INFOCUS TRAFFIC INDIA UPDATE OUTPOST TRAFFIC ALERT CITES

From the desk

Welcome to the first issue ofthe 'TRAFFIC Post' - a quarterlynewsletter of TRAFFIC India.This newsletter also marks the comeback of TRAFFIC India.

The TRAFFIC Network is a jointconservation programme of

TRAFFIC was established in 1976, sincewhen it has developed into a worldwide network with a considerableinternational reputation for helping to identify and addressconservation challenges linked to wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC came to India in 1991, operating as a division of WWFIndia. It worked closely with the National and the State Governmentsand various agencies to help study, monitor and influence action tocurb illegal wildlife trade. For various reasons, the office had to shutdown in 2002. It resumed work once again in December 2006.WWF and TRAFFIC are committed to work together with governmentagencies, NGOs, and all like minded individuals to curb illegalwildlife trade that has become a growing threat to our naturaltreasures.

As a specialist organisation monitoring wildlife trade issues, TRAFFICIndia has an important contribution to make in the country.

'TRAFFIC Post' is a TRAFFIC India's quarterly newsletter conceived tohighlight the burning issues related to illegal wildlife trade. It alsoaims to update its readers on TRAFFIC India's efforts in this cause.You can also look forward to reading about emerging issues onwildlife trade trends through the sections called TRAFFIC 'Alert' and'In Focus'.

We look forward to your valued inputs on how to make thispublication even better. Let's work together to help ensure that tradein wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation ofnature in India.

Yours in conservation,Ravi SinghSG & CEOWWF-India

WWF theglobal conservation organization andIUCN-The World Conservation Union.

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a press conference

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WWF-India and TRAFFIC

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Latest news on the most

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on Tiger Trade

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'Signature Campaign' for the

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wildlife trade in South Asia

• Fact file on illegal trade of

CITES rejects lifting of the

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WWF and TRAFFIC launch

TRAFFIC India up scales its

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TRAFFIC and SACEP signal

intention

Indian Star Tortoises

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Tigers today are threatened with extinction. One of the primarythreats to their survival is illegal trade in bone and other body partsused for Traditional Chinese Medicines. The illegal trade in skins

for clothing is also a growing threat.

China's existing policy-a complete trade ban, implemented in 1993- hasbeen vital to protecting Tigers in the wild. However, Tiger farms acrossChina continue to house over 4,000 Tigers in their farms. Tiger farming inChina is also supported by Article 17 of their Wildlife Protection Law, 1988which says that the state shall encourage domestication and breeding ofwildlife. Reports have indicated that the Tiger farms are getting hugeamounts of funding for their captive breeding programme for restockingtigers in the wild. The Tiger carcasses are being refrigerated at present inthe hope that one day the domestic ban will be lifted and these could besold legally.

In order to create awareness in civil society and request the IndianGovernment to take up the cause of the wild Tigers during the CITESmeeting, WWF-India and TRAFFIC India had organised a press conferencein New Delhi on May 16, 2007 which was also attended by theInternational Tiger Coalition partners from India.

The conference helped to generate interest and awareness about Tiger conservation. During the conference, the Indiandelegates spoke strongly about the impact of the lifting of this ban in China in other countries and especially in India,where there is already a struggle for better enforcement and protection of Tiger habitat.

Therefore, there was a strong belief that China will lobby tore-open its trade domestically during the Conference of the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna andFlora, to be held in June 2007 in Netherlands.

WWF-India and TRAFFIC organise a pressconference to highlight issues related to Tiger conservation

CITES rejects lifting of the ban on Tiger trade

TRAFFIC september 2007POST

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CITES is an inter-governmental treaty to regulate wildlife trade. It aims to ensure that international trade inspecimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. It is one of the most successful internationalconventions and has 172 countries party to it. India has been its members since 1976.

The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP14) was recently held at The Hague in the Netherlands from June 3 to 15, 2007. SamirSinha, Head-TRAFFIC India attended the CoP 14 as member of the TRAFFIC delegation.

The meeting was a significant milestone in international cooperation to strengthen support for Tiger conservation. Threecountries with wild Tigers India, Nepal and Bhutan were joined by the United States in calling on China to phase out thecountry's privately run “Tiger farms” that presently house over 4,000 of these big cats. These farms have been pushing theChinese government to allow legal trade in Tiger parts. The pressure brought on was fruitful and the 172 membercountries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) adopted a strong Tiger trade decisionby consensus. “Tigers should not be bred for their parts or derivatives” was the unequivocal message from the forum. Thisis expected to have a significant positive impact on the future of wild Tigers.


