Illegal tiger trade a feature of Myanmar markets

WWF 15 Oct 08;

Naypyidaw, Myanmar: Skin and bones, canines and claws from almost 1,200 wild cats were observed in Myanmar’s wildlife markets during 12 surveys undertaken by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.

They included parts of at least 107 tigers and all eight cat species native to Myanmar, formerly Burma. Irregular surveys over the last 15 years have recorded a total of 1,320 wild cat parts, representing a minimum of 1,158 individual animals.

“Although almost 1,200 cats were recorded, this can only be the tip of the iceberg,” said Chris Shepherd, Programme Co-ordinator for TRAFFIC’s Southeast Asia office.

“The cat parts were openly displayed for sale and the dealers quite frank about the illegality of the trade, which suggests a serious lack of law enforcement.”

People from neighbouring countries are the main buyers of these parts, as reflected by the locations of the markets - three of the four markets surveyed were located on international borders with China and Thailand. Prices were quoted in Thai or Chinese currency, or even US dollars.

“The sale of endangered cat parts, including Tigers of which only about 4,000 remain, is an appalling and brazen violation of the law in Myanmar and should not be tolerated,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s Species Programme.

“Most of these species have very low population numbers and will not be able to withstand the amount of poaching that is feeding this trade.”

National legislation in Myanmar is imprecise as to how many cat species are totally protected, but at least five are. Native cats comprise Tiger, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Marbled Cat, Asiatic Golden Cat, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat and Jungle Cat.

Five of them are listed in Appendix I of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which bans international trade. Myanmar has been a signatory to CITES since 1997.

“Myanmar has an amazing wealth and variety of wildlife. However, immediate action to close down these markets and prosecute those engaged in the trade of protected wildlife is essential,” said Shepherd, adding that national legislation needed to be tightened and better cross-border co-operation with neighbouring countries, particularly Thailand and China was needed.

Myanmar is a member of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), a partnership that seeks to end illegal cross-border wildlife trade in the region.

In order to combat the illegal trade in wild cat parts in Myanmar, and to work towards the conservation of wildlife, TRAFFIC recommended improving and enforcing national laws and closing markets actively selling protected wildlife.

Myanmar should also work to reduce illegal international trade of wild cats and other protected wildlife, and should be encouraged to work closely with Thailand, China and other relevant countries as international co-operation is essential to enforce effectively CITES and to put an end to the illegal international trade.

Authorities in airports and other points of international entry and exit should be more vigilant to prevent parts and derivatives of protected wildlife from being carried across Myanmar’s borders.

Myanmar should also ensure that staff based at these checkpoints are sufficiently trained in CITES implementation, enforcement and species/parts of species identification.

Regular and systematic monitoring of the markets in Myanmar should continue to be carried out by non-government organizations to assist the authorities in their enforcement efforts as well as to detect changing trends and dynamics in the trade.

And Myanmar, as a party to CITES, should revise existing laws or enact completely new CITES implementing legislation and enforce all CITES-enabling legislation.

Brisk trade in tiger parts in Myanmar, says WWF
Yahoo News 14 Oct 08;

Skins, claws and bones from at least 1,158 tigers and other protected big cats have been spotted in open markets in Myanmar during surveys conducted over the last 18 years, according to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report.

More than half came from five species banned from international trade, among them four species listed at threatened with extinction.

The tally included more than 100 tigers, whose numbers in the wild have dwindled to a few thousand worldwide, according to conservation experts.

"This can only be the tip of the iceberg," said Chris Shepherd, who coordinated the investigation carried out by TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network supported by WWF.

"The cats were openly displayed for sale and the dealers quite frank about the illegality of the trade, which suggests a serious lack of law enforcement," he said in a statement.

Three of four markets monitored in a dozen surveys -- the most recent in late 2006 -- are located on borders with China and Thailand, with prices quoted in Chinese yuan, Thai baht and US dollars.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is plagued with corruption, and was ranked in September as one of the world's two most corrupt nations by watchdog group Transparency International.

Yangon is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and thus is legally bound by its provisions.

"The sale of endangered cat parts ... is an appalling and brazen violation of the law in Myanmar and should not be tolerated," said Susan Lieberman, director of the WWF's wildlife programme.

"Most of these species have very low population numbers and will not be able to withstand the amount of poaching that is feeding this trade."

Parts of rare mammals -- especially the penis and bones -- are used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance sexual potency or health.

Four of the big cats whose parts were for sale figure on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List as threatened with extinction: the tiger, the clouded leopard, the marbled cat and the Asiatic golden cat.

Along with a fifth, the leopard, they are all banned from international trade by CITES.

While most of the specimens from these five species were found in surveys during the 1990s, more than 120 turned up after 2000, showing that the illegal trade is still going strong, the report concluded.