Illegal Wildlife Trade In India
Illegal Wildlife Trade In India: An OverviewSamir Sinha Head,
TRAFFIC India
WWF India Sectt. 172-B Lodi Estate
N. Delhi 11003
Tel: 011 43514786
E mail: [email protected] Notes* These are shared
for discussion only and may not be shared as representing any
official views of TRAFFIC or WWF India
1. TRAFFIC, earlier known as the Trade Records Analysis of Flora
and Fauna in Commerce was established by the Species Survival
Commission of IUCN in 1976, after the entry into force of CITES.
The major role was to monitor wildlife trade and the implementation
of the treaty.2. A joint programme of WWF and IUCN3. Since its
founding in 1976, it has grown to become the world's largest
wildlife trade monitoring programme.
4. TRAFFIC actively monitors and investigates wildlife trade,
and provides its information to a diverse audience world-wide, as a
basis for effective conservation policies and programmes.
a. Headquarters at UK with a spread across 5 continents and with
7 regional programmes and presence in 30 countries.
b. TRAFFIC came to India in 1991 and is hosted by WWF-India
c. Closely works with IUCN, WWF and CITES secretariat along with
various National and regional and state agencies, on wildlife trade
issues.
5. Several agencies have given estimates of illegal wildlife
trade:a. US$20 billion annually (INTERPOL)
b. USD10 to 20 billion a year (TRAFFIC)
c. $5 billion and potentially in excess of $20 billion annually
(CRS Report for US Congress, 22nd Aug, 2008) 6. During the pre
independence days, Tigers in India were considered as pests and
people were awarded for killing tiger. The Shikar (Hunting) was a
privilege enjoyed by rich and famous people. The hunting of wild
birds too was rampant as a sport as the records engraved on the
tablets at Keoladeo Ghana national Park, Bharatpur (Rajasthan) is a
witness to this.
7. Post independence the hunting became an open access to even
the common man, but finally in the late 19th century the wildlife
protection laws emerged and brought about a strict control on
wildlife hunting and trade in various articles.
8. Illegal wildlife trade today is a lucrative trade as it
offers high gain with low detection probability. Less conviction
and other gaps.9. The illegal wildlife trade in India thrives as
India is a mega diverse country with rich biodiversity offering
much to the illicit traders across the country. A small window to
the wildlife wealth is provided below: 397 Mammals
(9%)
1232 Birds
(14%)
460 reptiles
(8%)
240 Amphibians
(5%)
2546 Fish
(12%)
17500 Flowering plants (7%)
14500 Fungi
(21%)
*** (Figures in percentages reflect approx. percentage of global
no. of species)
10. Over the years, global crime in wildlife has escalated and
become much more organised. Shrinkage of habitats and the
trans-border demand for wildlife derivatives has resulted in
regression of many species. Illegal wildlife trade presents a
serious threat to the survival and conservation of many endangered
species. On the other hand, many of which were known to have
abounded earlier, are now a minuscule lot. The demand of animal
parts and products has multiplied manifolds over the years.
Tigers are hunted illegally for claws, bones, skins, whiskers,
and virtually every part of their body which are used in TCM
China has a large number of tigers in captivity in tiger
farms
There is pressure on Chinese Govt to lift domestic ban on use of
tiger products sourced from tiger farms
Lifting of ban on trade in tiger parts would be deleterious to
the tiger conservation globally.
CITES continues to keep the ban trade in tiger parts in
force.
Leopards are killed / trapped for claws, bones, skins, whiskers,
any many other body parts used in the TCM
Rhino are poached for horns and skin also now in some parts
Elephants continue to be killed for their ivory. Several
techniques including poisoned arrows are used for killing
elephants
Otter skin trade is also prevalent in large volumes. The otter
skin is used as trimming for coats and other garments
Musk Deer hunted for Musk pod
Chiru hunted for wool for Shahtoosh shawls
Bear bile used in TCM
Mongoose for hair for fine paint brushes
Snakes skins for belts and leather purses
Sea Turtles shells
Butterflies as curios
Arrowana fish traded for their value in Feng shui11. Live
elephant trade across states in India is also of concern. Live
Elephants are reportedly being moved across International borders,
to Nepal and Myanmar without proper documentation. This is a
violation of CITES.