WWF-India and TRAFFIC launch a'Signature Campaign' for the Tigers

in the wild

WWF-India and TRAFFIC have initiated a 'Signature Campaign' todraw nationwide attention to the plight of the Tiger. The campaignaims at reaching out to the multitudes of Tiger and nature lovers in

the country, while simultaneously hoping to drive home the point, that itcould be 'now or never' for the Indian Tiger.

The campaign was launched at the Secretariat, WWF-India in New Delhi.Schoolchildren, Tiger lovers, eminent conservationists and WWF affiliatessuch as the Indian members of The International Tiger Coalition (an allianceof 35 organizations representing more than 100 organizations across theglobe, united under the common aim of stopping trade in Tiger parts andproducts from all sources) were present at the launch.

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Mr. Samir Sinha, Head,TRAFFIC-India who waspresent at the meetingadds, “It was trulyrewarding to see Indiaspeaking out strongly andcourageously for its wildTigers. Hopefully, this willtranslate into more strongand concerted efforts onthe ground for theconservation of ournational animal”.

The Tiger debate during theCITES meeting has beencaptured in a publicationcalled 'The Roar of the

Tiger'. This publication was recently released by TRAFFIC India at a pressconference organised jointly by the Indian members of The InternationalTiger Coalition in New Delhi on August 3, 2007. The publication can beviewed at .www.wwfindia.org

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The ‘Roar of the Tiger': This publication tries to capture the essence ofthe Tiger debate that took place during the 14 meeting of theConference of Parties. Voices rung clear that it is important to urge Chinato continue with the ban on Tiger trade, and not allow trade in theirparts in any part of the world. During the meeting, India was vocal onthe issue to save the Tigers, and keen to take proactive measures for thebenefit of Tiger conservation in our country. It said that, “Open sale ofTiger body parts through farmed specimens is detrimental to thesurvival of an umbrella species like Tiger, which is symbolic of the wellbeing of an ecosystem. Therefore we strongly urge the Parties to desistfrom the idea of captive breeding of Tiger and phase out all suchprograms in the interest of wild Tigers.”

The significance of the debate was set not only by what was introducedand finally adopted on the floor of the committee by the respectiveparties but also in the statements and remarks made by them during thecourse of the debate. One of the key messages on this importantinternational forum was that “Tiger should not be bred for their parts orderivatives.

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TRAFFIC ‘Alert’

Red Sanders confiscatedin Chennai

Directorate of Revenue Intelligenceofficials had seized 37 tonnes of RedSanders from three containers meantfor export at the Chennai port inAugust 2007. The estimated value ofthe seized goods was around Rs1.5crores and was on their way to Chinaand Malaysia. A similar seizure alsotook place in the month of July 2007where the Officers of Directorate ofRevenue Intelligence had seized10.204 tonnes of Red Sanders froman export container at the Chennaiairport. The estimated cost of thisconsignment was around Rs 62 lakhs.The Red Sanders were on their wayto Singapore.

On April 18, 2007, the police inNepal seized nearly 7 tonnes of RedSanders near its border with Tibet.Hidden under mounds of rice, thecargo was being moved from India toChina via Nepal.

TRAFFIC India adds.......

Red Sanders is ahard wood that is mainly found in theSouthern parts of the Eastern Ghats.It is valued for its natural scent andits oil that is used to make perfumes.The export of Red anders in the logform is prohibited in India.

Red Sanders is largely smuggled toJapan but recent reports haveindicated that China is the newemerging market for the trade.

Recent seizure of 200 tonnes of RedSanders in Nepal has indicated thatthe transport of this timber from theSouthern States to the North Easternstates of India and further ahead toNepal and beyond is a new trend inillegal trade of this species.

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http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/16/stories/2007081654400500.htmhttp://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200707261550.htmhttp://www.indiaenews.com/nepal/20070419/48030.htm

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Also at the event, WWF-Indiadisplayed a Tiger mosaic onthe Secretariat building. Thismosaic is a product of aninternational campaign thatran on websites, prior to thelatest Convention onInternational Trade inEndangered Species of WildFauna and Flora (CITES).Having received over 20,000pictures from over 150countries of which Indiawas amongst the top tencontributors -- the mosaicsymbolizes the power ofvisual imagery, and globalconcern for the Tiger.

