in the nearfuture.

For further information contact ChenHin Keong based at TRAFFIC SoutheastAsia Regional Office. For contact detailssee p16.

The role of customs and statistics in timbertrade transparency and illegal loggingby Chen Hin Keong, Senior Forestry Advisor, TRAFFIC International

TRAFFIC has obtained funds from Keidanran Foundation, Japan, to study andassess export and import data of tropical timber and timber products betweenJapan and Indonesia. The specific aim of the study is to review and define thecommon routines and procedures for checking the data and in particular, the rawdata as obtained by Customs at the point of export and import. TRAFFIC'sstudy, which is to be released in the coming months, is a follow-up from workcarried out by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), that founda number of factors that contribute towards trade discrepancies between exportand import. Trade discrepancies are not unique to tropical timber trade, but inmany cases, these are large and significant.

Ramin Gonystulus spp.

Number 24 July 200514 TRAFFIC Dispatches

From the Field: Crocodile Specialist Group Mission in Cambodiaby Julie Thomson, Deputy Director, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

Over the past several years theinternational conservation com-munity has become increasingly

alarmed over reports that crocodilefarming in the Kingdom of Cambodia isout of control. The species at the centre ofthis attention is Crocodylus siamensis, theSiamese Crocodile listed on Appendix I ofCITES and classified as CriticallyEndangered under the 2004 IUCN RedList of Threatened Species.

Reports from international non-governmental organizations working inCambodia, such as TRAFFIC, have told ofupwards of 900 crocodile farms operatingin the country in the absence of regulatorycontrols, an illegal trade in thousands ofanimals to neighbouring countries, andpoaching of wild animals to supply thefarms.

Looking to resolve this situation theDirector General of Cambodia'sDepartment of Fisheries invited theIUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group(CSG) to review the status andmanagement of wild and captive

crocodiles in Cambodia. In late 2004 areview team under the direction of Dr.Dietrich Jelden, Head of Germany'sCITES Management Authority andDeputy Chairman of the CSG, wasassembled, consisting of four other CSGmembers, including the Deputy Directorof TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

The review mission took place from lateFebruary to early March 2005 and entailedconsultation with relevant governmentpersonnel, national and international non-governmental organizations, andrepresentatives from the crocodile farmingindustry, as well as visits to crocodilehabitat in south-western Cambodia andcrocodile farms around Phnom Penh andthe northern part of the Tonle Sap Lake.

A total of 31 recommendations address-ing the main issues of CITES complianceand legislation, illegal trade, managementof trade and captive populations, regionalissues, and wild populations, weredeveloped and presented in Phnom Penhto over 25 interested stakeholders duringthe final day of the mission.

Of noteworthy concern identified by thereview team is the urgent need for thegovernment to finalize and approveCambodia's draft CITES enablinglegislation, clarify the roles of the CITESManagement and Scientific Authorities,thoroughly investigate both the nationaland international illegal trade in C.siamensis, and implement a farmmonitoring programme that includesregular inspections to assess the legality ofstocks. The recommendations are con-tained within the team's report, which canbe downloaded from

www.wmi.com.au./csgarticles. In April 2005 the Cambodian

government began implementing therecommendations of the report.

The review mission was partiallysupported by TRAFFIC Southeast AsiaIndochina through a grant by the CITESSecretariat. For further information,please contact Julie Thomson at TRAFFICSoutheast Asia Indochina, for contactdetails see p16.

Control of musk deer trade needed in Malaysia and Singapore by Eugene Lee, Senior Programme Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

The use of musk in medicine posesthe biggest threat to musk deer andall species of musk deer Moschus

spp. were included in the Appendices ofCITES in 1979. Yet, trade in muskproducts is by-passing wildlife tradecontrols in Malaysia and Singapore andurgent legislative reform in both countriesis needed to enable better monitoring andlaw enforcement for wild animal- andplant-based Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) preparations.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s report,Against The Grain: Trade in Musk DeerProducts in Singapore and Malaysia,which describes the uses of musk andmusk products in traditional medicinepractices, investigates the demand formusk in Singapore and Malaysia, andanalyses the role played by both countriesin the global trade of musk, highlights thecontinuing trade in raw musk andmedicinal products claiming to containmusk in Singapore and Malaysia.

Musk deer products and derivatives areentering and exiting Singapore andMalaysia undetected. “The majority ofmusk products – particularly plasters,ointments, pills, or capsules – that areopenly available in TCM outlets in both

Malaysia and Singapore are not appearingin the CITES trade records of these twocountries,” said James Compton, Directorof TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

The respective national legislationpertaining to CITES implementation inboth countries (Singapore’s EndangeredSpecies Act 1989 and Malaysia’sProtection of Wild Life Act 1972) does notallow for the effective control of muskdeer in trade as they fail to explicitlyrecognise derivatives of protected species.Only animals and their “readilyrecognizable” parts appear to be coveredby these legislations. Thus, once the muskis extracted from the musk gland of themale Musk Deer and processed ormanufactured into derivative medicines, itis no longer explicitly controlled undernational law in these two countries. Assuch, there is a need to clarify thatmanufactured and processed medicinescontaining protected species should alsobe covered by the law.

Both countries must consider improve-ments in legislative coverage. The reporthighlights concerns for the gaps incoverage by the national legislations ofboth Singapore and Malaysia assignificant consumer countries of musk

from musk deer and the fact that muskderivatives only rarely appear in the tradestatistics of these two CITES Parties andthe hope is that the report will be anincentive to improve the legislation, trademonitoring, and law enforcementeffectiveness in both countries.

Generous funding support for thisreport was received from WWF-Germany.The report can be downloaded fromTRAFFIC website www.traffic.org.

Dr X

u Hongfa / TR

AFFIC

East Asia-C

hina




Francois and Sheila BrutschCGMK FoundationCITES SecretariatConservation InternationalCritical Ecosystem Partnership FundCurtis and Edith Munson FoundationDanish Agency for Development AssistanceDavid and Lucile Packard FoundationDonner Canadian FoundationEndangered Wildlife TrustErnest Kleinworth Charitable TrustEuropean Commission, Environment DGMr James FairfaxFundación Sinchi Sacha- EcuadorDr. Stephan Goetz via WWF-GermanyHDH Wills 1965 Charitable TrustHendrickson TrustInstitut Bruxellois pour la Gestion de


International Tropical Timber OrganizationIntrepid Travel IUCN - The World Conservation UnionIUCN Regional Office for Eastern AfricaIUCN Regional Office for South AmericaJane Henrickson TrustJoan St Leger Lindbergh TrustJohn M. Simpson FoundationMrs Niels W. JohnsenJohnson and Johnson (via WWFUS)Francis H. Lane bequest

La Societa Zoologica la Torbiera, ItalyEugene LindenMs Shu-Jiuan LuManfred Hermsen FoundationMarubeni CorporationMazda Wildlife FundMinistry of Environment & Forests, IndiaMinistry of Environment, Republic of KoreaJonathan MurrayNational Botanical Institute of South AfricaNatural Heritage TrustNOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant

ProgramNorwegian Embassy, TanzaniaPhare Programme of the European UnionMrs Fiona PippaProject SeahorseRimbun Dahan (Malaysia)Rufford Maurice Laing FoundationSALUS HausMr Stefan Sanktjohanser via WWF-GermanySave the Tiger Fund SIPPO - Swiss Import Promotion ProgrammeSociety for Wildlife and NatureSwedish International Development AgencyTaiwan Council of AgricultureTiger's Eye RetailTony & Lisette Lewis FoundationToraya Confectionery Co. Ltd. UK Department for Environment, Food and


OrganizationUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeUS Agency for International DevelopmentUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS State Department

Wallace Global FundWalt Disney Company FoundationWildlife and Environment Society of South

AfricaWildlife Conservation SocietyWorld Association for Zoos and Aquariums The World BankWWF-Africa Madagascar ProgrammeWWF-African Rhino ProgrammeWWF-AustraliaWWF-AustriaWWF-BelgiumWWF-CanadaWWF-China ProgrammeWWF-East Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF-FranceWWF-GermanyWWF-The Green Trust (ZA)WWF-Hong KongWWF-InternationalWWF-ItalyWWF-JapanWWF-MalaysiaWWF-NetherlandsWWF-New ZealandWWF-South AfricaWWF-South Pacific ProgrammeWWF-Southern Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF-SwedenWWF-SwitzerlandWWF-Tanzania Programme OfficeWWF-UKWWF-USZoo Berlin, GermanyZoo Frankfurt, Germany

Number 24 July 2005 TRAFFIC Dispatches 15

TRAFFIC staff thank the following supporters for their contributions to our work during February - June 2005:

Mazda Wildlife Fund vehicle received by South Africa office

Fourteen years ago in 1992, the SouthAfrican office of TRAFFIC

East/Southern Africa, received their firstMazda Wildlife Fund loan vehicle. Sincethen MWF has continued to supportTRAFFIC’s programme with a string ofproject vehicles. The latest vehicle washanded over to TRAFFIC at a ceremonyheld at Paul Maher Mazda, Linden,Johannesburg, on the 9th March 2005. Inthe photograph from left to right, theMazda Wildlife Fund’s Humphrey leGriceto, David Newton NationalRepresentative of TRAFFIC South Africaoffice and Mr Trevor Maher, DealerPrinciple from Paul Maher Mazda. Over the years, MWF loan vehicles havebeen utilised by TRAFFIC staffinvestigating the wildlife trade in its manyforms and manifestations. TRAFFICwould like to thank the MWF for theirongoing support in South Africa.






















TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Indochinac/o IUCN Viet Nam44/4 Van Bao Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, VietnamTel: (84) 4 726 1721; Fax: (84) 4 726 1561E-mail: [email protected]



TRAFFIC East Asia:




TRAFFIC Europe:

Russia - http://www.wwf.ru/about/what_we_do/traffic (in Russian)


Indochina -http://www.trafficindo.org (in English)�TRAFFIC International �regional TRAFFIC office �other TRAFFIC office


DISPATCHESNumber 25 December 2005

INSIDE:

• TRAFFIC network meets in Russia

• Networking wildlife law enforcement in Asia

• Strengthened collaboration in Mexico

• Ornamental fish trade in focus in South America

• Trophy hunting in South Africa under review

• Training law enforcement staff in South Africa

• Reducing trade in illegal wood products in Asia

• Determining economic drivers of wildlife trade

• Regional fisheries management organizations

• Collaboration with WWF marine programme

• Roti Island Snake-neck Turtle trade

• EU law enforcers to tackle illegal trade

• Building capacity in key international airports

• Judiciary trained on wildlife laws on orang-utans

• Illegal trade in wild falcons in Altay-Sayan

• TRAFFIC donors July - December 2005

Inside: Promoting co-operation to reduce trade in illegal wood products

Europe falling short in implementing universal caviar labelling system

European governments have beenfalling short in implementing auniversal caviar labelling system,

which should have been in place in January2004. TRAFFIC and WWF are urginggovernments of the 25 EU Member Statesand other important consuming countries totake urgent action to step up caviar tradecontrols and combat the thriving illegaltrade, which is threatening the survival ofthe sturgeon species in Europe and Asia.

In total, some 720 tonnes of caviar wereimported legally in to the EU andSwitzerland between 1998 and 2003,representing 60% of the global interna-tional trade in caviar. Most of the caviar inthe European market comes from Iran andthe Russian Federation. The annual retailvalue of the global caviar trade is likely tobe as high as several hundred millionEuros, 100g of the exclusive Beluga caviarcan cost as much as 600 Euros.

According to data reported by EUMember States, almost ten tonnes of illegalcaviar were seized by EU authoritiesbetween 2000 and 2005, with the largestamounts of caviar seized in Germany (2224kg), Netherlands (1920 kg), Poland (1726kg) and the UK (1587 kg).

"The real size of the illegal trade is likelyto be considerably higher given that a lotgoes unnoticed", said Stephanie Theile,TRAFFIC's Europe Programme Co-ordinator. "Investigations by GermanCustoms in March of this year revealed thattwo businessmen alone were responsible

for smuggling more than 1.4 tonnes ofcaviar into the EU market in a single year."

The illegal caviar trade ranges fromprivate individuals selling jars of illegalcaviar at open air market stalls to well-organized "suitcase" smuggling operations,with paid couriers picking up suitcases pre-packed with black market roe for deliveryto customers. Trucks or vans are also oftenused to bring the black gold into westernEurope.

"With the pre-Christmas season at itspeak, we urge consumers to be vigilant andonly purchase caviar from well-establishedretail businesses that have a reputation forproviding reliable goods", Theile added."However, the only way consumers can becertain that the caviar is from legal sourcesis through demanding caviar labelledaccording to internationally recognisedlabelling system."

Such universal labelling system for thetrade in and identification of caviar wasintroduced within the remit of theConvention on the International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora (CITES). From January 2004onwards, governments have agreed toaccept only caviar shipments markedaccording to the labelling system.

However, governments in westernEurope have been slow in enacting legaland administrative measures required tomeet the CITES requirements. A new EURegulation implementing the caviarlabelling system was adopted but has been

delayed for months and is to come in forcein early 2006. As one immediate measureto support the implementation of the caviarlabelling system, TRAFFIC has prepared aguide that highlights requirements for thecaviar industry. This is available on-line ath t tp : / /www. t ra ff ic .org /news/press -releases/Caviarlabellings.pdf

"It is essential now that everybody fromcaviar importers and exporters towholesalers and retailers in Europe aremade aware of the new labellingrequirements so that they can adequatelyprepare for the coming changes. Time isquickly running out", Theile said. "We hopethat by this time next year, all consumers inEurope can be confident that the caviar theybuy was legally obtained and traded, andthat they are not contributing to an illegaltrade that is driving sturgeon species to thebrink of extinction."

Vitaly Loyanich

WW

F-Canon / Stephen J. Fleay

Caviar being removed fromthe sturgeon.













TRAFFIC network meets in Russia

The 21st TRAFFIC network meetingwas held in Pansionat Yolochka,

Moscow, Russia, 12-14 September 2005and was hosted by TRAFFIC EuropeRussia office. Thirty-five staff from allregional programmes participated inplanning of TRAFFIC’s programmedevelopment and delivery. The meetingwas directly followed by a joint WWF andIUCN wildlife trade meeting.

