It has been estimated that what we still take for free, and largely for granted, from nature, accounts for almost one-third of our global GDP. The global trade in plants and animals as well as their products and derivatives is, at the minimum, a 10 billion dollar annual business. Most of this is properly regulated and controlled. However an estimated 20% is actually considered illegal. Many species of wild animals and plants are protected by law because they are rare and/or endangered. Illegal trade in plants and animals involves trade in species that are protected by national law, international law, or both.
Nevertheless, despite the existence of The Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for almost 30 years and its ratification by 166 countries, the illegal wildlife trade today is still a global industry on a par with drug trafficking, gun running and human trafficking. Often the same criminal groups involved in one or more of these three more well-known illegal activities, are also involved in the illegal wildlife trade.
For convenience, speed and to reduce mortality of valuable illegal live animal cargoes, wildlife traders are increasingly using airlines as their preferred means of transportation.
Given its status as a strategic regional air hub, Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport, and Thai Airways, a major International carrier, are not immune to being targeted by the criminal networks profiting from the slaughter of our planet’s wild animals.
However the tide may be turning as airports and airlines are becoming increasingly active in the fight against wildlife crime, on the one hand, and at the same time are providing growing support for a number of conservation-related initiatives and activities helping to conserve our remarkable natural heritage. Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride, as conservation is taking off at Thai Airways and Don Muang Airport.
In the last 3 years, the enforcement unit of the Department of Fisheries has been extremely active, with over 100 arrests and confiscations involving CITES listed species.
EXAMPLES OF SOME RECENT SEIZURES AT DON MUANG BY OFFICERS OF THE FISHERIES DEPARTMENT
On 24 November 2001 officers of the fisheries inspection office at Bangkok Airport inspected a shipment of freshwater turtles that arrived from Malaysia aboard TG 420 and were being transferred to flight 3 Q 466 bound for Hainan and found 1,287 individuals of 8 protected species, which were being shipped using Malaysian documentation for a shipment of 300 non-CITES species.
On 26 February 2003 officers of the fisheries inspection office at Bangkok Airport intercepted a shipment of 560 freshwater turtles of 5 different protected species, hidden amongst a shipment of 3,000 other on-CITES listed species, on a Gulf Air flight. The case was prosecuted resulting in a fine of 244,260 baht, and a one-year suspended jail sentence.
On 8 March 2003, officers of the fisheries inspection office at Bangkok Airport inspected 16 boxes of aquarium specimens imported from Indonesia on Singapore Airlines with permits for 705 live aquarium fish. Inspection revealed 127 pieces of protected coral and 10 sponges for which there were no permits.
Thai Airways International (THAI) has:
- Recently banned carriage of all live animal cargoes from Malaysia. This has been in response to the frequent use of the Medan-Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok-Hong Kong/China route by smugglers, especially of live freshwater turtles. Large quantities of freshwater turtles have been smuggled for consumption as food in China in this way (see box for some examples of recent seizures by the Fisheries Department)
- Become the first Asian airline to stop serving shark’s fin soup to First Class passengers. Globally an estimated 300 million sharks are killed each year, mostly for their fins. Although most species of sharks are not protected by law, many regard the “finning” of sharks as cruel, and the trade is almost certainly unsustainable. Because sharks are the top predators in marine ecosystems, killing them in such large numbers will definitely have severe impacts on the rest of the ecosystem. In addition, as the global dive industry continues to grow exponentially, many people are starting to realize that sharks are worth much more in terms of tourism income when they are alive in the sea, than when they are dead in a bowl. Although THAI’s decision will not make a huge dent in the overall, it is a very important starting point for a major Asian business to voluntarily take such a stance.