The 'Signature Campaign' aims to create support for Tiger conservation andurge the Government to take immediate action. “Protecting Tigers in the wild isnot only on the top of the agenda of a handful of conservationists and NGOs butis the also wish of the larger populace. This 'Signature Campaign' will help toreinstate this resolve that will go a long way in protecting the Tiger in the wild,”adds Samir Sinha, Head-TRAFFIC India.

The guests of honor at the event were the frontline staff of the forest whopatrol the protected areas with minimal equipment.

“Clearly, our government needs to be as effective towards on-the-groundmeasures as it was in lobbying at the global platform to save the Tiger and itslandscapes. People, too must spread the word, and do their bit to save theTiger.” said Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India.

This helped to drawattention towards the hundreds of key field positions including the forestguard positions that are lying vacant. In the past, there has been no or verylittle new recruitment which means that we have an ageing force fighting toprotect our wildlife.


Traders convicted forbird trade

In the month of August 2007, acourt in New Delhi sentenced aman to three-years of rigorousimprisonment for indulging inillegal trade of rare species of birds15 years ago. The accused, aresident of Jama Masjid was foundguilty under the Wildlife(Protection) Act of 1972 and wasalso slapped a fine of Rs.25,000. Hewas arrested by sleuths of theSpecial Cell near Jama Masjid onSeptember 17, 1992 and was inpossession of 25 Rose-ringedParakeets, seven Black-headedMunias and 73 other Munias.

TRAFFIC ‘Alert’

TRAFFIC India upscales its effort tocurb illegal wildlife trade

In India, there is a stringent legal framework to curb illegal wildlife trade.However, poachers and traders are rapidly changing their modusoperandi, thus posing new challenges for the Government and the

enforcement agencies. TRAFFIC India whose mandate is to strengthenenforcement and protection has been working with the Forest Departmentand other enforcement agencies, by equipping them with skills to curb illegalwildlife trade.

Over the last few months, TRAFFIC India has organised four workshops on'Combating Illegal Wildlife Trade with a special reference to 'Asian Big Cats'all across India. One such workshop was held in Gangtok, Sikkim on May 21and 22, 2007; at Guwahati, Assam on May 24 and 25, 2007; at theRanthambore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan on July 13 & 14, 2007 and inMudumulai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu on July 27 & 28, 2007. Theseworkshops were organised in association with the respective State ForestDepartments.

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Illegal trade in birds has becomerampant in India. Parakeets, Munias,Weavers and Patridges top the chart ofthe most commonly traded wild birdsin India.

This conviction might be perhaps oneof the first time that a bird trader hasbeen sentenced to three years ofimprisonment for trading inendangered birds. This should nowbecome an exemplary for similar casesinvolving bird trade in India.

In India, the Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972 prohibits hunting and trading ofall Indian birds. In 1990, a ban wasfurther imposed on the export of livebirds from India and a year later localtrade in birds was also banned.Presently, there is no restriction on thedomestic sale of exotic species thathave been bred in captivity in India.This is where the law is beingbrazenly flouted by someunscrupulous traders. Traders havedevised ingenious ways ofcamouflaging endangered Indian birdsin myriad colours so that they lookexotic and pass off as captive-bredexotic birds.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/06/stories/2007080651640300.htm

The main focus of these workshops was to discuss wildlife trade issues from alocal, regional and national perspective as well as for building capacity to curbwildlife trade.

Many a times the wildlife cases in India have failed to deliver desired results.One of the key reasons for this failure can be attributed to the lack of in-depthknowledge and understanding of the wildlife laws by the enforcement agencies.

Training was imparted on theselegal and technical aspects thatare required to strengthen legalstanding on cases pertaining towildlife. These workshops arean outcome of a 'TrainingNeeds Assessment' meetingorganised by TRAFFIC India inthe month of March 2007where representatives fromWildlife Institute of India, CBI,ITBP, CITES ManagementAuthority, Police, ForestDepartment, militaryintelligence, Customs andLNJN National Institute ofCriminology and ForensicSciences had come together to

identify gaps in handling wildlife trade. The lack of capacity among the ForestDepartment and other enforcement agencies was identified as one of the mainissues.