Number 25 December 2005

Staff newsWelcome

December 2005

Gael Almeida joined TRAFFIC NorthAmerica-Mexico office asProgramme Officer.

November 2005

Shanny Pelle joined TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa - Tanzania office as Finance & Administrative Assistant.

Jill Hepp joined TRAFFIC North Americaregional office as Research Assistant.

September 2005

Caroline Raymakers, Regional Director,TRAFFIC Europe commences a year’ssabbatical leave. Stephanie Theile becameTRAFFIC’s Europe Programme Co-ordinator.

August 2005

Geneviève Crémer joined TRAFFICEurope regional office as Administration& Communication Officer.

Goodbye

September 2005

Anne Vanden Bloock left TRAFFICEurope regional office.

July 2005

Tina Leonard left TRAFFIC NorthAmerica regional office.

TRAFFIC Committee newsDr Jane Smart, Head of SpeciesProgramme, IUCN replaced Dr Susan Mainka (IUCN) as a member of TRAFFIC Committeein December 2005

Mai

ja S

irola

/ TR

AFF

ICNew grant from Taiwan

Council of Agriculture

On 20 October 2005, Dr Edgar Linfrom the Taipei Representative Office

in the UK presented a cheque to Mr StevenBroad, TRAFFIC’s Executive Directormarking Taiwan Council of Agriculture’ssupport for TRAFFIC. A new grant ofUSD60k was provided for a project onwildlife trade law enforcement support,policy, advocacy and communications.

Staff at a jointTRAFFIC, WWF andIUCNwildlifetrademeeting, September2005.

Dr Edgar Lin(left)

and MrSteven

Broad at the cheque

presentationceremony,

20 October2005.

TRA

FFIC

TRAFFIC DispatchesNumber 25 December 2005

The success of the 2004 ASEAN.Wildlife Trade Initiative, led byTRAFFIC and WWF, to support

regional co-operation in Southeast Asia,has created many new opportunities forwork both within the region and with itstrading partners.

The ASEAN Statement on CITES,announced at the 13th Conference of theParties to CITES, pledged better regionalco-operation on CITES implementationand law enforcement. As part of the wayforward, the ASEAN Regional Action Planon Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora 2005-2010 was subsequently developed by theASEAN Experts’ Group on CITES, andreceived Ministerial endorsement inSeptember 2005. Under the ASEANRegional Action Plan, individual countriesvolunteered to lead the implementation ofthe five key objectives, with Indonesia,Malaysia and Thailand stepping up to thechallenge.

Objective 2 of the ASEAN RegionalAction Plan focuses on increased net-working on wildlife trade lawenforcement. Improved co-operationbetween national CITES Authorities andtheir counterparts in law enforcementagencies such as Customs, police andquarantine has been identified as a keycomponent of building efficient networksat national and regional levels. Discussionof how to operationalize such a regionalnetwork began in October 2005 with theInaugural ASEAN Wildlife LawEnforcement Network Workshop, whichwas hosted by Thailand, the nominatedleader of Objective 2 under the RegionalAction Plan. After three days of thoroughdiscussion at Khao Yai National Park,ASEAN Member Country delegates,along with representatives from theSecretariats of ASEAN and CITES,expressed their full support towardsformalizing what will be the world’slargest wildlife law enforcement network.Representatives from the governments ofthe People’s Republic of China and theUSA also attended the workshop andmarked their support for the network.

On November 30th, Thailand againconvened a meeting of Senior Officials toexamine further details of the ASEANWiIdlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN). The results of this meeting werethen presented to representatives of theASEAN Ministers Responsible for CITES

who made an official Statement on theLaunching of the ASEAN-WEN,recognizing that “concerted and co-ordinated joint actions are required toaddress the illegal exploitation and tradeof wild plants and animals”.

Moving ASEAN’s efforts beyond suchdiplomatic achievements to action on theground still remains the greatest challenge,but the ASEAN-WEN provides anexcellent opportunity for concerted effortsto crack-down on illegal wildlife trade inSoutheast Asia. It also gives a collectiveplatform for the ASEAN MemberCountries to engage with some of theregion’s most important consumer marketsin East Asia (China, Japan, and SouthKorea).

Thailand has offered to host anotherASEAN-WEN meeting in early 2006 todiscuss how to develop the responsibilitiesand procedures needed for a cohesiveapproach in the region. With each country

having different levels of economicdevelopment and available humanresources and technical expertise, it will beimportant to identify the support requiredto develop long-term capacity to tacklepoaching and illegal wildlife trade.

Significant funding has been pledged bythe US Agency for InternationalDevelopment and the US Department ofState under the agreement of their newlyannounced Coalition Against WildlifeTrafficking. In partnership with WildAid,TRAFFIC is set to play a role inimplementing activities including needsassessments, training and capacitybuilding over the next three years to assistthe ASEAN Member Countries and theirtrading partners in making this regionalwildlife enforcement network a success.

For further information contact JamesCompton, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. Forcontact details see page 16.

Networking wildlife law enforcement in Asia: a challenge of partnerships and politicsby Crawford Allan, Deputy Director, TRAFFIC North America and James Compton, Director, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

Gerald S. C

ubitt

4 TRAFFIC Dispatches Number 25 December 2005

As a megadiverse country, Mexicoholds one of the highest places in terms ofrichness and diversity of species, and isrecognized for its many endemic species.Mexico shelters at least 10% of theterrestrial biodiversity of the planet, andmore than 300 genera and between 50 and60% of its species are endemic to thecountry. Mexico is also home to 10% ofthe world's vascular plant species, ofwhich more than 40% are endemic. Itranks as the world's second most diversecountry in terms of reptile species (717species, 52% endemic), fifth in terms ofmammalian species (450 species, 29%endemic), and fourth in terms ofamphibians (284 species, 60% endemic).

The development of relatively newcommercial markets for wildlife productsor live specimens, as well as the historicaland cultural use of wildlife in Mexico, iswidespread. Urgent attention is requiredin order to halt, and in some cases reverse,unsustainable utilization of wild resourcesthat is leading to significant losses ofbiodiversity. As wildlife trade is one of themost significant threats to many species inMexico, a TRAFFIC office was estab-lished at the WWF Mexico Programme inSeptember 2000.

Over the past five years, baseline workhas been done in collaboration with keyactors in both the government and non-government sectors on overarching topics

such as Mexico's wildlife trade-relatedlegal framework, information sharing,research on specific areas of concern suchas CITES implementation, marine turtleexploitation and management, and cactiand reptile trade in priority ecoregions.Reports on cacti and reptile trade havebeen produced and distributed in bothEnglish and Spanish.

In addition, TRAFFIC and enforcementauthorities have been involved in diverseactivities directed towards an objectiveanalysis and identification of wildlifetrade related gaps and needs. This has beenaccomplished with Mexican authoritiesthrough participation, discussions andclose collaboration in wildlife tradespecific surveys, and joint capacitybuilding efforts such as trainingworkshops for wildlife inspectors andother key staff in government agencies.

The first project under the framework ofthis agreement aims to build capacity atthe local and national level to improve theimplementation and enforcement ofMexico's wildlife protection laws. Inparticular, the focus is on CITES throughthe development of training materials andan integrated, nation-wide capacity-building initiative in Mexico in close co-ordination with PROFEPA. Extensivesupport for the development andimplementation of this project has beenprovided by the UK CommonwealthOffice through its Global OpportunitiesFund. It is our belief that TRAFFIC NorthAmerica's work in collaboration withpartners in government and other sectorswill prove highly effective in reaching oursustainable trade and conservationobjectives

For more information contactTRAFFIC North America-Mexico office.For contact details see page 16.

TRAFFIC strengthens collaboration in Mexicoby Adrian Reuter, National Representative, TRAFFIC North America-Mexico

In September 2005, TRAFFIC North America-Mexico and Mexico's Attorney Generalfor the Protection of the Environment (PROFEPA) formalized an institutionalpartnership and signed a Memorandum of Agreement that provides a foundation forwork in Mexico over the past five years. Under this agreement TRAFFIC is chargedwith functions aimed at supporting efforts in developing and implementing a nationalcapacity building framework related to wildlife trade. Three major areas thatTRAFFIC will be focussing on over the coming years include information sharing, publicoutreach & awareness building as well as capacity building within Mexico.

Typical view of yucca shrubland Chihuahua Desert, near Coahuila, Mexico.

WW

F-C

anon

/ Ed

war

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rker

TRAFFIC Dispatches 5Number 25 December 2005

Since the 1950s, the Amazon/Rio Negroand Orinoco basins have been the mostimportant supply areas of wild-caughtspecies in the ornamental freshwater fishtrade originating from South America.This trade involves over 400 wild species,such as tetras, arowanas and rays. Eachyear over 70 million fish are exportedfrom northern parts of South America.More than 85% of the total wild harvest ofornamental fish in the region is exportedfrom three countries, namely Brazil,Colombia and Peru. The bulk of this tradeis destined, via the USA and Germany, forworldwide distribution, although, besidesthe EU and Japan, the USA also representsone of the biggest consumer markets forthe wild ornamental fish sourced fromSouth America.

As international demand has increasedover the years, many resources that havebeen extracted from the remotebiodiversity-rich areas of South Americato date have become over-harvested.Reptiles and mammals for skin trade, birdsfor pets, timber for furniture, andmedicinal plants and fish for humanconsumption are all examples of suchresources, with many species feared to befacing an unsustainable future.

However, unlike other resources that arebeing over-harvested, with the exceptionof a few vulnerable species, the orna-mental fish industry represents a form oftrade that has low ecological impact. Itprovides local communities with asustainable alternative for generatingincome in a biodiversity-rich region. Theindustry also serves as an incentive forlocal communities to conserve forests andwetlands in order to ensure continuation of

the resources on which their livelihoodsdepend on.

However, there are several threats tothis activity, especially in a long-term.Large-scale ex situ production of the mosttraded species has had the most seriousimpact on the ornamental fish industry inSouth America to date. The highinternational demand for ornamental fishhas shifted the industry to other means ofproduction, such as aquaculture, whicheconomically is more lucrative and canproduce more fish in less time and closerto consumer markets. However, the exsitu production has social and ecologicalimpacts on the livelihoods of localcommunities in South America which, as aconsequence, are forced to turn to othermeans of income. Most of the ex situproduction occurs in Southeast Asia andthe USA. In South America, the shift inproduction has also had significant impacton the health and structure of thefreshwater and land ecosystems of theregion.

Since 2002, with the financial supportof WWF Switzerland, TRAFFIC SouthAmerica and WWF Colombia have beencompiling and analysing information onthe wild ornamental fish trade. Theinformation received from differentstakeholders in the region, includingscientists, governmental bodies andmanagers, traders, local fishermen andnon-governmental organizations high-lights a common concern and an urgentneed to develop a mutually agreed strategyto ensure best practices in the field of wildornamental fish trade in South America,both at the country and regional level.Practical solutions are needed to ensure

Focus on ornamental fish trade inSouth America by Bernardo Ortiz, Director, TRAFFIC South America

WWF-Canon / Anthony B. RATH

long-term sustainability of ornamentalfisheries with a consideration of localcommunities and the social-economic andenvironmental impact.

The participants of the three-dayworkshop convened in August this yearrecognised that in order to ensuredevelopment of an effective strategy, allmajor stakeholders of producer countriesneed to work together to establisheffective communications channels.

The workshop delivered a set of priorityactions and recommendations to ensurethe process now initiated will continue. Onthis note, TRAFFIC South America andWWF Colombia are currently facilitatingfollow-up action and delivery of therecommendations made at the workshopand are currently finalising a proposal thatwould enable further development of aregional action plan. In addition, theycontinue to facilitate and co-ordinatefunding development opportunities andenhanced exchange of informationbetween all the stakeholders of theproducer countries.

For more information contact TRAFFICSouth America. For contact details seepage 16.

In August this year, a workshop on the ornamental fish trade in South America washeld in Bogota, Colombia. It brought together over 50 stakeholders representingnational governments, traders and exporters, project managers, scientists and non-governmental organizations from Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and fromthe USA, the main consumer country of wild ornamental freshwater fish. The participants shared experiences and explored ways to harmonise legislation andincrease transparency and knowledge needed to ensure best practices in the field ofwild ornamental fish trade. TRAFFIC South America and WWF Colombia participatedin the workshop and are continuing efforts to support the collaborative spirit andgoodwill achieved during the workshop.


Professional and recreational hunting in South Africa under reviewby Claire Patterson, Programme Officer and Markus Bürgener, Senior Programme Officer,TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa

The hunting industry in South Africamakes a significant contribution toeconomic growth, job creation and theexpansion of land under wildlifemanagement. In recent years, however,media reports concerning so-called'canned hunting' of large predators andtrophy hunting in buffer zones adjacent toNational Parks have raised seriousconcerns regarding practices within thehunting industry. These issues alsohighlighted a broader problem regardingthe lack of an overall framework forregulating the hunting industry at anational level.

Accordingly, in April 2005, the SouthAfrican Minister of Environmental Affairsand Tourism appointed a Panel of Expertsto develop norms and standards for theregulation of recreational and professionalhunting in South Africa. The Panel's termsof reference were to investigate, evaluateand report on the practice of hunting inSouth Africa, and to make proposals to theMinister regarding the future regulation ofthe industry.

In order to meet this challenge, thePanel called for the production of fourbackground research papers. TRAFFICwas commissioned to produce two of thesepapers, one on the current status of thehunting industry and another on thelegislative framework for hunting in SouthAfrica.

The overview on the industryhighlighted the fact that South Africa has awell-established, economically-valuableindustry which offers a viable form of landuse in many areas not suitable for otherforms of income generation. It has,however, become fraught with variousproblems that serve to shift the focus ofcertain operations away from long-termconservation objectives to short-termeconomic gain.

The report assessed key concerns and

constraints faced by the industry. Forexample, the satisfaction of niche marketsby producing hybrids, colour morphs andexotic species highlights the importance ofdetermining whether hunting is seenprimarily as a conservation activity or anagricultural undertaking. Other con-straints included implementing effectiveinformation systems to assist in decisionmaking, establishing a forum to allow forstakeholder dialogue, finding practicalways to bring about black economicempowerment and transformation, anddealing with rogue operators and 'canned'hunts.

