Illegal tiger trade 'killing 100 big cats each year'

Mark Kinver BBC News 9 Nov 10;

The illegal trade in tiger parts has led to more than 1,000 wild tigers being killed over the past decade, a report suggests.

Traffic International, a wildlife trade monitoring network, found that skins, bones and claws were among the most common items seized by officials.

The trade continues unabated despite efforts to protect the cats, it warns.

Over the past century, tiger numbers have fallen from about 100,000 individuals to just an estimated 3,500.

The study, which used data from 11 of the 13 countries that are home to populations of Panthera tigris, estimated that between 1,069 and 1,220 tigers were killed to supply the illicit demand for tiger parts.

'Poaching pressures'

Since October 1987, tigers have been listed as an Appendix I species (threatened with extinction) under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), which means all commercial trade in the animals or their parts is banned.

The figure was based on analysis of 481 seizures. More than 275 of the seizures were in India, which - the report's authors said - represented between 469 and 533 tigers.

China, with 40, had the second highest number of seizures, accounting for up to 124 animals, while Nepal reported 39 seizures, or 113-130 tigers, they added.

"Given half the world's Tigers live in India, it's no real surprise the country has the highest number of seizures," explained co-author Pauline Verheij, joint TRAFFIC and WWF tiger trade programme manager.

"While a high number of seizures could indicate high levels of trade or effective enforcement work, or a combination of both, it does highlight the nation's tigers are facing severe poaching pressure," she added.

"With parts of potentially more than 100 wild tigers actually seized each year, one can only speculate what the true numbers of animals are being plundered."

Drugs, weapons, wildlife

The authors said the data showed that the trade continued "unabated despite considerable and repeated efforts to curtail it on the part of tiger range and consumer countries, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs".

Commenting on the findings, leader of WWF's Tigers Alive initiative Mike Baltzer said: "Clearly enforcement efforts to date are either ineffective or an insufficient deterrent.

"Not only must the risk of getting caught increase significantly, but seizures and arrests must also be followed up by swift prosecution and adequate sentencing, reflecting the seriousness of crimes against tigers," he added.

In March 2010, during the most recent high level meeting of Cites, nations agreed to increase intelligence sharing against criminal networks that smuggled big cat parts.

Speaking in 2009, World Bank chief Robert Zoellick said the global black market in wildlife products was worth about $10bn (£6bn) per year, making wildlife the third most valuable illicit commodity after drugs and weapons.

Conservationists also point to China's "tiger farms" as a threat to the wild animals because, they say, it perpetuates a market into which wild tiger parts can be sold, often commanding a higher value as products made from wild animals are perceived to be more "potent".

Although China does not officially permit the sale of goods from these farms, in practice several investigations have revealed tiger parts are being sold.

The report called for an improved understanding of the tiger trade and much tighter law enforcement.

"But good enforcement alone will not solve the problem," warned Steven Broad, executive director of Traffic.

"To save tigers in the wild, concerted action is needed to reduce the demand for tiger parts altogether in key countries in Asia."

Enforcement efforts to date, the authors concluded, "point to a lack of political will among those responsible at national and international levels".

They hoped the report would provide an "important baseline to inform the understanding of this persistent yet illegal trade".

Illegal tiger trade kills 1,000 in a decade: study
Yahoo News 9 Nov 10;

LONDON (AFP) – More than 1,000 tigers have been killed in the past decade to fuel the illegal trade in parts of the endangered big cats, a report by a wildlife monitoring group said Tuesday.

India, China and Nepal ranked highest in the number of seizures of tiger parts but the trade has spiked recently in Southeast Asian nations, British-based Traffic International said.

Complete skins, skeletons, claws, skulls and penises were among the most common items seized, while officials had also found whole animals -- both live and dead, it added.

"With parts of potentially more than 100 wild tigers actually seized each year, one can only speculate what the true numbers of animals are being plundered," said Pauline Verheij, one of the authors of the report.

From January 2000 to April 2010 parts of between 1,069 and 1,220 tigers were seized in 11 of the 13 countries where tigers live in the wild, the report said.

India, home to half the world's tigers, had by far the highest number of seizures of tiger parts. The 276 raids uncovered parts from 533 tigers.

China had the second highest with 40 raids, followed by Nepal on 39.

But the report said there was a growing number of parts seized in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Myanmar's borders with India and China were a major hotspot, as were the Malaysia-Thailand frontier and the Russia-China border.

Tiger parts are used in many cultures for decoration, traditional medicines and good luck charms.

Mike Baltzer, leader of the environmental group WWF, said the report "demonstrates that illegal tiger trade continues despite considerable and repeated efforts to curtail it by many governments and organisations."

The WWF warned last month that tigers could become extinct within 12 years, with the number of the big cats worldwide plunging 97 percent from its peak to around just 3,200 today.

Russia is scheduled to host a "summit" of the 13 so-called tiger-range countries in Saint Petersburg on November 21-24.

Over 1,000 tigers killed in decade of illegal trade
Reuters AlertNet 10 Nov 10;

TOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - More than 1,000 tigers have been killed over the last decade for illegal trade in parts such as skin and bones, and this is likely only a small fraction of the true numbers, a study by wildlife protection groups says.

India saw by far the most seizures of tiger parts, followed by China, Nepal, and Indonesia, said British-based Traffic International, which carried out the study with help from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

"With parts of potentially more than 100 wild tigers actually seized each year, one can only speculate what the true numbers of animals are being plundered," said Pauline Verheij, joint Traffic and WWF Tiger Trade Programme Manager and an author of a report on the study.

A study issued in September by the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society said Asia's tiger population could be near extinction, with fewer than 3,500 remaining in the wild.