12. Live bird trade is spread across the country and birds are
trapped to be sold as pets, for taboos and for export to overseas
markets. Species like owls, falcons and cage birds like munias and
hill mynas demand a very high price. 13. Star tortoise trade over
the years has been of concern. This species is exported to
Southeast Asian countries in large volumes for their demand in pet
trade.
14. The trade in marine species and products is equally large
and is an area of concern. Shark fins are traded for fin soup, Sea
horses for food and medicine, corals for their use in jewelry and
shells as curios.15. Another area of concern is the medicinal plant
sector. Much of this trade is hidden and very less is known about
it. Over 8,000 species of medicinal plants in use. Nearly 90% of
the species in trade are exploited from the wild. Such exploitation
is usually done in an unscientific and unsustainable manner, often
clandestinely. Movement of products mostly from India to Nepal
& China, some trade also with Pakistan but mostly covert
16. The trade of Medicinal plants is regulated under the CITES,
WLPA, Customs Act and by the DGFT rules.
17. The trade of wild species specimens for use in schools and
for museum specimens is another grey area that needs to be looked
into. 18. Illegal wildlife trade has now emerged as organised
transnational crime.
19. Some of the important wildlife seizure that have taken place
in the last decade are:(i) Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh - On 8.12.1999
sales tax inspectors inadvertently uncovered and seized, 3 tiger
skins, 50 leopard skins and 5 otter skins.
The skins were meticulously packaged, numbered and concealed in
a consignment of cloth in a truck bound for Siliguri, West
Bengal.
(ii) On 12.01.2000, police seized 4 tiger skins, 70 leopard
skins, 18,000 leopard claws, 150 kg of leopard and tiger bones, 132
tiger claws, 2 leopard teeth and one dried leopard penis, 221
blackbuck skins
(iii) 8th October 2003-Customs officers at a temporary
checkpoint at Sansan, a small township at Angren County, southwest
of Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region found a truck carrying a
consignment of 31 tiger skins, 581 leopard skins, 778 Eurasian
otter skins and 2 lynx skins, as well as one fake tiger skin.
(iv) Seizure on 1st Feb. 2005, by Delhi Police - Raid on the
basement of a warehouse in Patel Nagar. The haul consisted of:
39 leopard skins (including one snow leopard), 2 tiger skins, 42
otter skins, 3kg of tiger claws, 14 tiger canines, 10 tiger jaw
bones, About 135 kg of porcupine quills, 60 kg of tiger and leopard
paws, 20 small pieces of bone that appear to be tiger and leopard
'floating' clavicle bones.
(v) NEPAL 2nd September 2005, The Royal Nepal Army seized five
tiger skins, 36 leopard skins, 238 otter skins and 113 kilograms of
tiger and leopard bones in the Rasuwa district of Nepal, bordering
the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The goods were coming from Delhi and
supposed to be sent to Tibet. On 10th August 2007 One Tiger skin
& 2 Leopard skins seized in Nepal. The ten foot long tiger
skin, which was soft and supple, was wrapped in sheets of the Times
of India. (vi) 20 Convicted for Lion Poaching in Gujarat October
28, 2008 Twenty people have been sentenced to three years
imprisonment and fined for poaching endangered lions in the Gir
Forest and trading in their parts. The Court of P.K. Makuana, Ist
class magistrate, in Junagadh handed down the jail sentences and in
addition ordered each defendant to pay a fine of Rs 10,000..
(vii) Tiger Found In Man's Freezer - Monday, 14 June 2010,
Coventry UK A tiger, several turtles, a monkey and the remains of a
chimpanzee have been discovered in a household freezer.