The second paper, which outlined thecurrent legislative framework for huntingin South Africa, noted the complex andconfusing maze of provincial legislationthat governs the industry, leading tovarious inconsistencies, gaps andloopholes. Furthermore, the presentregulatory approach is almost entirelyfocused on command and control methodsto ensure compliance and fails to reflectmore contemporary approaches based onincentives and co-management models.This confusing legislative structure hasmade it extremely difficult forconservation authorities, already facingbudgetary and capacity constraints, tocarry out their work effectively andefficiently. Previous attempts to moveforward a uniform national legislative andpolicy framework have proved impossibleto achieve, but have provided the impetusfor development of national biodiversitylegislation.

The National Environmental Manage-ment: Biodiversity Act and the NationalEnvironmental Management: ProtectedAreas Act have finally been enacted,providing South Africa with a suite oflegal tools to effectively address thecomplex issues of biodiversity use andconservation, including hunting.

Through the development of nationaldraft norms and standards and regulations,and by drawing on the relevant strengthsof the national and provincial organs ofstate that have joint competency forregulating hunting in South Africa, themajority of issues, such as problem animalcontrol; fragmented legislation, policiesand regulations and permitting systems;and, conflicting legislation, can beeffectively addressed.

With the new suite of legal toolsavailable, the opportunity exists for SouthAfrica to effectively regulate hunting andensure that associated activities continueto contribute to economic growth whilesupporting and enhancing theconservation of biodiversity in thecountry.

Drawing on the information provided inthe background research papers, and theseries of public hearings held duringAugust and October 2005, the Panelpresented a report to the Minister ofEnvironment and Tourism in late October2005 outlining their findings andrecommendations. This document willguide the development of draft norms andstandards for the industry.

For further information contactTRAFFIC East/Southern Africa-SouthAfrica office. For contact details see page16.

The hunting industry in South Africa makes a significant contribution to economicgrowth, job creation and the expansion of land under wildlife management. In recentyears, however, media reports concerning so-called 'canned hunting' of largepredators and trophy hunting in buffer zones adjacent to National Parks have raisedserious concerns regarding practices within the hunting industry. These incidents havehighlighted a broader problem regarding the lack of an overall framework forregulating the hunting industry at a national level.

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South African law enforcement staff trained on CITES implementation by Jonathan Evans, Programme Officer, TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa-South Africa

TRAFFIC’s wildlife trade lawcompliance five-day training courses forconservation staff were held in the EasternCape, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natalprovinces in South Africa. These were partTRAFFIC’s DANIDA-funded projectaimed at building the capacity of SouthAfrican law enforcement staff toimplement CITES and national wildlifetrade controls effectively. TRAFFIC'swildlife trade law compliance trainingtargets provincial conservation staff, aswell as municipal authorities andprosecutors and the TRAFFIC team offour specialists trained 100 officials fromvarious government agencies.

Training modules included anintroduction to wildlife trade, CITES,relevant South African environmentallegislation, law enforcement skills,alternative compliance strategies and theidentification of priority species in trade.

The evaluation forms are still to beformally reviewed by the project'smonitoring and evaluation team, theEnvironmental Evaluation Unit of theUniversity of Cape Town. The formsallowed trainees to record theirimpressions of the workshop.

In questions designed to determine theeffectiveness and relevance of the training,there was general agreement that thetrainees gained a good understanding ofthe challenges being faced in improvingwildlife trade compliance, are morecommitted to their work than they didbefore the training workshop and that theylearned new skills which they will use intheir daily work.

Open-ended questions on the evaluationforms allowed for a greater range ofresponses. The feedback has generallybeen very positive so far, including somevaluable suggestions for improvements.Some comments from the participantsincluded:

“It broadened our horizons towardswildlife and also showed us how the KZNwildlife conservation officers performtheir duties. It also showed us that we areworking towards the same goal ofensuring compliance to laws/regulationsin our country for the benefit of all SouthAfricans and the economy.”

“You sharpened our knowledge for thebetter.”

Plans for 2006 are already in place andinclude specialised training, focussing onspecies identification and CITES, forSouth African border police and Customsofficials, as well as offering the training toconservation law enforcement officials inother countries in the region asopportunities arise.

For further information contactTRAFFIC East/Southern Africa-SouthAfrica office. For contact details see page16.

"The court [i.e. mock trial exercises, inwhich officials were required to testify andbe cross-examined] makes one scared…",one trainee confessed, then added "…butgives knowledge later".

“It was fantastic, I have learnt atremendous amount.”

“I would like to commend the lecturersfor the way they conducted and presentedthis course. Contradictory to my belief atmy arrival, I did learn a lot and am goingback with more knowledge and a betterunderstanding of what law enforcementand the conservation of our naturalresources entails.”

·”Please encourage national depart-ments, provincial departments and localauthorities, which are involved inenvironmental issues to send their staff tothis course.”

“The workshop was a success; hope weget called again to share what we haveexperienced.”

Finally "hitting the road" after 18 months of preparation, the TRAFFIC training teamin South Africa held three training events for government agencies between April andSeptember 2005. These were part of DANIDA-funded project aimed at building thecapacity of South African law enforcement staff to implement CITES and nationalwildlife trade controls effectively. Plans for 2006 are already in place and besidesspecialised training focussing on species identification and CITES, the team will beoffering training to law enforcement officials in other countries in the region.

TRAFFIC East/Southern A

frica-South Africa

Nature Conservation, Customs and National Prosecuting Agencyofficials attended the Wildlife Trade Law Compliance Course atMidmar Dam, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The trainers were

Jonathan Evans, Adam Pires, Carolyn Ah Shene and Nico Snyman.


Promoting co-operation to reduce trade inillegal wood products in Asiaby Chen Hin Keong, Senior Forestry Advisor, TRAFFIC International

In Asia, the bulk of trade in timberproducts from the main producingcountries occurs within the region andthere is evidence that a significantproportion of this either originates fromillegal logging, or is traded incontravention of exporting or importingcountries' laws. The ability of bordercontrol agencies to identify and interceptsuch trade is limited by a number offactors. These include inadequacies indocumentation, gaps in importingcountries' legal systems and lack of formalprotocols to exchange informationbetween countries.

Customs agencies are normally incharge of final inspection for compliancewith laws and regulations, and collectionof taxes prior to release of wood productsfor export. They also form the first line ofinspection for imports to ensure that allrelevant duties and taxes have been paidand regulatory and policy requirementsare fulfilled before allowing a

consignment to enter a country. Inaddition, Customs officers play a vital roleas the first or last line of defence againstsmuggling, fraud, and detection of variousillegalities that could transpire during theprocesses of export, re-export, transit andimport.

The ability of Customs officers to dotheir jobs of inspection, documentation,and release of goods, as well as detectionof any illegality in the process of trade, isa crucial component of efforts to reducethe trade in illegal wood products.Customs documents also form the basisfor statistics collected by tradingcountries, and these statistics couldindicate any discrepancies in data betweentrading partner nations - including thosepertaining to timber trade. This mayindicate illegal trade but may also stemfrom problems associated with data entry,documentation and verificationprocedures.

Increased Customs co-operation across

borders has been identified as oneimportant area to stem the illegal trade intimber. One example of this is a Tri-National Task Force on Ramin tradeformed by Indonesia, Malaysia andSingapore, with support from TRAFFIC,to try to reduce illegal ramin trade throughactive co-operation at a sub-regional level.

Various groups such as the InternationalNetwork for Environmental Complianceand Enforcement, the EnvironmentalInvestigation Agency, East Asia PacificForest Law Enforcement and Governance(FLEG), and AFP have organisedmeetings on illegal logging and timbertrade. They have involved representativesfrom forestry and timber regulatoryagencies, NGOs, institutions like theWorld Bank, Asian Development Bank,and to some extent, Customs. Althoughactions by customs and relatedenforcement agencies have been animportant target of the recommendationsarising from these meetings, in general,proceedings have been dominated byrepresentatives of forestry agencies andNGOs.

Therefore, in late November 2005,TRAFFIC in collaboration with theGovernment of Philippines, UKDepartment for International Develop-ment (DFID), Germany’s Gesellschaft fürTechnische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ),World Bank, World Bank Institute andEast Asia Pacific Forest Law Enforcementand Governance initiative ( FLEG),organized a workshop in Philippines,specifically to give Customs an oppor-tunity to gain better understanding ofissues related to illegal logging and timbertrade.

The objectives of the workshopincluded awareness building andimproved information sharing among

In late November 2005, TRAFFIC in collaboration with the Government of Philippines,DFID UK, GTZ, the World Bank, World Bank Institute and Asia FLEG organized aworkshop in the Philippines to provide national Customs agencies an opportunity to gainbetter understanding of issues related to illegal logging and timber trade.Representatives from 15 countries participated at the workshop and agreed on anaction plan which will be further discussed at the East Asia Pacific FLEG Task Forcemeeting scheduled for early 2006.


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Picture frame seller with frames of mainly Ramin timber on sale inJava, Indonesia in September 2004.


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Despite major investments bydonors and the conservationcommunity to ensure that trade in

animals and plants is conductedsustainably and in accordance withnational laws and international treaties,available evidence points to majordeclines in the populations of many Asianwildlife species in trade. Such declinesnot only affect the species themselves, butalso the livelihoods of the people whodepend on them for food, medicines,income and other uses.

Recognising the need to better targetresources and action intended to addressthese concerns, TRAFFIC is undertaking aproject on behalf of the World Bank thataims to:

• determine the economic and socialdrivers of the wildlife trade in fourSoutheast Asian countries (Cambodia,Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam);

• identify causal relationships betweenpoverty, wildlife abundance, wildlifeharvest and trade, by examining the flowsof benefits and costs of trade and tradecontrol measures to different stakeholders;

• determine the linkages between supplyand demand characteristics in the contextof the countries that supply and drive thetrade, and the use of regional trade routes;

• assess the impacts and effectiveness ofexisting and potential regulatory andmarket-based interventions, especiallywhere their use is successful; and

• identify mechanisms to increase thesuccess of future interventions.

The project, which is funded by the(World) Bank-Netherlands PartnershipProgramme (BNPP), will include both abroad-based review of trade in the regionand several focused case studies, and willtest some of the basic assumptions andhypotheses underpinning currentapproaches to reducing illegal andunsustainable wildlife trade. Projectresults will be used to help inform futurepolicy and project decisions within theWorld Bank, its clients in the region, e.g.government agencies charged withmanaging wildlife harvests and trade, andother institutions concerned with the trade,for example IGOs and NGOs.

TRAFFIC will be implementing theproject in partnership with the AsiaRegional Office of IUCN, and collab-orating with governments and otherinstitutions concerned with wildlife tradeissues in the region.

"This project provides a tremendousopportunity to improve futureconservation and development practice asit relates to Asia's wildlife trade," saidJames Compton, Director of TRAFFICSoutheast Asia. "By pooling knowledgeregarding how and why differentapproaches to tackling illegal andunsustainable trade work, and don't work,under different wildlife trade scenarios,we aim to provide donors, policy makersand practitioners with the information thatcan help them better target future efforts."

As a first step along this path, TRAFFICSoutheast Asia convened a projectinception workshop in Hanoi, bringingtogether staff and consultants fromorganisations including the World Bank,Indonesia's CITES ManagementAuthority, Conservation International,Fauna & Flora International, the WildlifeConservation Society, IUCN and WWF.Participants in the November 2005workshop discussed and advised onproject research methodologies, identifiedpotential information sources, and agreedto collaborate in the project's furtherdevelopment. Contact with other organi-sations has similarly met with a positiveresponse. "There is growing recognitionof the need to better monitor 'whathappens next' when actions are taken toinfluence wildlife trade dynamics, be theyCITES listings or export promotionschemes," Compton said. "The WorldBank funding comes at an opportunemoment to enable a comprehensiveexamination of this question, and theunderlying social and economic drivers ofthe trade in Southeast Asia."

For further information contact JamesCompton, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. Forcontact details see page 16.

regional border control authorities,identification of requirements forimproved documentation pertaining toshipments of wood products, anddiscussions on better use of riskassessments as well as identification ofcurrent obstacles. The workshop was alsocharged with development of an actionplan to initiate implementation ofsolutions agreed during the workshop.

Nearly 90 participants representing 15countries, and various internationalorganizations, NGOs, civil society were atthe workshop. Countries participating inthe workshop included significant primaryproducers and exporters in the region(Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua NewGuinea, Cambodia), some primaryproduction countries (the Philippines andVietnam), a transit country (Singapore) aswell as significant importers and processorcountries (China, Japan and South Korea).

Other organisations that participated inthe workshop included the ASEANSecretariat, DFID, ITTO, the World Bank,and the World Customs Organisation'sRegional Intelligence Liaison Office.

The workshop generated greaterawareness of the problems and challengesfaced by Customs and relevant supportingagencies as well as increased under-standing of the information needs amongproducer, re-exporter and consumercountries that could contribute towardsmore effective law enforcement. 15countries completed a country form thatprovides a valuable resource of acompendium of national import andexport procedures and permit require-ments and their characteristics for timbertrade. Participants also agreed on the basisof how to share information moreeffectively between Customs agencies andother relevant national agencies.

At the end of the workshop, a draftaction plan was formulated to help toimprove enforcement efforts of Customsand related agencies, nationally, bilaterallyand regionally. It recognized a need forregional intelligence collection, exchange,analysis and valuation, as well as a reviewof the Customs Harmonised System codes.The national action plan in particularfocused on the need for enhanced co-ordination, strengthened legal framework,and capacity building. The regionalaction plan will be developed further at theEast Asia Pacific FLEG TaskForce/Advisory Group meeting scheduledfor early 2006 and eventually agreed at aMinisterial meeting planned for late 2006.

For further information contact ChenHin Keong based at TRAFFIC SoutheastAsia. For contact details, see page 16.

Determining economic and socialdrivers of wildlife trade by Teresa Mulliken, Research and Policy Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC International


to incorporate these advances in theirmanagement regimes, despite many targetstocks being overfished and vulnerablebycatch species being taken in fisheriesunder their mandate. TheTRAFFIC/WWF report seeks to: identifywhere practices implemented by anRFMO have been successful; identifygaps in the mandate of individual RFMOsfocusing on the uptake of current bestpractice in international law; and establishpriorities for advocacy action for RFMOs.The report will be released early in thenew year.

