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November 2001
On sale in a souq in Buraimi (Oman) were traditional Middle Eastern daggers (jambiyah), some reasonably priced and some expensive. Being aware that jambiyah handles are often made of rhino horn (the rhinoceros is a critically endangered species and trading in its parts is illegal), I asked the salesman if the handle of a highly priced dagger was indeed rhino horn. He proudly said ‘yes.’ It was really sad, therefore, that a European tourist who seemed fascinated by it bought this particular dagger. I pointed out that rhinos are threatened; that they were shot, poisoned, trapped, electrocuted and even hung for their horn; and that it is a protected species and this shouldn’t be on sale in the first place. But he bought the dagger anyway.
Reptile skin purses, coral jewelry, turtle shell guitars, parrots and turtles as pets, shatoosh shawls, caviar from the illegal exploitation of sturgeon…..any number of endangered species products are bought and sold in markets around the world as wildlife hurtles towards extinction. Sales will continue as long as markets thrive.
We should say “no” to illegal wildlife products; and to live animals sold as pets. True, we may not know that what we are buying is illegal or a product contains something questionable. It is, therefore, best to read labels, ask questions, request documentation and, when in doubt, not buy at all. If we are really suspicious, we should report to the authorities. The feature that follows has pictures of some animal species that are found in pet shops in the UAE. Trading in these is illegal unless supported by permits.
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We are living in an age of extinctions. Extinct is forever. When a plant or animal species is extinct, it means that not a single live individual remains on the earth either in the wild or in captivity.
Present day extinctions are different from the five mass extinctions known in the evolutionary history of planet earth. Different because these are not brought about by natural phenomena like glaciation or the impact of an extra-terrestrial object colliding with the earth. These are being caused by a single species – human beings; and over relatively short periods of time.
Take the passenger pigeon for example – a migratory bird, hunted to extermination by man. In the early 1800s their population in North America was in billions, darkening the skies as they obscured the sun in flight. By 1914 the passenger pigeon was declared extinct when the last bird died in captivity. The cause of extinction: shooting and sale for food in the growing cities of the eastern seaboard of America where slaughtered millions used to arrive loaded in railway carloads each year. A monument dedicated to the passenger pigeon in Wisconsin’s Wyalausing State Park tells the tale “This species became extinct through the avarice and thoughtlessness of man.”
Destruction of natural habitats, fragmentation of more and poisoning of still more are factors that are causing species extinctions on a daily basis. Amongst the wildlife disappearing are many creatures that we are familiar with; but there so many others that are unknown as scientists have not yet recorded them.
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Rampant international trade in live animals and their products is one significant cause of the decline of plant and animal species globally. It is big business estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually and involving more than 350 million plants and animals every year. A major proportion of the trade is illegal, posing a major threat to the survival of threatened and endangered species. Examples are the rhino (horn, Asian medicines, and Middle Eastern dagger handles); tiger and the large spotted cats (skins and bone); orangutan (pet trade); most cranes (aviculture); African elephant (ivory); goshawk (falconry); various freshwater turtles (food, medicine, and pets); and snakes (pets and leather).
Although there are a number of international treaties and conventions that help protect endangered or threatened wildlife species, one of the most far-reaching is the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This treaty is now signed by 146 countries, making it one of the world’s largest conservation agreements in existence. It accords varying degrees of protection to more than 30,000 plant and animal species depending on their biological status and the impact that international trade may have upon this status.
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The UAE acceded to CITES in 1990 and so committed itself to banning commercial international trade in critically endangered species and regulating and monitoring trade in others that might become endangered. The commitment, however, remained largely on paper. As a series of media reports (Gulf News) in late 2000 - early 2001 and sporadically more recently reveal, trade in endangered species is taking place and goes largely unchecked, both of live animals as pets (such as cheetahs, chimpanzees, monkeys, some lions and leopards, rare parrots and falcons) as well as animal parts (skins, teeth, claws, shells sourced from the big cats, wolves, crocodiles, snakes and turtles). Traffic in these is required to be either barred or controlled under the CITES agreement. Besides, the trade in some such as ivory, rhino horn, and turtle shell is reportedly forbidden even under domestic laws.
The investigative reports covering Dubai and Sharjah pointed out the lacunae in national and local laws that allow the trade to continue; prevailing ignorance about CITES that hinders policing; and the deplorable treatment of these rare animals in transit, on sale and even after sale.
| HOW DOES CITES WORK?
CITES operates at three levels of control.