Investigators also uncovered the skulls of a baby seal and penguin
alongside lemurs, sparrowhawks, buzzards and owls during the
raid
(viii) 28th August, 2010, Bangkok. A two-month-old tiger cub was
discovered hidden with stuffed tiger toys in the baggage of a women
heading to Iran from Thailand.
20. Timber trade especially species like Red Sanders from India
to Southeast Asia and Nepal is very rampant. 21. The Internet has
emerged as a modern 21st century tool for illegal wildlife
trade.
By September 2009, over 1.73 billion people globally around a
quarter of the world population had access to the Internet, an
increase of almost 380% between 2000 and 2009
The Internet provides quick and extensive information to a vast
and interconnected audience, many of which can be anonymous or use
fake identities, with much of the exchange focused on commerce.
From July 2005 to February 2006, TRAFFIC found 4,291unique
advertisements offered by almost 2,000sellers for CITES-listed
species on the Chinese-language Internet, including auction
websites and chat rooms in the thematic websites
According to a report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center
(IC3) of the United States, non-delivery and auction fraud have
been the top two reported cyber crimes since 2005 (Anon. 2008).
In 2004, TRAFFIC advised eBay to stop all trade in ivory on
their websites because of the difficulties in distinguishing legal
from fraudulent ivory
In June 2007, eBay announced a ban on the international trade of
elephant ivory on all its sites worldwide.
In 2008, TRAFFIC worked with the Chinese CITES MA to train
relevant authorities and website managers in China in order to
deter illegal trade in CITES-listed species on the Internet.
22. Transnational criminal organisations involved in arms,
narcotics and human trafficking are increasingly likely to be
involved in the illegal wildlife trade. This suggests a link
between the illegal trade in wildlife products and terrorism. Major
implications that the illegal wildlife trade could bear on security
and its erosive effect on state institutions
23. Some Recent International Trends in Organised Wildlife Crime
include:
Involvement of Diplomats
Convergence of Smuggling interests- Barter of products
Involvement of Insurgents
BIOPIRACY-Involvement of scientists
Tourists as potential customers
Demand expected to rise with economic growth
24. For gaining better understanding of illegal wildlife trade
it is required to:
Identify vulnerable areas/species
Identify potential trade centres/ routes
Develop a good network of informants
Study the motivation of such informants so that you can handle
them better
Establishing a Criminal Profile Directory
Maintain records of persons with a history of poaching and/or
wildlife trade in their locality
Include details about physical appearance, identification
marks/signs, employment, family, normal place of residence, key
associates, criminal history, convictions if any, pending cases
etc.
Photographs?
Analyse link of old crime to new offenders and old offenders to
new crime
25. When a mortality or poaching is detected
Encourage people NOT to hide facts- Cover-ups only encourage
poachers
Protect, observe, process and record the scene of crime
properly.
Important to establish linkages between the scene of crime and
the suspect(s) through the circumstantial, corroborative and
physical evidences
26. To strengthen the linking of the offenders with the crime it
is prudent to use the latest tools like wildlife forensics for:
Fingerprinting
specimens of blood
Footprints
Ballistic examination of cartridges, weapons etc.
27. For better enforcement carry out regular Security Audits Are
security protocols as prescribed being followed?
If staff is trained, equipped and motivated to prevent or
respond to any crisis?
Mock Drills Training Monitoring by Senior Officials?
Follow up of Court Cases
Updating threat perceptions
Periodic review by independent/ anonymous evaluators
28. Some of the recent efforts that have been taken up by
TRAFFIC in the region to strengthen the wildlife enforcement
network include: Establishment of the South Asia Wildlife
Enforcement Network (SAWEN) Facilitating the Govts. Of India and
Nepal to sign a MoU on wildlife enforcement issues.