For more information contact AnnaWillock, based at TRAFFIC Oceania. Forcontact details see page 16.

bycatch species and the marineenvironment in general.

The last decade has seen a wide range ofadvances in both international hard lawand soft law governing marine resourcemanagement. Most important amongthese was the finalising and entry intoforce of the UN Fish Stocks Agreementthat, among other things, made the use ofthe precautionary approach mandatory forstraddling and highly migratory fishstocks. The development of the UN Foodand Agriculture's (FAO) InternationalPlans of Action, including those forseabirds, sharks, fishing capacity, andillegal, unreported and unregulated fishingwere also developed and endorsed by theFAO's Committee on Fisheries in the lastdecade. RFMOs have generally been slow

Performance review of regional fisheriesmanagement organisations underwayby Anna Willock, Senior Fisheries Advisor, TRAFFIC International

WWF International'sEndangered Seas Programmehas been working to develop

two new initiatives and TRAFFIC hasbeen integrally involved in thesedevelopments.

The first is directed at the world's tunafisheries, bringing together WWF andTRAFFIC's already well-establishedexpertise on tuna issues and expandingthat focus to deliver improvedconservation results for this importantresource. With tuna being one of the mostwidely traded and valuable of marine fishresources TRAFFIC fisheries officershave been closely engaged in thedevelopment of this programme of work.A strategy for engagement in markets hasbeen a particular priority of this initiativewith TRAFFIC East Asia-Japan's fisheriesofficer closely engaged in this area.

The second joint initiative is focused onthe Antarctic and Southern Oceans region.While the Antarctic continent has longbeen a priority for conservation groupsfocused on terrestrial conservation therehas been a surprising lack of a co-

ordinated programme to work withgovernments, industry and the relevantregional organisations to deliverconservation outcomes for the Antarcticmarine environment. The area is agrowing focus of fisheries, andparticularly illegal, unreported andunregulated fishing activity, and there is aneed to ensure that any increased activityis undertaken in a manner that minimisesimpacts on the Antarctic ecosystem.Given the remoteness of the region,resources extracted from the Antarcticmarine environment invariably end up ininternational trade. Monitoring andregulation of that trade is an already well-established management measure tocontrol exploitation and TRAFFIC hasalready undertaken work to assess theeffectiveness of those measures forresources such as Patagonian Toothfish.The development of Antarctic andSouthern Oceans programme will providea necessary focus on the marine resourcesof this unique environment.

Collaboration with WWF marine programmecontinues to growby Anna Willock, Senior Fisheries Advisor, TRAFFIC International

TRAFFIC and WWF's EndangeredSeas Programme have begunpreparation of a report reviewing

the performance of regional fisheriesmanagement organisations (RFMOs).There are currently around 20 RFMOswith a mandate for the conservation andmanagement of fish stocks in certain highseas areas and / or for certain types of fishstocks. Such organisations are critical asthey are the vehicles by which individualcoastal states and fishing states co-operatewith the objective of ecologicallysustainable management of marinefisheries resources. However manyRFMOs have failed to prevent over-exploitation of the targeted fish stocksunder their mandate as well as to minimisethe impact of fishing activity on both

Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares infishmarket. Philippines

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The Roti Island Snake-necked TurtleChelodina mccordi is a small, long-necked turtle, found only in the

wetlands of the island of Roti, in easternIndonesia. Since this endemic turtle wasrecently described as a new species in1994, international demand for it hasintensified to the point where the specieshas become all but extinct in the wild. Nolegal trade of this species from Indonesiahas been allowed since 2001. Prior to itsdescription, it was exported illegally asanother species, the New Guinea Snake-necked Turtle C. novaeguineae, which hasbeen protected in Indonesia since 1980.

In 2000, the IUCN Red List categorizedthe species as Critically Endangered, andin the same year, the Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle was assessed ascommercially extinct. The species islisted in Appendix II of CITES, whichrequires any international trade to becarried out under a permitting system.

A new TRAFFIC Southeast Asia reporttitled “The Trade of the Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle Chelodina mccordi” foundthat even though there were nationalquotas set for harvest and export of C.mccordi between 1997 and 2001, nolicences for collection have been issued,nor transport permits issued for movement...

Sustainable Seafood Initiativein South Africa underwayby Markus Bürgener, Senior Programme Officer, TRAFFICEast/Southern Africa

The Southern African SustainableSeafood Initiative (SASSI) wasinitiated in November 2004 in order

to inform and educate the full range ofstakeholders in the seafood trade, fromwholesalers to restaurateurs through toseafood lovers about how eating choicescan help determine the health andproductivity of our oceans in the future.SASSI is a collaborative initiativebetween WWF-South Africa, TRAFFIC,The South African Department ofEnvironmental Affairs and Tourism(Branch: Marine and CoastalManagement), Ezemvelo Kwazulu-NatalWildlife, Two Oceans Aquarium, TheSouth African Association of MarineBiological Research, and uShaka MarineWorld.

Underpinning initiatives such as SASSIis the theory that the demand from retailersand consumers for sustainably and legallyharvested seafood will have a positiveknock-on impact on other actors in thechain of custody. This would includeimporters, processors, wholesalers andmiddlemen. The credibility and success ofSASSI depends on these trader groupsactually making the necessary changes totheir trading practices, rather than simplypaying lip service to those demanding alegitimate and sustainable product, whilecontinuing to support the illegal and/orunsustainable harvest of over-exploitedmarine species.

The risk exists that retailers could betold, either unwittingly or by premeditateddesign, that they are buying a legitimateand/or sustainably harvested specieswhereas they are, in fact, purchasing anillegally or unsustainably sourced product.Previous research conducted throughSASSI has borne out the possibility of thisoccurring as it has revealed that, in certaincases, the common or market namesprovided by wholesalers selling fish toretailers and restaurants do not necessarilymatch the species that are actually beingsold. It appears that a number of retailersare unable to determine whether the fishthey purchase is the fish that has beendescribed by the wholesaler. Retailers andconsumers must be able to purchaseseafood products secure in the knowledgethat they are getting the same product thatis being advertised.

In order to assess the potential risk thatinconsistent and inaccurate labelling ofseafood products poses to the success of

the SASSI, and to guide the futureactivities and interventions of the SASSI,TRAFFIC is carrying out a short-termproject in South Africa to determine themanner in, and extent to which, all tradergroups in the seafood chain of custodyoperate in South Africa. This will entailidentifying local linefish, in particularthose that are of the greatest conservationconcern, and then collecting catch, tradeand other market data to assess the degreeof unregulated trade, the number andnature of stakeholders in the commoditychain, the checks and balances that existwithin the sector, accepted businesspractices, as well as the regulatoryframework applicable to linefish tradewithin South Africa.

WWF-South Africa (via funding fromThe Green Trust) and the South AfricanDepartment of Environmental Affairs &Tourism have generously funded theSustainable Seafood Intiative.

For further information contactTRAFFIC East/Southern Africa-SouthAfrica. For contact details see page 16.

Trade of the RotiIsland Snake-necked Turtle

...continued on page 14...

Bonggi Ibarrando

Roti Island Snake-necked TurtleChelodina mccordi

EU law enforcers strengthen efforts to tackleillegal trade in endangered speciesby Rob Parry-Jones, TRAFFIC International

The workshop was opened by MartinBrasher, Head, Global Wildlife Division,of Defra, and by Willem Wijnstekers,Secretary General of CITES. TheSecretary General also chaired theworkshop.

Drawing on recommendations fromTRAFFIC's 2004 report "ExpandingBorders" (available online atwww.traffic.org/25/network4/eu/report.pdf)one of the key workshop objectives wasexamining means of strengthening inter-agency co-operation and co-ordination ofthe enforcement of wildlife trade controlsin the EU. As John Sellar of the CITESSecretariat pointed out, there is everyreason to believe that wildlife trade crimeand organised crime go hand in hand.

Although one of the largest consumersof wild animals and plants for some years,the expansion of the EU to 25 countries inMay 2004 has without doubt increased theUnion's role as a major consumer ofwildlife, both legal and illegal. EUenlargement has shifted also the Union'sexternal borders further east, placing thenew Member States on the frontline forcontrolling imports of regulated wildlife to

the EU. Inside the EU, border controlsoperating between old and new EUMember States have disappeared and themovement of CITES-listed species andtheir products inside the EU has becomeeasier. Strengthening channels of commu-nication and sharing intelligence istherefore of critical importance to reducethe scale of illegal trade.

The 130 representatives of Customs,Police, Wildlife Inspectorates and CITESManagement Authorities, as well asrepresentatives from the EuropeanCommission, the CITES Secretariat andInterpol, returned home with an agreedstatement and recommendations mappingout the framework for addressing wildlifetrade crimes in the EU. The recom-mendations also lay the foundations forfurther development of an Action Plan forEU Wildlife Trade Enforcement, whichprovides a series of concrete measures tofurther the work of law enforcers both atthe national and EU-wide level.

Key points in the recommendations andaction plan are an agreement to reviewnational penalties to ensure that they arelegislated and implemented at sufficiently

high levels to act as a deterrent againstillegal activities. Greater co-ordination ofnational enforcement which, in turn,supports the work of the EU WildlifeTrade Enforcement Group, also was calledfor particularly through the appointmentof focal points to facilitate inter-agencycommunication and exchange ofinformation. At the EU-level, it wasagreed to strengthen the role of theEnforcement Group through a strategicaction plan, harmonised where possiblewith national action plans, and to utiliseexisting methods of intelligence exchangesuch as EU-TWIX (for further informationon EU-TWIX, see TRAFFIC DispatchesNumber 24). Raising awareness amongstsenior government policy and decisionmakers, as well as amongst the judiciary,of the links between wildlife crime andorganised crime also emerged as a keyissue to address in order to increase therequisite political support.

In the words of UK BiodiversityMinister Jim Knight, who closed theworkshop, the plan was a fundamentalstep in detecting and preventing illegaltrade. "Wildlife crime is an issue that wetake very seriously throughout the EU,which is why the UK scheduled thisimportant meeting during our Presidency,"he said. "The enlarged EU cannot becomea haven for wildlife criminals, and weneed to make sure this plan is fully andeffectively implemented by all memberstates."

A copy of the Minister's speech isavailable at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/speeches/jk051027.htmThe statement and recommendations ofthe workshop are available fordownloading at http://www.traffic.org/news/EU_law.pdf.

For more information contact RobParry-Jones at TRAFFIC International.For contact details see page 16.

In late October 2005, law enforcement officials from across the European Unionconverged in Buckinghamshire, UK, to attend the European Union Wildlife TradeEnforcement Co-ordination Workshop, hosted by the UK Department for theEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs, in collaboration with TRAFFIC.


Participants of the EU Wildlife Trade Enforcement Co-ordinationWorkshop, Buckinghamshire, UK, October 2005.

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Number 25 December 2005 TRAFFIC Dispatches 13

Wildlife is sourced from Southeast Asiato supply demand around the world forpets, luxury items, food and zoos.Demand within Southeast Asia itself isexpanding with economic growth, andmany countries in the region also serve astransit points for wildlife going to andfrom a multitude of destinations. Whilemuch of this movement of wildlife in andout of these countries is legal, a largeproportion is not and continues on a largescale, with high-volume cargoes oftenmoving by air. Smugglers often rely onairlines to move their live cargo, such asfreshwater turtles and tortoises, birds andaquarium fish, as it is fast and efficient,therefore reducing mortality rates.Furthermore, smugglers know that due tothe large volumes of shipments throughairports, the authorities are not able toscreen everything, thus reducing thechances of being detected.

TRAFFIC's experience in SoutheastAsia has shown that enforcementpersonnel from a variety of agenciescharged with detecting and interceptingillegal trade in airports are often poorlytrained and lack the capacity to carry outtheir basic responsibilities in an efficientmanner. Major international airports inthree Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia,Singapore and Thailand were chosen asinitial priorities for capacity buildingefforts and project funding was securedfrom the US Department of State.

In 2004 needs assessments were carriedout by TRAFFIC in the three main airportsin these countries. These initial consul-tations revealed similar gaps andconstraints in each location. Awareness ofillegal wildlife trade was low, as wascomprehension of CITES, to which allthree countries are Parties, and capacity tocontrol legal trade alongside detection ofthe illegal trade was far from adequate. Asa result of low understanding regardingCITES, capacity to implement and enforcethe Convention in these international

airports between airport-based staff fromvarious government agencies in Malaysia,Singapore and Thailand was found to below. The following priorities wereidentified for staff from key enforcementagencies (Customs, quarantine, cargohandlers and CITES authorities):

• Improved inspection processes and related skills.• Improved CITES implementation and enforcement capacity.• Better species identification skills• Increased communication between national government agencies, and withother countries in the region.• Increased law enforcement effort.Following the initial needs assessments,

a training curriculum was devised withinput from the CITES ManagementAuthorities and other relevant bodieswithin each focal country. Trainingmodules were drafted and have beentranslated in to Malay, and into Thai(translation was not necessary forSingapore).

Training courses were held in Malaysiaat the Kuala Lumpur International Airportthree times in 2005, and involvedapproximately 250 participants from thePlant, Fish and Animal QuarantineDepartments, MASKargo cargo handlers,Free Trade Zone staff, Malaysian AirportsBerhad and the Royal Customs and ExciseDepartment as well as the Department ofWildlife and National Parks, whichis thelead CITES Management Authority inMalaysia. Participants also came from theneighbouring states of Johor Baru,Penang, Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysiaand two individuals from MalaysianAirlines based in Surabaya, Indonesia. Allof the MASKargo animal cargo handlers(approximately 50 people) were based atthe "Animal Hotel" at KLIA.

In Singapore, 59 people attended thetraining from the Wildlife RegulatoryBranch of the Agri-food and VeterinaryAuthority of Singapore (the CITES

Management Authority of Singapore) andthe Immigration & Checkpoints Authority,which enforces Singapore's Customsregulations at land, sea and air bordercheckpoints.