The response to these workshops was overwhelming. Over two hundredofficials have been trained in these workshops. These include representativesfrom the Forest Department, Indian Army, ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)Customs and Police officials.


TRAFFIC ‘Alert’

Sea Horses seized inChennai

Customs officials at the Chennai airportseized 32 kg of dried Sea Horses inMarch 2007. These were brought to theairport for despatch to Bangkok by aThai Airways flight. As per CITES, theSea Horse, belonging tospecies, is an endangered animal listedin Schedule I of the Wildlife(Protection) Act, 1972, and any kind oftrade in it is prohibited underinternational law.

Another big seizure of smuggled SeaHorses that took place was by theDirectorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI) in July of 2004. The Sea Horseswere seized from a Singapore-boundvessel at Chennai port and were worthRs 13.44 crore in the internationalmarket and Rs 2.68 crore in thedomestic market. The quantity ofseizure was a surprise to theauthorities. This confirmed their doubtthat the commercial exploitation of seahorses had increased.

Hippocampus


Sea Horses from India find a ready marketin many South-East Asian countries. Theyare poached along the Palk Bay and Gulf ofMannar coasts and are illegally exported toSouth-East Asian countries, where peoplebelieve these have medicinal, particularly,aphrodisiac properties, apart from being acure for asthma and kidney ailments. Thevolume of dried Sea Horse trade from Indiawas estimated to be 9.75 t as derived fromcatch data in 2001, which was much higherthan official statistics of 4.34 t during 2001-2002, suggesting the major part of theexports might be through non-conventionalmeans and goes undeclared.

Many a times dried Sea Horses aresmuggled along with dry chillies to curb itssmell. Also they resemble closely to thedried chillies and are often traded illegallyunder the name of “guntur chilli”.

As per CITES, the Sea Horse, belonging tospecies , is an endangeredanimal listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife(Protection) Act, 1972, and any kind of tradein it is prohibited under the internationallaw.

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TRAFFIC India joins hands withDisney Adventures magazine

TRAFFIC India has collaborated with Disney Adventures magazine tospread awareness among children on issues related to illegal wildlifetrade. This tie up will allow TRAFFIC India to reach out to over 40,000

children every month and especially in those areas wherewildlife trade and crime issues are at thecentre stage. To encouragechildren's interest andparticipation, TRAFFICIndia has also offered togive away prizes for a quizon wildlife trade in everyissue of this magazine forthe coming six months.

A small alert on illegal tradein butterflies has alreadybeen featured in the Augustedition of Disney Adventuresin India. The first issue of theTRAFFIC India's quiz in themagazine has also hit thestands.

http://www.wpsi-india.org/news/10042007.phphttp://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040919/spectrum/main2.htmFisheries Management and Ecology, Volume 12 Issue 4 Page269-273, August 2005 , K. R. SALIN, T. M. YOHANNAN, C.MOHANAKUMARAN NAIR (2005)

TRAFFIC ‘Alert’


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TRAFFIC and SACEP signal intention to curb illegalwildlife trade in South Asia

July 22, 2007: The South Asian Co-operative EnvironmentProgramme (SACEP) has signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding with TRAFFIC, to enlist the wildlife trade

network's assistance in building a regional network for ensuringthe sustainability of legal wildlife trade and for tackling wildlifecrime in South Asia.

The South Asian network will be modelled on the highly successfulASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), an inter-governmental initiative which has brought ten Southeast Asiagovernments together to combat wildlife crime. TRAFFIC iscontinuing to work with Wildlife Alliance (formerly known asWildAid), via a cooperative partnership with USAID, to providetechnical assistance to government agencies that are implementingASEAN-WEN.

"TRAFFIC was instrumental in helping establish the ASEANWildlife Enforcement Network in Southeast Asia, and we'redelighted to be able to call upon their assistance for building asimilar network in South Asia," said Dr Arvind Boaz, DirectorGeneral of SACEP.

"TRAFFIC is delighted to be working with SACEP on this importantinitiative in the South Asia region," said Steven Broad, ExecutiveDirector of TRAFFIC.

"It's gratifying to see the success of ASEAN-WEN leading to similar inter-governmental initiatives elsewhere in Asia. It'sa model we hope will be adapted to fit regional contexts worldwide."