Tiger parts reported in trade ranged from complete skins, skeletons, and even whole animals -- alive and dead -- through to bones, meat, claws, teeth, skulls, penises and other body parts, the report said.

A total of 481 parts seizures were analysed, suggesting at least 1,069 tigers killed and a maxiumum of 1,220, between January 2000 to April 2010.

That works out to an annual average ranging from 104 to 119 tigers, though the report warns that this is only a fraction of the total trade.

Though India remains a major player in the supply of tiger parts, the roles of Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam as suppliers are growing as demand remains for tiger products.

"The data show that illegal tiger trade continues unabated despite considerable and repeated efforts to curtail it on the part of tiger range and consumer countries, inter-governmental organizations, and NGOs," the report says.

Tiger parts are used in many cultures as good luck charms, decoration or in traditional medicines, with the animals symbolising strength, courage and luck.

More than 1,000 Tigers reduced to skin and bones in last decade
TRAFFIC 10 Nov 10;

Cambridge, UK, 9th November 2010—Parts of at least 1,069 Tigers have been seized in Tiger range countries over the past decade, according to new analysis of Tiger seizures carried out by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.

Reduced to Skin and Bones (PDF, 4 MB) shows that from January 2000 to April 2010, parts of between 1,069 and 1,220 Tigers were seized in 11 of the 13 tiger range countries—or an average of 104 to 119 animals per year.

Of the 11, India, China and Nepal ranked highest in the number of tiger part seizures, the report states, with India by far the highest number of Tiger part seizures at 276, representing between 469 and 533 Tigers. China, with 40, had the second highest number of seizures, or 116-124 Tigers, and Nepal reported 39 seizures, or 113-130 Tigers, according to the report.

“Given half the world’s Tigers live in India, it’s no real surprise the country has the highest number of seizures, and while a high number of seizures could indicate high levels of trade or effective enforcement work, or a combination of both, it does highlight the nation’s tigers are facing severe poaching pressure,” said Pauline Verheij, joint TRAFFIC and WWF Tiger Trade Programme Manager and an author of the report.

“With parts of potentially more than 100 wild Tigers actually seized each year, one can only speculate what the true numbers of animals are being plundered.”

More enforcement needed to save wild tigers
Tiger parts reported in trade ranged from complete skins, skeletons and even whole animals—live and dead, through to bones, meat, claws, teeth, skulls, penises and other body parts.

They are used by a variety of cultures for decoration, in traditional medicines and even as good luck charms.

“First and foremost, the report demonstrates that illegal Tiger trade continues despite considerable and repeated efforts to curtail it by many governments and organizations in both consumer and range countries,” said Mike Baltzer, leader of WWF’s Tigers Alive initiative. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of WWF and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

“Clearly enforcement efforts to date are either ineffective or an insufficient deterrent,” said Baltzer. “Not only must the risk of getting caught increase significantly, but seizures and arrests must also be followed up by swift prosecution and adequate sentencing, reflecting the seriousness of crimes against Tigers.

The report also notes an apparent increasing number of seizures in Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam. Some areas stand out in the report as hot spots in the illicit trade, including Nepal as a transit country, and the India-Myanmar, Malaysia-Thailand, Myanmar-China and the Russia-China borders. Additionally, many seizures take place within 50 km of protected tiger areas, such as those in the Western Ghats, Sundarbans and Terai Arc.

“But good enforcement alone will not solve the problem. To save Tigers in the wild, concerted action is needed to reduce the demand for Tiger parts altogether in key countries in Asia,” said Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC.

Enforcement efforts to date, the authors conclude “point to a lack of political will among those responsible at national and international levels for protecting Tigers from illegal killing and trade.”

“A paradigm shift in terms of commitment is needed and all stakeholders will have to join forces to create an intelligence-driven, well co-ordinated, trans-boundary and sustained push against forces driving one of the most legendary species on Earth to extinction,” says the report.

In decline but hope remains
Wild Tiger numbers are in steep decline, caused by a combination of poaching and illegal trade in the animals themselves, coupled with habitat loss and encroachment and excessive poaching of key prey species. A century ago there were around 100,000 wild Tigers; today the figure is believed to be as few as 3,200.

The report comes as heads of governments from tiger range states prepare to meet at a tiger summit later this month in St. Petersburg, Russia to finalize the Global Tiger Recovery Program, a plan that aims to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022. It will include a major enforcement push by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), which comprises CITES, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank, and the World Customs Organization. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will host the International Tiger Forum from 21–24 November and representatives from all 13 tiger range countries are expected to attend.

“The forthcoming summit is a vital one for the future of wild Tigers, their very future hangs in the balance,” said Broad.

ENDS

More information
Richard Thomas, Communications Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC. Tel: +44 1223 279068, mobile + 44 752 6646 216, email: Richard.thomas@traffic.org

Ian Morrison, Media Officer, WWF International. Tel: +41 22 364 9554, mobile: +41 79 874 6853 email: imorrison@wwfint.org

Notes
Reduced to Skin and Bones. An Analysis of Tiger Seizures from 11 Tiger Range Countries (2000–2010) (PDF, 4 MB) by Pauline Verheij, Kaitlyn-Elizabeth Foley and Katalina Engel.

TRAFFIC works to support government agencies in law enforcement networking across Asia and globally to combat illegal wildlife trade. Technical assistance across the enforcement continuum, including facilitation of inter-governmental dialogues, engaging the judicial sector, and working with WWF to improve linkages from national level agencies to field-based rangers, is provided on demand to member countries of the ASEAN and South Asia Wildlife Enforcement networks, as well as to China and its immediate neighbours.