Training focussed on providing ageneral introduction to the global wildlifetrade with a focus on Malaysia andSingapore's role in South-east Asia'swildlife trade dynamics. Modules weregiven focussing on CITES implementationand enforcement, as well as on smugglingtechniques and routes used by illegalwildlife traders, using real examples fromthe region. Domestic trade was alsodiscussed, focusing on demand comingfrom within the target country.

Species identification skills buildingconsisted of an introduction to commonspecies groups in trade, how to identifythem and how to determine their CITESstatus. The main focus of this componentwas on birds and reptiles as these wereidentified in the needs assessments asbeing the species groups most frequentlytraded and in the largest quantities.However, other species of fauna and florain trade were also discussed. A focussedpresentation on the agarwood trade wasgiven in Singapore, given that it operatesas the major import-export hub for thisglobal multi-million dollar trade.

All agencies that attended the trainingsessions in Malaysia and Singapore feltthat training on these topics on a regularbasis is essential. TRAFFIC has recentlysecured funding support from the USGovernment for a second set of workshopswhich will extend the capacity buildingproject to nine other major airportsthroughout South-east Asia and China.

Building capacity in key international airportsof Southeast Asiaby Chris R. Shepherd, Regional Programme Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

International airports have been identified as key transit hubs in the movement of illegalwildlife, often in very large volumes. Wild fauna and flora is collected from around theworld and is funnelled through these airports before being distributed to the globalmarket. In recent months, TRAFFIC has provided training in Malaysia, Singapore andThailand for enforcement personnel charged with detecting and intercepting illegal tradein airports.

TRA

FFIC

Number 25 December 200514 TRAFFIC Dispatches

Judiciary trained on wildlife laws protecting orang-utans andgibbons in Indonesiaby Julia Ng, Programme Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s report,Hanging in the Balance: Anassessment of trade in orang-utans

and gibbons on Kalimantan, Indonesia,released in September 2005, showed thatbetween 200-500 Bornean Orang-utansoriginating from Kalimantan, are tradedeach year throughout the Indonesianprovinces of Kalimantan, Java and Bali.According to the report, the trade in orang-utans in Kalimantan has not decreasedover the past 15 years. The key finding,however, is that although many gibbonsand orang-utans have been confiscated byauthorities during the past decade inKalimantan, not a single offender has beenprosecuted to date.

In 2003-2004, a total of 74 orang-utanswere recorded in private possession inKalimantan alone, even though this isagainst Indonesian law. However,government authorities in Kalimantan donot appear to consider trade in orang-utansand gibbons to be a problem. Theyperceive levels of trade to be low and thatthe offence is not considered seriousenough to warrant punishment. Hangingin the Balance calls for similar actions tothe previous TRAFFIC report launched inJune 2005, In Full Swing: An assessmentof trade in orang-utans and gibbons onJava and Bali, Indonesia (seeht tp: / /www.traf f ic .org/news/press-releases/gibbon_trade.html or Dispatchesno24), regarding the need for enforcementagencies and the judiciary to treat the tradeof these endangered primates as a seriouscriminal offence.

As a follow-up to the two orang-utanand gibbon trade reports in Indonesia,TRAFFIC and WWF-Indonesia co-

organized a two-day judicial workshop atthe end of September in Cibodas, nearJakarta. The objectives of the workshopwere to create awareness among personnelfrom the judiciary (including prosecutors)and related Indonesian law enforcementagencies regarding the seriousness ofwildlife trade and on the domestic andinternational (CITES) laws that protectwildlife from illegal collection and trade.The workshop was also a good oppor-tunity to bring together stakeholdersinvolved in stopping illegal wildlife trade,examine the factors that hinder theprosecution of wildlife trade-relatedoffences.

Participants included judges from thedifferent districts in Jakarta and Bogor,district attorneys, and other enforcementagencies from the Forestry, Customs andQuarantine departments examined ways toassist the successful prosecution of illegalwildlife trade cases. Each participant wasgiven a compilation of the laws protectingwildlife in Indonesia and a reference guideon examples of successful prosecution onillegal wildlife trade cases in Indonesia.WWF-Indonesia’s Executive Director,Mubariq Ahmad opened the workshop,followed by keynote presentations fromIndonesia’s CITES ManagementAuthority, TRAFFIC’s Chris R. Shepherd,and Chairul Saleh from WWF-Indonesia’spolicy and trade unit.

Following discussions on lawspreventing illegal wildlife trade inIndonesia and the judicial process that isinvolved to push the cases through,participants agreed that the illegal wildlifetrade in Indonesia is a problem of seriousconcern. Judges and district attorneys

stated that they need organizations, suchas TRAFFIC and WWF, to provide themwith the necessary information forsuccessful prosecutions to take place. Inlight of the significance of increasing theknowledge and ‘best practices’ of judgesand attorneys on illegal wildlife tradecases, participants agreed to encourageIndonesia’s Supreme Court to issue aSEMA (Letter for Distribution by theSupreme Court) for dissemination to alljudges, and a SEJA (Letter of Distributionby the Prime Attorney) and to allattorneys/prosecutors through theirrespective offices. Lastly, most of theparticipants felt that more judicialworkshops should be conducted aroundIndonesia to ensure that awareness israised in judicial circles on the seriousnessof such wildlife crimes. The next phase ofTRAFFIC orang-utan trade work willinvolve similar judiciary-focused work-shops in the four provinces of Kalimantan.

For further information, contact JuliaNg, Programme Officer, TRAFFICSoutheast Asia. For contact details seepage 16.

Ian M.H

ilman-Yayasan Titian

...from source to point-of-export withinIndonesia. Therefore, it can be concludedthat the capture and trade of these animalshas not been carried out in accordancewith the relevant laws in Indonesia. Allspecimens of C. mccordi that have beenexported since it was described as a newspecies in 1994 have therefore beenillegally acquired.

The continuing demand for C. mccordiis pushing this endemic species towardsextinction. Even if C. mccordi is added tothe Indonesian list of protected species,monitoring and enforcement of existinglaws in place to protect wildlife from over-exploitation is lacking and in some places,

non-existent. If these laws, such as thelaws governing capture and transport ofwildlife, are not enforced, this species willsurely become extinct in the wild in thevery near future.

The new report issues a number ofrecommendations including betternational protection and capacity buildingfor increased and improved enforcement.With funding support from the TurtleConservation Fund and WWF-US,TRAFFIC is working with the IndonesianCITES Management Authority and hasrecently conducted training and awarenessbuilding sessions on Roti Island to theenforcement agencies from Roti Island

and nearby Timor, in December 2005.“We hope that by increasing the levels ofawareness and the capacity in enforcementtechniques of these agencies, poacherswill find it increasingly difficult tosmuggle out any of the turtles that remainon Roti Island,” said Chris Shepherd fromTRAFFIC Southeast Asia and the co-author of the report.

The report will be released in January2006, in both English and BahasaIndonesia. For more information visitwww.traffic.org for future updates orcontact TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle trade, continued from page 11...




Francois and Sheila BrutschCGMK FoundationCITES SecretariatConservation InternationalCritical Ecosystem Partnership FundCurtis and Edith Munson FoundationDanish Agency for Development AssistanceDeutsche Gesellschaft für Technische

Zusammenarbeit (German Society forTechnical Cooperation)

Donner Canadian FoundationEndangered Wildlife TrustErnest Kleinworth Charitable TrustEuropean Commission, Environment DGMr James FairfaxFundación Sinchi Sacha- EcuadorDr. Stephan Goetz via WWF-GermanyHDH Wills 1965 Charitable TrustHendrickson TrustInstitut Bruxellois pour la Gestion de


International Tropical Timber OrganizationIntrepid Travel IUCN - The World Conservation UnionIUCN Regional Office for Eastern AfricaIUCN Regional Office for South AmericaJane Henrickson TrustJoan St Leger Lindbergh TrustJohn M. Simpson FoundationMrs Niels W. Johnsen

Johnson and Johnson (via WWFUS)Francis H. Lane bequestLa Societa Zoologica la Torbiera, ItalyEugene LindenMs Shu-Jiuan LuManfred Hermsen FoundationMarubeni CorporationMazda Wildlife FundMinistry of Environment & Forests, IndiaMinistry of Environment, Republic of KoreaJonathan MurrayNational Botanical Institute of South AfricaNatural Heritage TrustNOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant

ProgramNorwegian Embassy, TanzaniaPhare Programme of the European UnionMrs Fiona PippaPlantlife InternationalProject SeahorseRimbun Dahan (Malaysia)Rufford Maurice Laing FoundationSALUS HausMr Stefan Sanktjohanser via WWF-GermanySave the Tiger Fund SIPPO - Swiss Import Promotion ProgrammeSociety for Wildlife and NatureSwedish International Development AgencyTaiwan Council of AgricultureTiger's Eye RetailTony & Lisette Lewis FoundationToraya Confectionery Co. Ltd. UK Department for International

DevelopmentUK Department for Environment, Food and


Organization

United Nations Environment ProgrammeUS Agency for International DevelopmentUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS State Department Wallace Global FundWalt Disney Company FoundationWildlife and Environment Society of South

AfricaWildlife Conservation SocietyWorld Association for Zoos and Aquariums World BankWorld Bank InstituteWWF-Africa Madagascar ProgrammeWWF-African Rhino ProgrammeWWF-AustraliaWWF-AustriaWWF-BelgiumWWF-CanadaWWF-China ProgrammeWWF-East Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF-FranceWWF-GermanyWWF-The Green Trust (ZA)WWF-Hong KongWWF-InternationalWWF-ItalyWWF-JapanWWF-MalaysiaWWF-NetherlandsWWF-New ZealandWWF-South AfricaWWF-South Pacific ProgrammeWWF-Southern Africa Regional Programme

OfficeWWF-SwedenWWF-SwitzerlandWWF-Tanzania Programme OfficeWWF-UKWWF-US

Number 25 December 2005 TRAFFIC Dispatches 15

TRAFFIC staff thank the following supporters for their contributions to our work during July - December 2005:

Birds of pride: Illegal trade in wild falcons in the Altay-SayanEco-region by Alexey Vaisman, Senior Programme Officer, TRAFFIC Europe-Russia

Credit: W

WF-C

anon / Hartm

ut Jungius

Falcons have been used for falconryfor hundreds of years, in particularin the countries of the Middle East

where falcons are highly-prized andconsidered a status symbol for the rich andinfluential. Demand for wild falcons ishigh and wild populations have beenincreasingly affected by uncontrolled andoften illegal capture and trade. TheRussian Federation, and especially theAltay-Sayan region, is considered one ofthe most important 'supply' regions for theillegal trade in wild falcons. With supportfrom the Rufford Maurice LaingFoundation TRAFFIC Europe - Russia isundertaking a project to tackle thisproblem.

The aim of the project is to gatherinformation that will assist enforcement

and management personnel to developadequate and practical measures that willhelp to reduce the illegal andunsustainable trapping of and trade infalcons from the Altay-Sayan region. Toachieve this objective, investigations andfield surveys will be undertaken to collectinformation on the volume, trends andmain areas of capture and trade in falcons.Such information will provide enforce-ment personnel and government officialswith a better understanding of the level ofillegal falcon trade. This will also helpthem to better target their management andcontrol activities.

For more information, contactTRAFFIC Europe-Russia. For contactdetails see page 16.

Saker Falcon, Altai-Sayan Ecoregion











TRAFFIC Europe - Francec/o WWF France1, Carrefour de Longchamp, F 75016 Paris, FranceTel: (33) 1 55 25 84 84; Fax: (33) 1 55 25 84 74E-mail: [email protected]











TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Indochinac/o IUCN Viet Nam44/4 Van Bao Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, VietnamTel: (84) 4 726 1721; Fax: (84) 4 726 1561E-mail: [email protected]



TRAFFIC East Asia:




TRAFFIC Europe:

Russia - http://www.wwf.ru/about/what_we_do/traffic (in Russian)


Indochina -http://www.trafficindo.org (in English)�TRAFFIC International ▲regional TRAFFIC office �other TRAFFIC office


DISPATCHESNumber 26 November 2007

INSIDE:• CITES stamp of approval

• New standard for collection of wild plants

• International law enforcement networks

• EU targets wildlife trade enforcement

• Tanzania’s disappearing timber revenue

• Merbau—an opportunity for PNG?

• TRACE: tracking wildlife crime with forensics

• TRAFFIC signs MoU with SACEP

• Traditional medicine in Viet Nam

• TRAFFIC donors January2006 - November 2007Inside: New international standard for collection of wild plants

CITES: key outputs at a glance

It was a mixed conservation bagat the 14th meeting of theConference of the Parties (CoP

14) to CITES (the Convention onInternational Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora),that took place in The Hague,Netherlands, in June. It ended withTRAFFIC applauding some sounddecisions, but ruing other missedopportunities, particularly thedecisions not to list red, pink andother corals, or two species ofsharks–Spiny Dogfish andPorbeagle.

"There were some key decisionson eels, sawfishes, elephants andTigers, but it's a shame countriesmissed the opportunity to assistwith conservation of severalcommercially traded marinespecies," said Steven Broad,Executive Director of TRAFFIC.

TRAFFIC was disappointed thatParties failed to come up withsufficient extra funding toimplement the Convention andassist countries with enforcementand capacity building.Enforcement issues wereprominent during the meeting; (seeseparate article in this issue).

Key conference outcomesincluded:

Compromise on AfricanElephantsAfrican Elephants dominatedmuch of the media coverage andmany of the conferencediscussions. Prior to the CITESmeeting, a limited sale of ivoryfrom three southern Africancountries was given formalapproval, whilst on the penultimateday of the meeting, following sometense negotiations, Zambia andChad presented a compromisedocument on behalf of all AfricanElephant range States.

The document, which wasadopted by consensus, allows anincrease in the one-off sale ofivory to include ivory fromstockpiles in Botswana, SouthAfrica, Namibia and Zimbabwethat have accumulated since 2002.After the sale, there will be a nine-year suspension of further sales ofraw ivory. However, the key issues of how to

tackle elephant poaching and illegaldomestic ivory markets in Africaand Asia remain unanswered.

Tiger farms rejectedA notable conservation successwas the Decision, adopted byconsensus, to reject the raising ofcaptive Tigers for trade in Tigerparts, and to reduce the size oflarge-scale commercial Tigerfarms "to a level supportive only toconserving wild Tigers". Threecountries with wild Tigers—India,Nepal and Bhutan—were joinedby the USA in calling on China tophase out the country's privatelyrun "Tiger farms" that housealmost 5000 animals.