- Worked closely with WWF in showing in-flight videos on the wildlife trade on over 500 international flights/week, and placing WWF information materials in Airport Lounges
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At the same time The Airports Authority of Thailand has:
- Stopped the sale of ivory products in shops in airport premises
- Hosted WWF’s revolving wildlife trade exhibition at 5 international airports around the country
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On the 7th September, WWF Thailand, together with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia (the wildlife trade network) organized a one-day workshop for staff from a number of different agencies based at Don Muang Airport, including CITES and Customs Agencies, Thai Airways, Ground Staff, Cargo Handlers and Freight-Forwarding Agents. The workshop discussed the development of greater collaboration between different agencies at the airport, in dealing with wildlife crime. The need for more support in terms of information databases; training in species identification and the provision of identification manuals, were discussed, and in the near future TRAFFIC and WWF hope to be able to help deliver this support for more effective enforcement.
Photo © WildAid |
Only just over one week after the training, as if to reinforce the importance of the issue, and the benefits of working together, Customs Officers at the airport intercepted the largest ever amount of African ivory (worth over US$100,000) being illegally imported on a Thai Airways flight from Singapore.
Details of previous ivory seizures at the airport are given in the table below:
Seizures by Customs at Bangkok Airport between 2000-2003
Date |
Pieces |
Weight |
Value (m. baht.) |
28 April 2000 |
112 |
496 |
1.70 |
12 January 2001 |
2 |
|
0.03 |
06 November 2001 |
30 |
203 |
0.90 |
01 March 2002 |
|
396 |
3.50 |
19 May 2002 |
60 |
195 |
1.00 |
20 May 2002 |
56 |
194 |
1.00 |
15 August 2002 |
56 |
160 |
1.00 |
22 August 2002 |
121 |
362 |
2.50 |
17 July 2003 |
65 |
501 |
3.00 |
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Source: Customs Department
“The leadership decisions of Thai Airways, the dedication and effectiveness of Customs officers, and Fisheries Department staff, as well as the enthusiastic cooperation of AAT that are already evident, are all positive signs that criminal gangs will find it becoming increasingly difficult to transport illegal wildlife cargoes in this way anymore” says Dr Robert Mather, Country Representative of WWF Thailand, adding that “ this is a very encouraging sign for the future survival of a large number of threatened species of wild animals and plants in the region, and WWF and TRAFFIC hopes to be able to continue working to support these efforts in the coming years”
The Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ratified by 166 countries lists around 30,000 species of wild animals and plants affected by trade on different Appendices. Species in Appendix II can be traded commercially but only with permits. The number of individuals of each species that is traded can be controlled by setting annual quotas.
For species listed in Appendix I, no commercial trade in wild specimens is allowed at all. All Lady’s Slipper Orchids for example, are listed in Appendix I. In some cases Appendix I species (such as Siamese crocodiles) bred in large numbers in captivity for several generations, can be traded as though they were effectively Appendix II species.
Illegal wildlife trade occurs to meet demand in a number of areas:
- To supply raw materials as ingredients for traditional medicines (including things such as rhino horn, tiger bone, musk deer and pangolin scales, serow oil) as well as for tonic foods, longevity elixirs, aphrodisiacs, etc (bears paw soup, etc)
- For the live pet and aquarium trade (turtles, terrapins, arowana and arapaima fish, tiger perch, birds, lizards, snakes, gibbons and slow lorises etc)
- For luxury goods and ornaments (ivory, cat furs and rugs, shatoosh)
- For trophies and collectors items (deer antlers, wild cattle horns, etc)
- For curios and and as souvenirs (mounted butterflies, beetles, bats)
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TIPS FOR RESPONSIBLE TOURISTS AND VISITORS
Help Protect Our Rich Natural Heritage of Wildlife
What Not To Buy or Take Home With You
Please click to view
For more information on WWFs campaigning work on the illegal wildlife trade, visit www.wwfthai.org
TRAFFIC the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint programme of WWF and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). For more information, visit www.traffic.org
Image©WildAid 
Please click to expand |
Photo©WildAid
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If you think it's cramped in economy, imagine what it's like in cargo.
HELP STOP THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
To report traffickers, please call 1362
Ministry of Environment |
Related web site:
WildAid Thailand
www.wildaidasia.org
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