Appendix 1 of the Convention lists those species that are critically endangered and for which commercial trade is totally banned. Examples are all the great apes; various big cats such as cheetah, snow leopard and tiger; numerous birds of prey, cranes and pheasants, all sea turtles; many species of crocodile, tortoise and snake; some cacti and orchids.
Appendix 11 lists those species that may become endangered if trade is not regulated and for which there is a system of export and import controls. This includes all those primates, cats, cetaceans (group made up of whales, dolphins and porpoises), birds of prey, parrots, crocodiles and orchids not listed in Appendix 1.
Appendix 111 lists a number of species that are protected in a particular country of origin and for which the cooperation of other member countries is needed to control cross-border trade. Many bird species have been included in this Appendix by Ghana, Malaysia and several other countries.
Countries that are party to CITES must draft and implement domestic legislation to allow enforcement of the provisions of the Convention. Each country must designate a management authority to issue permits for trade listed in the CITES Appendices. Member countries must also designate a scientific authority to provide scientific advice on imports and exports. CITES enforcement is often the responsibility of customs, police or similar agencies.
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News reports in February 2001 prompted the Abu Dhabi-based Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency’s (ERWDA’s) Terrestrial Environment Research Centre (TERC) to carry out an investigation into the alleged sale of CITES listed live animals in Abu Dhabi. TERC conducted an undercover investigation in animal souqs, pet shops and the livestock market in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. They found on sale, without the required permits, a number of listed species – green turtle, African spurred tortoise (currently a worldwide ban on commercial trade in wild caught specimens), African grey parrot, blue and yellow macaw, red and blue macaw, yellow-crested cockatoo (critically endangered), vervet monkey, rhesus monkey and the common hill mynah.
The ERWDA team found the scale of the problem less than anticipated, although, there may be significant seasonal variation in animal availability. Pritpal Singh Soorae, senior conservation officer, ERWDA, for instance, has personally seen among other animals, a Nile crocodile and various terrestrial tortoise species being sold without permits.
Besides, what “effectively hides a potentially huge problem” was some dealers’ willingness to obtain virtually any animal for a customer. The delivery address, however, would have to be somewhere other than the pet shop to avoid being apprehended for selling illegal animals.
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Quite obviously, several listed species are kept in stock at some secluded location from where they can be supplied to buyers on demand. Some shops are even known to possess catalogues resembling photo albums from which prospective clients can choose exotic pets including cheetah, primates, oryx and gazelle.
Concrete measures, including legal instruments and enforcement mechanisms at the federal and local levels need to be put in place to curb illicit trade in endangered species in adherence to the CITES agreement.
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Also required are awareness about CITES for the public, officials and decision makers as well as training of authorities at the points of entry of animals into the country. “The UAE is gaining a bad reputation because of the lack of enforcement. It has been mentioned by name by CITES in this regard,” says Fredric Launay, acting director, WWF UAE project office. “How to handle confiscated animals is another issue that urgently needs attention as this requires skill in veterinary care and rehabilitation and is posing a burden in terms of space, time, staff and money,” he says. The National Avian Research Centre (Abu Dhabi), Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife (Sharjah) and various zoos in the country are places holding confiscated animals.
Besides, “the problem goes much beyond the number of animals trafficked or confiscated. The fact is that these animals are coming from poor countries such as in Africa; and this will continue even if the trade into the UAE is stopped. The impact will be felt for several years afterwards in a trickle down effect,” points out Dr. Launay.
IUCN Guidelines for the Placement of Confiscated Animals
An increasing number of live animals are confiscated from illegal or irregular trade worldwide by local, regional and national authorities. Once they have taken possession of these animals, these authorities must dispose of them responsibly, timely and efficiently. In response to this need the Re-introduction Specialist Group (RSG) of The World Conservation Union’s Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) has developed the IUCN Guidelines for the Placement of Confiscated Animals. These guidelines were drafted by an international task force and after an exhaustive review process, which solicited comments from reviewers all over the world.
Prevailing legislation, cultural practices, and economic conditions will influence decisions on the appropriate placement of confiscated animals. Within a conservation context, there are several possible options from which to choose:
1) maintain the animals in captivity for the remainder of their natural lives;
2) return the animals to the wild;
3) euthanise the animals, i.e., humanely destroy them
The IUCN guidelines discuss the benefits and risks involved in each of these options.
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WHAT ON EARTH CAN WE DO?
Eat lower down the food chain by reducing or eliminating meat consumption. 36% of the world’s grain supplies go into feeding livestock and poultry
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