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A giant Tiger photo mosaicunveiled by the InternationalTiger Coalition at CITES


Recommendations for rhinosNew TRAFFIC research presentedat the conference revealed analarming increase in the volume ofrhino horn entering illegal tradesince 2000. The recommendationsof the report for better lawenforcement and protectionmeasures for African rhinos wereadopted by the Parties. Partieswere also requested to report onstockpiles of rhino horns held, tobe reviewed by TRAFFIC, whowere also invited to review theroutes by which horns enter illegalmarkets.

Mixed fortunes for sharksDelegates failed to list two sharkspecies—Spiny Dogfish andPorbeagle—in CITES AppendixII, which allows trade under strictconditions. However, all exceptone species of sawfish (ray-likesharks) were listed in Appendix I,which prevents all commercialtrade. The single exception waslisted on Appendix II.

Most timber proposals withdrawnThe EU withdrew its proposal toinclude in the AppendicesCedrela—a group of tropical treespecies found in Latin America—after facing hostile pressure fromLatin American and Caribbeancountries. The listing would havehelped ensure better managementand measures to control trade ofthese threatened species.

All the other proposals to listtropical timber species inAppendix II were withdrawn, withone exception—Brazil wood,which was listed with anamendment to exclude certainitems made from the wood, suchas musical instruments.

Better protection for theEuropean eel European eels have declinedthroughout most of the species'sdistribution area and are nowthreatened.

European Eels were listed inAppendix II, a decision that willhelp ensure trade in this species iswell-managed and legal, anessential measure for its survival.The European Eel has declined

throughout its range due to over-exploitation and pollution.

Pink, red and other coralsremain unprotectedThe listing on Appendix II of red,pink and other coral species in thegenus Corallium, was overturnedin plenary. These corals, which areused mainly for the manufacture ofjewellery, have been over-harvested as a result of lack ofinternational trade controls and aconsistent management plan. AnAppendix II listing would havehelped address these problems, butcommercial interests won through.

Marine turtlesA welcome and significantdevelopment was Cuba'sannouncement of a voluntarymoratorium on their marine turtlefisheries from 2008. There wassupport too for marine turtleconservation by Parties throughthe Inter-American Convention forProtection and Conservation ofSea Turtles (IAC) and theConvention for the Protection andDevelopment of the MarineEnvironment of the widerCaribbean region (CartagenaConvention).

Strategic visionDelegates adopted an ambitiousnew Strategic Vision that attemptsto link CITES to the broaderconservation and developmentagenda.

"CITES member countries nowneed to step up their efforts tosecure the resources needed tomeet the goals they have set forthemselves, especially the supportneeded by developing countries tomanage wildlife trade atsustainable levels," said Broad.

Other outcomes relevant toTRAFFIC's programme andtargets:These included: instructions forParties to investigate the scale ofinternet trading in wildlife; betterunderstanding of the ivory tradethrough TRAFFIC's continuedoperation of ETIS and othermeans, including development ofan Elephant Action Plan;

improving international co-operation on conservation andtrade control for Asian big cats andparts thereof; approval for exportof Vicuña wool by Bolivia;collaboration between the CentralAfrica Bushmeat Working Groupand the Convention on BiologicalBiodiversity; better lawenforcement for illegal trade infreshwater turtles and tortoises;improvement in monitoring oftrophy hunting; better labelling oflegal caviar and support forsturgeon conservation; adoption ofan Action Plan for the control ofinternational trade in BigleafMahogany; better enforcement ofSaiga protection measures;instructions for the PlantsCommittee to develop protocolsfor formulating non-detrimentfindings for timber species, Prunusafricana and medicinal plants;better protection measures formedicinal plants.

Other eventsTRAFFIC and WWF hosted abreakfast meeting for Ministersattending the MinisterialRoundtable convened by theDutch Government. Thirty-sixguests (of which 17 were Ministersor Vice-Ministers), from 23countries, representing allcontinents, attended.

Following a keynote speech byJames Leape, Director General ofWWF International, case studieswere presented by TRAFFIC stafffocusing on the trade in Ramin (anAsian timber species) and Vicuña(an Andean camelid). Thesedemonstrated how political will,regional co-operation andconsumer-producer relations areimportant to implement CITESregulations effectively. The casestudies promoted some livelydiscussion of the issues raised.

Overall, the event, which wasorganized by WWF Netherlands,and chaired by Laurentien vanOranje-Nassau, was deemed agreat success.

TRAFFIC Dispatches 3 Number 26 November 2007

New international standard forcollection of wild plants

Anew standard to promotethe sustainable manage-ment and trade in wild

medicinal and aromatic plants(MAP) was launched in February2007 at Biofach, the WorldOrganic Trade Fair, held inNuremburg, Germany.

The International Standard forSustainable Wild Collection ofMedicinal and Aromatic Plants(ISSC-MAP) was drawn upfollowing extensive consultationwith plant experts and the herbalproducts industry worldwide. Itpromotes appropriate managementof wild plant populations to ensureplants used in medicine andcosmetics are not over-exploited.The Standard is based on sixprinciples: maintaining wild MAPresources, preventing negativeenvironmental impacts, legalcompliance, respecting customaryrights, applying responsiblemanagement practices, and applyingresponsible business practices.

"Traders and companies,collectors and consumers mustshare the responsibility formaintaining populations ofmedicinal plants which arevaluable natural resources," saidSusanne Honnef, Medicinal PlantProgramme Leader of TRAFFIC."The ISSC-MAP principles andcriteria show how this can beachieved in practice."

More than 400 000 tonnes ofmedicinal and aromatic plants aretraded annually, with much of thematerial harvested from the wild.Almost 70,000 species areinvolved, many of them are indanger of over-exploitation andeven extinction through over-collection and habitat loss. Forexample, conservations believenearly 300 species are threatenedin India alone. Traditional Medicinals, one of the

industry's leading companies, isinvestigating applying the newstandard to the collection ofBearberry, a shrub whose leavesare used for the treatment of avariety of conditions, mainly ofthe diuretic and urinary tract.

"Sustainable supplies will meanlong-term benefits for the localpeople who rely on the Bearberrytrade for supplementary income,"said Josef Brinckman, Vice-President of Traditional Medicinals.

Several projects financed by theGerman government have recentlyannounced they will implement theISSC-MAP standard.

Organizations and expertsinvolved in the ISSC-MAPconsultation included: the GermanFederal Agency for NatureConservation (BfN), the IUCNSSC Medicinal Plant SpecialistGroup (MPSG), WWF-Germany,and TRAFFIC, plus industryassociations, companies, certifiersand community-based NGOs.

© G. A

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Wolf's Bane Arnica montana is used in the treatment of bruising,but is becoming rare throughout its European range

CITES stampof approval

From 1 July 2007 all caviarsold in the UK has had todisplay labels approved by

the Convention on InternationalTrade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The non-reusable labels givedetailed information about theorigin and age of the caviar, and, ifappropriate, where it wasrepackaged in the UK.

Illegal caviar trade is a majorconcern as the main threats tosturgeons are overfishing andpoaching. In the last 15 years theCaspian Sea sturgeon populationhas been reduced by 40%.

The European Union (EU) is thesingle biggest consumer of caviar,with 636 tonnes imported between1998 and 2005 compared to 326 timported by the USA over thesame period. Between 2000 and2005, 12 t of illegal caviar wereseized in the EU. "TRAFFIC is delighted to see the

UK Government introducing thecaviar labelling scheme, whichwill help stamp out the illegaltrade in this valuable product andis a vital step in helping to savesturgeons from extinction," saidSteven Broad, Executive Directorof TRAFFIC.

Containers of caviar arriving inthe UK for trade or repackagingmust also display labels that stateits country of origin. If caviar isstill contained in the originalcontainer from the country oforigin then it should have a labelaffixed from that country's CITESManagement Authority. Caviarwithout these labels will be illegaland liable to be seized.

Anybody trading in illegal caviarwithin the UK is liable to a twoyear prison sentence and/or a fineof up to GBP5000 (USD10 000).

Caviar - but isit legal? TheCITES stampwill helpconsumersdecide


The previous meeting of theConference of the Parties(CoP13) in Bangkok,

Thailand, in October 2004,prompted decisive action bygovernments in the South-eastAsian region, resulting in politicalcommitments towards improvedimplementation and enforcementof the Convention from the 10Member Countries of theAssociation of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN). Subsequentefforts led to the agreement of anASEAN Regional Action Plan onTrade in Wild Fauna and Flora2005–2010 the following year.Key objectives under the actionplan included improvedlegislation, better law enforcementnetworking and more science-based decision making andinformation sharing.

Between CoP13 and CoP14,ASEAN CITES Parties movedwith greatest momentum on theroll-out of the ASEAN WildlifeEnforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), which was launched inDecember 2005. Since then, theNetwork's operations have grownsteadily, bringing togethercountries from across the ASEANregion to improve theeffectiveness of wildlife tradeenforcement measures. The 10-country intergovernmentalinitiative has also engaged withcountries outside the region,including China and the USA—both major demand markets forwild animals and plants and a greatdiversity of by-products—as wellas making links with the European

Union (EU) and Australia. Otherinstitutions brought into the ambitof ASEAN-WEN have includedthe Secretariats of ASEAN andCITES, Interpol and the WorldCustoms Organization (WCO),including WCO's RegionalIntelligence Liaison Office.

TRAFFIC is continuing to workwith Wildlife Alliance (formerlyknown as WildAid), via a co-operative partnership with the USAgency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), to providetechnical assistance to thegovernment agencies that areimplementing ASEAN-WEN.

The latest CITES meeting in theNetherlands (CoP14) provided anopportunity to reflect on thepositive successes of regionalenforcement initiatives, includingASEAN-WEN, particularly duringtwo side events that focused onenforcement issues.

The first of these was hosted bythe Coalition Against WildlifeTrafficking (CAWT) on Forgingpartnerships to improve wildlifelaw enforcement. It was chaired bythe US Assistant Secretary ofState, Claudia McMurray, withpanel members includingrepresentatives from ASEAN-WEN, Interpol, the CITESSecretariat, North AmericanWildlife Enforcement Group(NAWEG) and TRAFFIC. Theevent focused on theorganizational and politicalaspects of partnerships and theneed for high-level governmentsupport in raising the profile ofinternational wildlife trafficking.

International law enforcement networksthe way forward for CITESby Azrina Abdullah, ASEAN-WEN Support Project Leader

Discussions included how tocatalyse political will on this issue,and how regional enforcementnetworks can serve as a frameworkfor partnerships. Representativesfrom enforcement networksdiscussed the benefits of CAWTmembership in strengthening theoverall partnership.

The second enforcement sideevent, hosted by the UKGovernment (Defra) withassistance from TRAFFIC,provoked discussions on how tocombat wildlife crime effectivelyat national, regional andinternational levels. This built on asimilar UK Government-hostedevent at CoP13 in Bangkok onWilling co-operation for effectiveenforcement of CITES, which hadrecognised that motivatingpolitical will and close co-operation remain the lynchpins ofeffective CITES enforcement.

The UK CoP14 side eventhighlighted developments inregional and inter-regionalcollaboration since CoP13.Several EU Member Statesshowcased their successes in thisarea, and used the opportunity todraw attention to the role of theEU in improving wildlife lawenforcement. EU Ministers hadcalled on the EuropeanCommission (EC) and MemberStates to develop a strengthened,co-ordinated EU response toaddress illegal wildlife trade. Thishad resulted in an EU WildlifeTrade Enforcement Action Planthat was unveiled during the sideevent, and subsequently published

The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in The Hague,Netherlands, ended in June 2007 with many new decisions being taken that will affectthe legality of trade in a variety of animals and plants—from timber to marine species tolarge mammals. But underpinning the success of all such decisions is the need forcomprehensive law enforcement to regulate and combat any illegal trade in these species.


in the Official Journal of theEuropean Community (L145, 20June 2007)

Mr Adisorn Noochdumrong ofThailand's CITES ManagementAuthority introduced ASEAN-WEN as an example of regionalco-operation that had resulted inenforcement action on the ground.Participating governments arecreating interagency task forcesinvolving national police, Customsand CITES officers. These taskforces serve as focal points at theregional level to combat trans-national wildlife crime andexchange vital law enforcementintelligence between countries.Since ASEAN-WEN's inception,several high-profile wildlifeseizures involving protectedspecies of animals and plants havetaken place, enforcement officershave been trained and theinvolvement of the judicial sectorin combating wildlife crime hasbeen prioritised. Future plansinclude encouraging moreprosecutions, enhancing inter-agency co-operation at nationaland regional levels, maintainingpolitical will for the initiative, andincreasing awareness of ASEAN-WEN amongst the public and lawenforcement officers.

Mr Noochdumrong commented:"The side event was a greatopportunity to examine commonapproaches to international lawenforcement networking, andASEAN-WEN is keen to developfurther collaboration with the EUin the near future."

Captain Aroon Promphan fromthe Natural Resources andEnvironment Crime Division,Royal Thai Police, and DrNorhayati Tahir from RoyalMalaysian Customs, also attended,representing the interagencystructure of ASEAN-WEN.The UK's Peter Starling from Her

Majesty's Revenue and Customspresented information on thePartnership for Action againstWildlife Crime (PAW), whichcomprises more than 90government and non-governmental organizationsinvolved in combating wildlifecrime in the UK. He also drewdelegates' attention to the re-established National Wildlife

Captain Aroon Promphan alsojoined the CITES Secretariat'sJohn Sellar, Senior Officer, Anti-smuggling, Fraud and OrganizedCrime; Benito Perez, Acting Chief,Division of Law Enforcement, USFish and Wildlife Service; andPeter Younger, Wildlife CrimeProgramme Officer, Interpol, in apress conference on lawenforcement co-operation.

The Secretary-General of theCITES Secretariat, WillemWijnstekers, noted that wildlifelaw enforcement successesrecently show what can beachieved when the internationalcommunity works together.