Similar efforts are on for Bhutan too. TRAFFIC has come out with
several reports and publications on wildlife trade issues. These
can be accessed at www.traffic.org TRAFFIC India core areas
include:a. Undertake in-depth research and use this knowledge to
help decision makers at all levels to understand the scope,
dynamics and impacts of wildlife trade, so that they can apply
appropriate management measures. For example, TRAFFIC Indias recent
study into the Peacock tail feather trade, illegal owl trade and
illegal Leopard trade aims to inform the key decision makers about
the prevailing trade trends and dynamics, effects of trade on
species and provide an early warning.b. Developing a mechanism for
generating, developing and processing of actionable information
around key landscapes and strengthen cross-border co-operation for
curbing wildlife trade. TRAFFIC is developing intelligence unit and
networking with the enforcement agencies to take this effort
forward. The information on illegal wildlife trade is gathered and
shared with cross border agencies and NGOs for appropriate legal
action and curbing the illegal trade. c. Helping to enhance
capacity of the enforcement agencies so that they understand and
respond adequately to wildlife crime and trade related issues. For
this, TRAFFIC India conducts several workshops across the country.
So far TRAFFIC has trained over 300 officials on legal and
technical aspect including the use of forensics, in curbing illegal
wildlife trade. d. Monitor emerging trends in wildlife trade and
develop baseline information about key species. TRAFFIC India is
putting together a detailed database on wildlife trade in various
wild animal and plant species in India. The Handbook on Wildlife
Law Enforcement in India a latest publication gives a detailed
picture of the illegal wildlife trade in India and transborders
with snapshots of the laws and regulations that control the
trade.
e. Provides information and assistance to help the
decision-making processes at CITES (The Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna).
TRAFFIC India was present at the 14th Conference of Parties to
CITES, held in Hague, The Nertherlands in June 2007 and provided
active inputs on the Tiger debate during the conference. A detailed
report on the debate called, The Roar of the Tiger can be
downloaded at www.wwfindia.org/traffic f. Working with Government
and the private sector to adopt economic policies and practices
that ensure that the wild species are traded in the most
sustainable levels. Recently, TRAFFIC India in collaboration with
Bangalore based Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health
Traditions (FRLHT) launched International Standard for Sustainable
Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP) in
Uttarakhand and Karnataka. These standards will help in
conservation and sustainable utilisation of the medicinal and
aromatic plant species that are collected from the wild. The
International Standard for Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal
and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP ) has been developed by WWF Germany,
in cooperation with the IUCN/SSC Species Survival Commission
Medicinal Plant Specialist Group (MPSG), TRAFFIC and the German
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN).g. Improving public
awareness on wildlife trade and crime related issues across a
diverse range of stakeholders. TRAFFIC India continues to launch
awareness campaigns to educate consumer and also produces
communication tools such as the Dont buy Trouble series of posters,
Leaflets Are you committing a crime? Think before you buy- both in
English and Hindi, a wildlife film, a quarterly newsletter-TRAFFIC
Post and a monthly e-newsletter on tiger poaching, trade and other
relatedissues. These can be downloaded at
www.wwfindia.org/traffic.h. Strengthen law enforcement
effectiveness to address illegal tiger poaching and trade Launching
of Tigernet This is the first consolidated national official
database for Tiger and wildlife crime on the net,
www.tigernet.nic.in with information on on mortality and poaching
related to Tigers and other protected species within Tiger
reserves. It is a partnership between the National Tiger
Conservation Authority, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt.
of India and TRAFFIC India. Gathering accurate information on such
Tiger activities is crucial to assisting anti-poaching efforts. The
new system will allow enforcement officers to record information on
Tiger mortalities, to monitor patterns of where poaching incidents
are occurring and use this information to strengthen anti-poaching
efforts.We all need to work together to conserve our diverse
wildlife resources for future generations.
An Overview of Illegal Wildlife Trade in India: Discussion
Notes
TRAFFIC IndiaPage 1 of 8
