Lesser-known species like Otter, Pangolin form a large part of wildlife trade

The Economic Times , Saturday, July 30, 2016
Correspondent : UrmiGoswami
Talk about illegal wildlife trade typically conjures up images of tiger skins, elephant tusks, and rhino horns. That is only the super-profitable end of the illicit business. The bread and butter of illegal wildlife trade comprises the sale of smaller and lesser-known species such as otters, mongooses, turtles and pangolins.

Unlike tiger skins, ivory tusks and rhino horns, this segment of the illicit wildlife trade could find its way into your shopping bag—the perfect paint brush or make-up brush could well be made of mongoose hair. That lovely smooth and warm headgear or purse could be made ofotter skin.

Interpol, the global police organisation, estimates illegal international wildlife trade to be anywhere from $7 billion to $23 billion annually. Enforcement officials say it is tough to determine the share of lesser-known species in this trade.

"The biggest problem faced in addressing the illegal trade of smaller or lesser-known wildlife species is that there are no numbers, so it is difficult to have a sense of the impact," said Shekhar Kumar Niraj, head of TRAFFIC India, a wildlife trade monitoring network. "The other thing is that lesser-known is a relative term. The composition of what can be classified as lesser-known is diverse. There are species out there we don't even know about or are little known that are being illegally traded as we speak."

Much of the information is approximation, based on seizures and calculations. Records show that between 2007 and 2013, some 51,500 paint brushes made of mongoose hair were seized. Some 50 mongooses have to be killed to procure a kilogram of hair and as reports suggest that for every tiger skin there are at least 10 otter skins traded.

As government and conservationists celebrated the steadying of the tiger and lion populations in India, some 3,350 pangolins were poached between 2009 and 2013. Of the 6,000 otters netted in 167 seizures in South and Southeast Asia between 1980 and 2015, 53 per cent involved India.

If efforts to stem the tide of poaching and illegal trade of the iconic wild animals have had a modicum of success, there has been no abatement in the killing and sale of the lesser-known species. A recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol suggests that the growth rate of environmental crimes, which is a much broader canvas and includes illegal wildlife trade, has been 5 per cent to 7 per cent over the past decade, with specific segments as high as 21 per cent to 28 per cent.

"Environmental crime is growing at an alarming pace," said Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock. "The complexity of this type of criminality requires a multi-sector response underpinned by collaboration across borders. Through its global policing capabilities, Interpol is resolutely committed to working with its member-countries to combat the organised crime networks active in environmental crime."

It is next to impossible to determine to any degree of certainty the volume and value of the total trade of the lesser known species. Experts say that such analysis has not been done. State forest officials, enforcement agencies and wildlife experts acknowledge that though hundreds of pangolins, lizards, tortoises, otters and other unidentified species of wildlife are poached every year, the levels of exploitation of these species is hardly ever reported.

According to WWF India and TRAFFIC, the reported figure of 3,350 for pangolin poaching in India is conservative as a large part of the trade is undetected. But even this is a staggering figure. Pangolins, which are hunted for traditional medicines, meat and accessories, are one of the most endangered mammal groups.

Consider this: a 2013 report by China's Public Security Bureau for Forests and the University of Oxford, showed 2.59 tonnes of scales seized in China between 2010 and 2013. This would have required the killing of about 4,870 pangolins. The report states that the average price for a kilogram of pangolin scales is about $600, twice the price it fetched in 2008. It is indicative of the lucrative nature of the trade, growing demand and that curbing the trade of lesser-known species remains an uphill task.

Trade in these animals and their derivatives is either illegal or severely restricted—under both the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. But effective enforcement ensuring the protection of lesser-known species requires a willingness to change.

Government officials say that amending the Wildlife Protection Act to augment punitive provisions will help. Not everyone agrees as conviction rate in wildlife crimes is 2.5 per cent. A multi-pronged approach is essential, focused on policy-making that is relevant to the ground situation, effective enforcement and improved legal process. There is a need to augment and strengthen the frontline protection system headed by the forest guards.

Right now, an area of 10,000 hectares is managed by five or six forest guards. To add to this, the average age of the forest guard is 50-plus, making him ineffective. Enforcement experts stress on the urgent need to increase numbers and intake of younger people, fill up vacancies, improve working conditions and enable them with training, equipment and technology. On the other side, policy-making needs to become information and data-driven. This requires a needs assessment study for the forest areas. The human resources and expertise to undertake this assessment already exists in the country.

Experts including Niraj say that changes in the frontline protection system need to be complemented and supplemented. He calls for creating awareness and sensitivity to wildlife crime and involving other agencies such as the army, paramilitary forces, the coast guard and customs. These agencies are present where the forest department is not and are in a position to stem illegal trading.

All this requires prioritising wildlife protection. Forest is a state subject, yet state governments are loathe to spend money on protecting such areas and wildlife. For the situation to change, the protection of wildlife has to become a national priority, with state governments pulling their weight.

"We need a proactive approach for conserving lesserknown species, whether that is concerned with their protection or long-term conservation. Protecting wildlife is a priority. States need to step up efforts and spending. The initiative has to come from government," said the TRAFFIC India chief.

There is a lot that is unknown and undocumented about the illegal wildlife trade, but what's certain is that the volumes are high and the cost to country staggering. Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, says that as per Interpol's data, trade in wildlife amounts to a loss of $400 billion to developing countries annually. The growing wildlife trade is not driven just by the iconic species — clearly the smaller and lesser-known species form a large part of the trade.

Conservation experts, civil society organisations and enforcement agencies stress on the need for intensive campaigning to drive down demand. The pangolin is among the eight species chosen for special attention by the United Nations' campaign against illegal trade, Wild for Life.

TRAFFIC has undertaken campaigns in China and Taiwan, where there is a huge demand for wildlife. High-profile and intense campaigns can also help counter the growing trend of the sale of endangered and vulnerable wildlife species as pets. With rising affluence has come demand for exotic pets. The small-clawed otter and smooth-coated otter, both found in India, are particularly vulnerable to this trend.

So the next time you spot the perfect brush, bag or pair of boots, consider if it is a dead mongoose, otter, pangolin or another endangered or vulnerable wildlife species that you may cart home in your shopping bag.

 
SOURCE : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/lesser-known-species-like-otter-pangolin-form-a-large-part-of-wildlife-trade/articleshow/53458633.cms?prtpage=1
 


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