"Recent advances must not makeus complacent—we need toallocate a much higher priority tobringing wildlife criminals tojustice," Wijnstekers added.The law enforcement-related side

events at CoP14 also served tohighlight that although individualcountries require differentapproaches in tackling wildlifecrime, there is a high degree ofoverlap in thinking and approachto this issue worldwide. Manystrong national laws and adequatepenalties exist, and there aremechanisms for co-operation andcollaboration within and betweencountries. These facilitate the flowof information, which is vital incombating illegal wildlife tradealthough there is still much to bedone, particularly in the field ofwildlife forensics and capacitybuilding.

"ASEAN-WEN is an example ofwhat can be achieved, and itsongoing progress can serve as amodel for establishing similarinter-governmental lawenforcement networks in otherregions of the world," said JamesCompton, TRAFFIC’s SoutheastAsia regional Director.

"Countries can tackle illegalinternational wildlife crime throughclose collaboration, provided thereis sufficient political will, backedup by adequate human andtechnical resources," he added."These are the critical factors thatenable law enforcement agencies tomake a tangible difference on theground, and break down the oftenhighly organized networks thatcontrol illegal trafficking of wildanimals and plants."

Crime Unit (NWCU), a multi-agency Unit combating wildlifecrime across the UK. Hisoverriding message was of thebenefits brought about throughimproved communication withinboth national initiatives. RobertBoljesic from the SlovenianCITES Management Authorityspoke about the Slovenian WildlifeCommittee, established in 2002.This Committee has resulted incloser co-operation betweenCITES authorities, police andCustoms in Slovenia, which hasled to steadily increasing numbersof wildlife crime seizures andpenalties for offenders.

Lucy Swan from the EC'sDirectorate General responsible forthe Environment highlighted thework of the EC EnforcementGroup, which involves lawenforcers from all 27 EU MemberStates. She highlighted some of theGroup's successes and several toolsthat have been developed in theEU, including EU TWIX—aninternet tool for EU enforcementofficers to exchange informationabout illegal wildlife trade. Swanalso introduced the EUEnforcement Action Plan, whichrepresents a major step forward fornational wildlife law enforcementefforts, inter-regional collaborationand for capacity building incountries outside the EU.

"Giving high priority to CITESenforcement is crucial to combatillegal trade. This EU Action Plandemonstrates the EU'scommitment to effectiveenforcement," Ms Swan noted.

Key messages emerging at theside event included recognition ofthe need for improvedcommunications within countriesand at the regional and inter-regional levels, the need for securemechanisms for exchange ofinformation between enforcementagencies, and increasing the levelof awareness of wildlife crime atall levels, from the public right upto decision makers. Challengesremain such as insufficient co-ordination and co-operationamong countries, limited humanand financial resources, lowpriority placed on the enforcementof CITES and insufficientpenalties imposed on offenders.


European Union targets wildlife trade enforcement

The announcement was madeduring a UK Governmentsponsored event held in

collaboration with TRAFFIC,during the 14th meeting of CITES(the Convention on InternationalTrade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora) Parties inThe Hague, Netherlands (CoP14).

"Giving high priority to CITESenforcement is crucial tocombating illegal trade. This EUAction Plan will demonstrate theEU's commitment to effectiveenforcement," said Lucy Swan,Chair of the EC CITESEnforcement Group.

Leading up to the launch of theAction Plan, in December 2006,EU Environment Ministers hadformally acknowledged the needfor EU assistance in promoting theconservation and sustainable useof wildlife in developing countriesand effective implementation ofCITES.

The EU Action Plan will helpstrengthen implementation andenforcement of legislation in EUMember States. Crucially, therewill be support for enforcementefforts in producer countries,including capacity building on lawenforcement, and increasingawareness of illegal wildlife trade.

The Action Plan builds onexisting initiatives to combat theincreasing illegal wildlife tradefuelled by the growing demand inthe EU. These include EU TWIX(EU Trade in Wildlife InformationeXchange), an EU enforcers'intranet for exchanginginformation on wildlife seizuresacross all 27 Member States,ASEAN-WEN, a wildlifeenforcement network betweenSouth-east Asian nations, andCAWT (Coalition Against WildlifeTrafficking), a US Government-ledpartnership of NGOs andgovernments aimed at tackling

international wildlife crime. There is a huge and escalating

demand in EU Member States forexotic pets, tropical timber andother wildlife products sourcedoutside its borders.

In May 2007, TRAFFICreleased a report that found theEU tops the list for majorimporters by value of many wildanimal and plant products,including tropical timber, caviar,reptile skins and live reptiles.

The report, Opportunity orthreat: The role of the EuropeanUnion in global wildlife trade,was the first ever analysis of thevolume and scope of wildlife tradeproducts imported into the EU.

"As EU membership hasexpanded, so has the size of themarket and demand for wildlifeproducts," said Rob Parry-Jones,Acting Head of TRAFFIC inEurope. "While much wildlifetrade is legal, we cannot ignorethe growing illegal tradestemming from the demand forexotic pets, timber and otherwildlife products. This is a seriousthreat to the survival of speciessuch as reptiles and sturgeons."

Between 2003 and 2004, EUenforcement authorities madeover 7000 seizures, totalling over3.5 million CITES listedspecimens.

The legal trade of wildlifeproducts into the EU alone wasworth an estimated €93 billion in2005. Wildlife products importedinto the EU include caviar fromthe Caspian Sea region, snakeskinhandbags and shoes, rare reptilesas pets, as well as snooker cuesmade of Ramin, a tropicalhardwood tree from South-eastAsian forests.

TRAFFIC estimates that from2000–2005, skins of 3.4 millionlizards, 2.9 million crocodiles, and3.4 million snakes, all species

listed underCITES, wereimported into the EU,along with 300 000 livesnakes for the pet trade.

During the same period, the EUimported 424 t of sturgeoncaviar—more than half of allglobal imports—and in 2004alone, it imported more than 10million cubic metres of tropicaltimber from Africa, South Americaand Asia, worth €2 billion.

Well-regulated and legal tradecan bring benefits to local people,local economies andconservation. For example, theEU imports 95 per cent ofexported Vicuña wool, providingsignificant income for 700 000people in impoverished Andeancommunities. Vicuña is a wildrelation of the llama that issheared and its wool exported, inaccordance with CITESregulations, from Bolivia, Peru,Argentina and Chile. Sustainabledevelopment of the Vicuña wooltrade has been supported by Italy,Germany and the EC.

"The EU's demand for wildlifeproducts is having a huge impacton wildlife and people all over theworld," said Maylynn Engler, firstauthor of the report.

"The EU has a key role to playin ensuring excessive demanddoes not cause over-exploitationof wildlife outside its borders andhas a responsibility to helpcountries manage their resources."

Meanwhile, the EU wildlifetrade website; www.eu-wildlifetrade.org, has beenupdated to provide information in20 EU languages aimed at thecommercial wildlife trade sectoron various aspects of wildlifetrade in the EU.

In June 2007, the European Commission (EC) launched an Action Plan to improvewildlife trade enforcement within the European Union (EU) and in countrieswhere the trade originates. It marked the latest step in a global approach totackling wildlife crime.


Tanzania's disappearing timber revenue leadsto anti-corruption actionMillions of dollars worth of timber revenue is being lost each year in Tanzania becauseof poor governance and rampant corruption in the forestry sector, according to ahard-hitting TRAFFIC report launched in May 2007. The report, Forestry, governanceand national development: Lessons learned from a logging boom in southern Tanzania,was authorized by the Tanzanian Government and documents alarming levels ofcorruption, illegal logging and exports of forest products from Tanzania.

The Tanzanian Governmentreacted swiftly to the report,with the Speaker of

Parliament giving approval for adiscussion of its findings byGovernment Ministers at ameeting of the AfricanParliamentarians Network AgainstCorruption (APNAC) in Dodoma,Tanzania, in July 2007, and theTanzanian Revenue Authorityannoucing it is sending a team ofexperts to "beneficiary" countriesincluding China, India, UnitedArab Emirates and Singapore, toask for their help in stoppingillegal logging.

TRAFFIC's Simon Milledge, andlead author of the report, spoke atthe meeting. He commented: "It's gratifying to

see the Tanzanian Governmenttake the report's findings seriously,and to take action to stamp outcorruption in the forestry sector."We hope it marks a turning point

in Tanzania's forest fortunes."Milledge pointed out the country

was in the situation where theforestry sector was highly dependentupon donor funding, despite havingthe potential to be self-sufficientfrom timber revenues.Annually, timber royalty losses

amounted to USD58 millionduring 2004 and 2005. Tradelosses are also significant: Chinaimported ten times more timberfrom Tanzania than is documentedby Tanzania's export records,suggesting a 90% loss of revenuefrom this source. Up to 96% ofpotential timber royalties were lostby central and districtgovernments due to under-collection—entire District Council

budgets could have been increasedseveral times over.

Uncontrolled timber harvesting insouthern Tanzania grew rapidlyfrom 2003, largely because ofincreasing overseas demand,especially from China. Driven bygreed and profit, some operatorsbroke laws, paid minimal wagesand minimal prices for harvestedlogs—just 1% of their export value.Meanwhile, Tanzanian hardwoodscommanded high pricesinternationally, compared to timberfrom West and Central Africa. Theunsustainable harvesting has led toenvironmental degradation and theloss of commercially viablehardwoods in many areas.

"Although community-basedforest management is widespreadin Tanzania, rural communitiesunfortunately just aren'tdemanding enough accountability.Who's cutting their forests down,and where are the profits going?"asked Milledge.

More than half of the 28 loggingcompanies studied had close linksto senior forest or governmentofficials. In some rural areas, theinvolvement of village leaders inthe timber trade has led to anunfair distribution of profits, andat higher levels, there are manyexamples of self-dealing, nepotismand cronyism.

"The Tanzanian Government hastried to regulate the timber trade,through harvest and export bans,the establishment of forestsurveillance units, and a review oflicensing and harvestingprocedures, but seriousgovernance shortfalls haveundermined these commendable

measures," said Milledge. "Whilstthe situation has improvedsomewhat since 2006, thegovernment still needs to do muchmore to tighten up its regulation ofthe industry and stamp out thecorruption within it." "It's not a question of stopping the

logging and exportation of forestproducts, but of proper regulationof the timber industry and takingadvantage of existing bilateraltrade opportunities with countriessuch as China. Proper enforcementin the forestry sector will bringbenefits for the whole nation."

The report details how forestry-related corruption and otherfactors affecting good governanceare preventing Tanzania reachingthe goals set out in the NationalStrategy for Growth andReduction of Poverty (2005).

Forestry, governance andnational development: Lessonslearned from a logging boom insouthern Tanzania was funded bythe Royal Norwegian embassy inTanzania and written jointly byTRAFFIC, the Government ofTanzania, and the TanzanianDevelopment Partners Group.

Village in southern Tanzaniashowing log piles and villagechairman's house (arrowed)

© TR

AFFIC


Merbau—an opportunity for sustainablecommunity forestry in Papua New Guinea?By Pei-Sin Tong ([email protected]) and Hin-Keong Chen ([email protected])

Merbau is a highly valuablecommercial timberspecies found in tropical

South-east Asia and Papua NewGuinea (PNG). In PNG, whereMerbau is known locally as kwila,it is common and its commercialextractable timber volume isestimated at 26 million m3, orroughly 6% of the country's totalpotential timber production.Merbau stocks vary greatlybetween different areas in PNG.The highest densities occur in thenorthern regions of the country inMadang and East and West Sepikprovinces. In the forests of Vanimoa density of 7–10 stems per hectareof trees 15 cm diameter at breastheight (DBH) or more was reportedby White (1976).

Merbau is potentially a valuablesource of income for localcummunities in PNG, particularlysince 97% of forests are communityowned. Merbau commands thehighest prices of any valuabletimber species from PNG, with aFree-on-Board price of USD112per m3 in January 2007 comparedto USD66–92 for timber such asMalas (Homatium foetidium),Bintangor (Calophyllum spp.) andTaun (Pometia spp.). Merbauproducts comprised 6.4% to 10.9%of the total wood exported by PNGfrom 2002 to 2004.

Community-based timberproduction (CTP) underpins thedevelopment of small scale forestindustries in PNG that complementthe existing large scale forestryconcessions. According to theFoundation for People andCommunity Development (FPCD),

local communities need equipmentand training in the use ofchainsaws, portable sawmills plusup-to-date information on timber-harvesting and forestrymanagement skills to supplementtheir culturally sensitive indigenousforestry knowledge. Small-scalecommunity logging is an attractiveproposition compared to industrial-scale logging and land clearance orland conversion to farming.Additionally, local communitieshave the power and right to makedecisions affecting their ownpeople.

Can CTP enterprises betechnically, economically,institutionally and ecologicallysustainable? We believe CTPshould be strongly supported,particularly given the success of aPNG local community forestryenterprise that was recentlyawarded a Forest StewardshipCouncil (FSC) certificate forsustainable forest management.

TRAFFIC recommends thatscientific research is needed onMerbau in PNG because forestinventories are incomplete orlacking. Understanding thestructure and management of CTPenterprises will increase ourknowledge of them and help withthe development or revision ofnational forest policy andmanagement planning which has toencompass the needs of CTP.

Some words of caution, however.The price of Merbau is steadilyincreasing, which is leading toover-harvesting and illegalexploitation. Merbau may soon nolonger be a commercially viable

timber species as other look-alikeor less well-known timber speciesare brought in as substitutes. Thesealternatives could reduce the risksof being highly dependent onMerbau, but the move away fromMerbau could severely affectcommunities who rely heavilyupon it for their income.

In the 1990s, attention focused onthe threat to Merbau from illegallogging and international trade,with allegations of large quantitiesof Merbau being harvested illegallyin Indonesia's Papua Province andin PNG. There is clearly an urgentneed to strengthen theimplementation of existing laws tocontrol licensing and forestmanagement—especially toregulate the indiscriminate harvestof this high quality timber species,whilst empowering localcommunities to take charge of theirown forestry resources, inparticular the management of highvalue timber species that canunderpin their economic andlivelihood development.

ReferencesJohns, R. J., Laming, P. B., den Outer, R.

W. and Sosef, M. S. M. (1994) IntsiaThouars. in Soerianegara, I, Lemmens, R.H. M. J. (eds) Timber trees: majorcommercial timbers. Plant Resources ofSouth East Asia (PROSEA), BogorIndonesia 5(1).