Steven Broad of TRAFFIC (left) and Arvind Boaz ofSACEP signed a Memorandum of Understanding

between the two organizations on managing wildlifetrade in South Asia

French charged withwildlife theft ofinsects

Three French nationals werecharged for violating wildlife lawsin Gangtok, the N -E

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orth astern stateof Sikkim in July 2007. The triowere held with around 41 insects,including rare species of utterflies

oths. They also possessedequipments for collecting andcatching insects. The three youthswho claimed to be students from theUniversity of Corte, Corsica, France,pleaded not guilty, saying they werenot aware of local laws.

The authorities deported them to theWest Bengal State after imposing a

fine of Rs. 25000. The governmentdecided to "relax" the punishmentpurely on humanitarian groundssince the three were young andunaware of the law.

TRAFFIC India adds.......Recent seizures have indicatedthat the insects in the wild arenot safe anymore. A largenumber of Butterflies and Mothsare collected and smuggled toother countries. Many of theseinsects are protected under theWildlife (Protection) Act, 1972and some even enjoy the samelegal status as the tiger.

Insects are an importantcomponent of the diversity andwild gene pool. In the year 2001,two Russians entomologistswere arrested in the Sikkim inIndia, for attempting to smuggle

endangered butterflies, mothsand beetles out of India. The totalweight of the insects seized fromthem was close to 21 kilograms.A rare butterfly in Europe couldfetch up to $ 400.

In the above cited seizureinvolving the French Nationals,it is important to understandthat-

1. There is no provision in theWildlife (Protection) Act, 1972to ‘relax’ punishments. The casewas compounded by the StateGovernment.2. Ignorance of the law is notan excuse.

http://www.newkerala.com/nknews.php?action=fullnews&id=49364http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1485855.stm


IN FOCUS: Indian Star Tortoise

The Indian Star Tortoise has becomeone of the most commonly traded wildlife species. InIndia, hunting and trade of the species is banned under

the Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Theinternational trade of the species is also prohibited under theAppendix-II of CITES.

Over the years Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Pune, the Port City of Kandla in the Gulf of Kutch, thecoast of Gujarat and Rajasthan have emerged as common trade points for smuggling the Indian Star Tortoise.Reports have also indicated three main international trade routes that is Bangalore-Kolkatta-Hongkong; Bombayto the Middle East and Saurashtra-Kutch-Kandla to the Middle East.

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Geochelone elegans

Commonly known as Tarewala kachua, Star Tortoises arethreatened by poaching for trade and loss of habitat. Due to theirsmall sizes, live tortoises can easily be carried around in baggagewith fruits and vegetables. They are often wrongly declared asfish, crabs and souvenirs. Star Tortoises are either traded for theirmeat or for the live pet trade. A significant part of the trade ismeant for the international markets.

Between 2001 and 2004 approximately 7,000 Star Tortoises wereconfiscated across India, while 19,000 were recorded to havebeen traded internationally with fraudulent papers. In 2005 thetrade hit an all-time high of 9,480 animals. If these are the "legally" traded numbers worldwide, then the numberssmuggled illegally are definitely several times higher.

Another shocking seizure of the star tortoise in August 2007 is a grim reminder of the volume of this trade. TheDirectorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 2,016 Star Tortoises, which were being smuggled to Malaysia, at theMumbai International Airport on August 24, 2007. The two arrested were booked under the Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 and Customs Act, 1962. Reports suggest that the tortoises were sourced from coastal areas in Tamil Naduand the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and were being sent through Mumbai to Malaysia where they fetch a highprice.

“A large number of seizures in the pastindicate the magnitude of the illegaltrade of Indian Star Tortoises,” saysSamir Sinha, Head-TRAFFIC India. “Thelegal enforcement does not end with theoffender being caught with the smuggledtortoises. It is necessary to set upintelligence to catch the king pins of thistrade.”

http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/02/stories/2007060202801300.htmhttp://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/All/ABE0FF6E0AB002FD652573410056363http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=35&contenti

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Contact: TRAFFIC IndiaWWF India Secretariat

172-B, Lodi EstateNew Delhi-110003

Tel: +91-11-41504786Email:

[email protected]

www.traffic.orgwww.wwfindia.org

Editorial team:

Dilpreet B. [email protected]

Rahul [email protected]

M K S [email protected]

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INFOCUS TRAFFIC INDIA UPDATE OUTPOST TRAFFIC ALERT CITES