White, K. J. (1976). Lowland rainforestregeneration in Papua New Guinea withreference to the Vanimo sub province.Tropical Forestry Research Note SR32.Papua New Guinea Department of Forest.

This article is in part based on the results of a TRAFFIC study on the international tradein Merbau (Intsia spp.), funded by BfN, the German Federal Agency for NatureConservation, and information provided by NGOs in Papua New Guinea, especially workcarried out by the Foundation for People and Community Development on communityforestry and certification. The full report of the TRAFFIC study will be published shortly.


© TR

AFFIC

TRACE (Technologies andResources for AppliedConservation and Enforcement), anew non-profit organization haslaunched an initiative to promotethe application of forensic sciencein combating wildlife crime, incollaboration with TRAFFIC.

Forensics can be used to identifymaterials when visualidentification is impossible, forexample in cooked, ground orprocessed products, such astraditional medicines. This makesforensics especially valuable forinvestigating the origin andidentity of products, both legal andillegal, in wildlife trade.

"Forensics have a massivepotential for tackling wildlifecrime and in monitoring the legalwildlife trade," says Dr RobOgden, co-founder of TRACE.

But despite their potential,wildlife forensics are seldom used,largely because of a lack ofawareness of the tests available,and a lack of capacity to carrythem out, particularly indeveloping countries.

"Techniques such as DNA andstable isotope analysis areimmensely powerful tools, butthey are all too infrequentlyapplied to tackling wildlife crime.

"TRACE aims to build sufficientpolitical and financial support toenable us to create a worldwidenetwork of expertise in wildlifeforensics and link it to Customsand enforcement agencies who canmake best use of it," says Ogden.

The first TRACE Wildlife DNAForensics training course tookplace in March this year inPretoria, South Africa. Fifteendelegates learned about biologicalsample collection, DNAextraction, species identificationand how to present forensicevidence in court. The meetingended with the formation of theEnvironmental Forensics WorkingGroup of South Africa.

For more information onTRACE, please contact: RossMcEwing, TRACE - the wildlifeforensics network, [email protected] visit www.tracenetwork.org.

Lost without TRACE: trackingdown wildlife crime usingforensics

TRAFFIC andSACEP signalintention tomanagewildlife tradein South Asia The South Asian Co-operativeEnvironment Programme(SACEP) has signed aMemorandum of Understandingwith TRAFFIC, to enlist thewildlife trade network's assistancein building a regional network forensuring the sustainability of legalwildlife trade and for tacklingwildlife crime in South Asia.

The South Asian network willdraw on experience from the highlysuccessful ASEAN WildlifeEnforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), an inter-governmentalinitiative which has brought 10Southeast Asia governmentstogether to combat wildlife crime.TRAFFIC is continuing to workwith Wildlife Alliance (formerlyknown as WildAid), via a co-operative partnership with USAID,to provide technical assistance togovernment agencies that areimplementing ASEAN-WEN.

"TRAFFIC was instrumental inhelping establish the ASEANWildlife Enforcement Network inSoutheast Asia, and we'redelighted to be able to call upontheir assistance for building asimilar network in South Asia,"said Dr Arvind Boaz, DirectorGeneral of SACEP.

South Asia becomes the latestregion to announce the formationof a network for co-operationbetween member state authoritiesto manage wildlife trade and tacklewildlife crime: in June, theEuropean Union (EU) unveiled anAction Plan to tackle wildlifecrime within the EU and to offersupport to countries outside theregion.

Rob Ogden of TRACE and Steven Broad of TRAFFIC sign aMemorandum of Understanding between the two organizations



decline of 136 species, 18 of themclassified as Critically Endangeredby IUCN. Several other specieshave declined so much in the wildin Viet Nam they now have to beimported by the majorpharmaceutical companies.

Regulation and testing (qualitycontrol) of the trade in medicinalplants and animals is poor. Currentlegislation is old and containsmany gaps, and only applies tostate-run companies andinstitutions. Within privateindustry there is no officialregulation (either administrationor enforcement) of activities. Withsuch a complex structure, some ofit "underground", planning toregulate this large private industrywill be a huge challenge in thecoming years.

(IUCN) Red List. The current VietNam Red Data Book lists 359animals of conservation concern,many of them traded and used formedicinal purposes, includingTiger Panthera tigris, rhinosRhinocerotidae spp. and bearsUrsus spp.

The impact of exploitation ofwild medicinal plant species is lesswell documented, but may beequally severe, especially as over90% of the 3900 plant species usedin traditional medicine are wildharvested. The uncontrolledharvest of wild medicinal plants inViet Nam, particularly on acommercial scale for processingand export by the pharmaceuticalindustry, along with habitat lossand degradation, are considered tobe the primary causes for the

Traditional Medicine in Viet Nam: an overviewby Thomas Osborn, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Greater Mekong Programme

In TM systems, the preventionof ailments and disease areconsidered as important as the

cure; disease can be prevented bymaintaining the body's naturalbalances, and through restoringenergy levels in order to maintaina healthy life.

In Viet Nam, TCM is usedchiefly for enhancing orstrengthening health whilst TVMis used primarily as a cure.However, each type of TM hasdrawn extensively on the other torefine existing treatments andremedies and to develop new ones.

Traditional medicines in VietNam are made from animal, plantand mineral products. Plants areused in far more remedies (over90%) than animals, and mostanimal-based medicines alsoinclude plants to neutralizeunpleasant odours and increasetheir overall effect. All parts of aplant can be used. Similarly, manydifferent animal parts are used,from whole bodies to specificorgans.

Of the more than 80 millionpeople in Viet Nam, over 75% areestimated to use TM as theirprimary source of treatment forcommon health problems. This isperhaps unsurprising consideringthe prohibitive expense of westernmedicines, combined with pooraccess to hospitals or communityhealth centres. Together withincreasing demand from urbanareas, exploitation of medicinalplants and animals has risen topose a serious threat to somespecies in Viet Nam: around 70species are listed as threatened onthe The World Conservation Union

Viet Nam has a long history of Traditional Medicine (TM) practices spanning thousandsof years. Two, often interlinked, forms exist within the country: Thuoc Bac, orTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is the dominant system in the north and usesmaterials native to China; and Thuoc Nam, or Traditional Vietnamese Medicine (TVM),that predominates in the south and uses Vietnamese materials.

Paco man withbones ofprimates andother animals hewill use to maketraditionalmedicines. A Luoi Valley,Thua Tien HueProvince, Vietnam(1997)

©WWF-Canon / Elizabeth Kemf


Austrian Ministry of Agriculture andForestry, Environment and WaterManagement, Division for NatureConservation and Species Protection

Belgian Federal Public Service, Health,Food Chain Safety and Environment

CGMK Foundation CITES Secretariat Conservation International Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund Danish Agency for Development

AssistanceDanish Ministry of the Environment,

Forest and Nature AgencyDavid and Lucile Packard FoundationEndangered Wildlife TrustEuropean Commission French Ministry of Foreign AffairsGerman Federal Agency for Nature

Conservation (BfN)German Federal Ministry for the

Environment, Nature Conservationand Nuclear Safety (BMU)

Dr Stephan Goetz, GoetzpartnersCorporate Finance GmbH (via WWFGermany)

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Hendrickson Trust International Tropical Timber

OrganizationIsaac Newton Trust Italian Ministry of the Environment and

Territory, General Directorate forNature Protection

Japan Wildlife Research Center LufthansaKeidanren Nature Conservation Fund Manfred Hermsen FoundationMarubeni Corporation Mazda Wildlife Fund

Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity andSustainable Use Programme

French Ministry of Ecology andSustainable Development, DirectorateGeneral of Nature and Countryside

Mrs Niels W. Johnsen National Fish and Wildlife Federation Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture,

Nature and Food Quality, Departmentof Nature

Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs- Development Cooperation (viaIUCN)

Netherlands Ministry of Foreign AffairsNR International Royal Netherlands Embassy (South

Africa) Royal Norwegian Embassy (Tanzania) Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation Save the Tiger FundSea World-Busch Gardens Conservation

Foundation Singapore Zoo Society for Wildlife and NatureSouth Africa Department of

Environmental Affairs and Tourism Spanish Ministry of Environment,

General Directorate for BiodiversitySwedish International Development

Cooperation AgencySwiss Federal Veterinary OfficeTaiwan Council of Agriculture The World Conservation Union (IUCN)The World Conservation Union (IUCN)

- Asia Regional OfficeTony & Lisette Lewis Foundation Toraya Confectionary Co., Ltd UK Department for Environment, Food

and Rural Affairs UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office

United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganization

US Agency for InternationalDevelopment

US Fish and Wildlife Service United States Department of StateWallace Global Fund Walt Disney Company Foundation (World) Bank Netherlands Partnership

Programme World Bank WWF Australia WWF CanadaWWF European Policy OfficeWWF France WWF Germany WWF Green Trust (South Africa) WWF InternationalWWF IndiaWWF Italy WWF NepalWWF Japan WWF Malaysia WWF Netherlands WWF South Africa WWF Sweden WWF Switzerland WWF UKWWF US


TRAFFIC staff thank the following supporters for their contributions toour work January 2006 - November 2007:

TRAFFIC Dispatches219a Huntingdon Road, Cambridge UK, CB3 ODLTel. +44 (0)1223 277427, Fax.+44 (0)1223 277237Email: [email protected]: www.traffic.org

Editor: Richard Thomas© TRAFFIC International 2007


TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animalsis not a threat to the conservation of nature.

TRAFFIC Dispatches is published to keep partners and supporters informed about our activities and accomplishments.TRAFFIC works in co-operation with the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).


TRAFFIC Dispatches Number 26 November 2007

TRAFFIC International219a Huntingdon Road Cambridge, CB3 ODL, UKTel: (44) 1223 277427Fax: (44) 1223 277237E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - Regional OfficeRoom 2001, Double Building, 22 Stanley Street Central, Hong KongTel: (852) 2 530 0587Fax (852) 2 530 0864E-mail: [email protected]


TRAFFIC East Asia - Japan6th Fl. Nihonseimei Akabanebashi Bldg.3-1-14, Shiba, Minato-ku 105-0014 Tokyo, JapanTel: (81) 3 3769 1716Fax: (81) 3 3769 1304E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East Asia - TaipeiPO Box 7-476 Taipei 106, TaiwanTel: (886) 2 2362 9787Fax: (886) 2 2362 9799E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - RegionalOfficec/o WWF Southern Africa Regional Programme PO Box CY 1409, Causeway, Harare, ZimbabweTel: (263) 4 252533/ 252534Fax: (263) 4 703902E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - South Africac/o Endangered Wildlife Trust, Private Bag x11 Parkview 2122, Johannesburg, South AfricaTel: (27) 11 486 1102Fax: (27) 11 486 1506E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa - TanzaniaPO Box 106060, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaTel: (255) 22 2701676 Fax: (255) 22 2701676 E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Regional OfficeBd. Emile Jacqmain 90 B-1000 Brussels, BelgiumTel: (32) 2 343 8258Fax: (32) 2 343 2565E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Central Eastern ProjectOffice c/o WWF-Hungary, Németvölgyi út 78/b1124 Budapest, HungaryTel: (36) 1 214 5554; Fax: (36) 1 212 9353E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Francec/o WWF France1 Carrefour de Longchamp, F 75016 Paris, FranceTel: (33) 1 55 25 8484Fax: (33) 1 55 25 8474E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Germanyc/o WWF GermanyRebstöcker Str. 55 60326 Frankfurt a.M., GermanyTel: (49) 69 79144 183 Fax: (49) 69 617221E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Italyc/o WWF Italia, Via Po, 25/c 00198 Rome, ItalyTel: (39) 06 84497357Fax: (39) 06 84497356E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Russiac/o WWF Russia Programme OfficeNikoloyamskaya str.19, building 3, 109240 Moscow, Russia Tel: (007) 495 727 0939 Fax: (007) 495 727 0938E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Europe - Swedenc/o WWF Sweden, Ulriksdals SlottS-17081 Solna, SwedenTel: (46) 8 624 7400Fax: (46) 8 85 1329E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC - Indiac/o WWF India, 172-B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, IndiaTel: (91) 11 41504786Fax: (91) 11 43516200E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - RegionalOffice1250 24th Street, NWWashington DC 20037, USATel: (1) 202 293 4800Fax: (1) 202 775 8287E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - Canada Suite 1588, 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2, CanadaTel: (1) 604 687 5152Fax: (1) 604 678 5155E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC North America - Mexicoc/o WWF Mexico Programme OfficeAve. Mexico No. 51 Col. Hipodromo Condesa06100 Mexico, D.F., MexicoTel: (52) 55 5286 5631/34Fax: (52) 55 5286 5637E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Oceania - Regional OfficePO Box U115University of WollongongNSW 2522, AustraliaTel: (61) 2 4221 3221Fax: (61) 2 4221 3346E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC South America - Regional OfficeAv. De los Shyris 2680 y Gaspar de VillaroelEdificio MITA COBADELSA, Penthouse (PH),Quito, EcuadorTel: (5932) 226 1075 (ext.400)Fax: (5932) 226 1075 (ext.230)E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Regional OfficeUnit 9-3A, 3rd Floor, Jalan SS23/11, Taman SEA47400 Petaling Jaya Selangor, MalaysiaTel: (603) 7880 3940Fax: (603) 7882 0171E-mail: [email protected]

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - GreaterMekong Programmec/o WWF Viet Nam39 Xuan Dieu Street, Toy Ho District, Ha Noi, VietnamTel: (84) 4 719 3115Fax: (84) 4 719 3093E-mail: [email protected]


TRAFFIC network - www.traffic.org (in English)TRAFFIC East Asia:China - www.wwfchina.org/englishJapan - www.trafficj.org (in Japanese)Taiwan - www.wow.org.tw (in Chinese)TRAFFIC Europe:Russian Federation - www.wwf.ru/traffic (in Russian)TRAFFIC Southeast Asia: Indochina - www.wwfindochina.org/traffic.htm (in English)TRAFFIC North America:

Mexico - http://www.wwf.org.mx/wwfmex/prog_traffic.php

(in Spanish) TRAFFIC International regional TRAFFIC office other TRAFFIC office

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