In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
Says govts should ensure that the full value of extracted minerals is received by the State PANJIM: In what could give a major boost to the environmentalists fighting for inter-generational equity, the Draft National Mineral Policy 2018 has established that State is the trustee of natural resources on behalf of …
‘Over 1,000 loads being mined along the riverbed and smuggled, and officials had no control over it’ It was once a vast sheet of water and a major source of irrigation and recharge of sub-soil water in Thirukovilur in Villupuram district. But now there are only huge craters, vegetation and …
PATNA: The sand crisis in the state is likely to be eased shortly as the mines and geology department is to commence e-auction for sand mining rights of around 170 ghats in 12 districts from next week. The move comes after directive by chief minister Nitish Kumar on December 20 …
The US has sanctioned Ugandan Okot Lukwang and Musa Hatari of Sudan for alleged involvement in illicit trade in ivory by supporting an armed group that is contributing to conflict in Central Africa. The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blacklisted them for transferring ivory, weapons and money to …
The European Union has invested $20 million in a new cross-regional wildlife programme to assist wildlife rich countries in East, Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean regions to fight poaching and trafficking of wildlife products. The deal — signed between the EU, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), …
Heavily armed militia and poachers are a threat to wildlife populations in the Garamba-Bili-Chinko (GBC) region in Central Africa. The militias are decimating wildlife in the 75,593 square kilometre region straddling northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and southeastern Central African Republic. Investigations have unearthed that poachers are trafficking in wildlife …
NAIROBI, Kenya — “This is the spot,” said Morris Njeru, gazing down at a tangled patch of farmland where he recently found the bloody corpses of David, Mukurino and Scratch — his last donkeys. Mr. Njeru, 44, a market porter who depends on his animals to ferry goods around this …
Kenya is among countries that have been urged to declare their elephant ivory and rhino stock. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has given parties up to February 28 to declare all stock. “The purpose of the notification is to remind parties on …
China has long been one of the world's biggest markets for ivory, but as of 2018 all trade in ivory and ivory products in the country is illegal. The move is being hailed as a major development in efforts to protect the world's elephant population. Wildlife campaigners believe 30,000 African …
The Africa Asia-Pacific Symposium on Strengthening Legal Frameworks to Combat Wildlife Crime (Symposium) was convened by the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Illicit Trade in Wildlife and Forest Products (Task Force), in partnership with the World Bank-led, Global Environment Facility (GEF)-financed Global Wildlife Program (GWP) and USAID. The event …
China is reducing the import tax on donkey skins for use in traditional medicine despite fears over a global reduction in the animal's population. From Monday, the tax will fall from 5% to 2%, making imports cheaper. Gelatine made from donkey skin is highly prized in China and purchases of …
This multibillion-pound industry increasingly involves organised crime groups, who see wildlife as a low-risk route to profit You might not have heard of a pangolin, but they are widely claimed to be the most illegally trafficked mammal in the world. With their armoured shells and long noses, pangolins are often …
Japan’s failure to prevent illegal ivory exports could undermine China’s forthcoming ban on its domestic ivory trade, conservation groups have warned. Inaction by Japan’s government has allowed the smuggling of large quantities of undocumented ivory overseas, mainly to China, according to a report released in Tokyo on Wednesday by the …
TAWIRI Director General, Dr Simon Mduma insists that through aerial surveys and spatial analysis, the team revealed that poachers preferred to operate in the wet season – when swollen rivers mean travel by road is difficult and tourism was minimal. “The study also revealed that signs of poaching tended to …
Japan remains one of the world’s largest domestic ivory markets, and is home to an active, though shrinking, ivory manufacturing industry. The country also boasts significant stockpiles of raw tusks in private ownership—a cultural legacy from its past trade. Ivory Towers: An Assessment of Japan’s Ivory trade and domestic market, …
The illegal killing and taking of wild birds remains a major threat on a global scale. However, there are few quantitative data on the species affected and countries involved. We quantified the scale and scope of this issue in Northern and Central Europe and the Caucasus, using a diverse range …
This report aims to initiate the process of supporting timber-exporting African countries in combating illegal timber harvesting and trade. It focuses, in particular, on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) national strategies and the implementation of European Union Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreements (EU-FLEGT VPAs). The report …
The standing committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) had its annual meeting in Geneva November 27 through December 1. The committee rejected Madagascar’s petition to sell its stockpiles of seized rosewood and ebony that had been illegally cut from the …
Iconic wildlife species such as rhinos and elephants could soon be wiped out if corruption continues to thrive. Corruption fuels wildlife crime, which in turn drives many species to extinction, CITES warned. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora released a statement following the …
Officials of the Forestry Commission have intensified their fight against illegal logging in efforts to stem the tide of deforestation and ensure sustainable forest resource exploitation. In this direction, the Commission has impounded about 19 trucks loaded with illegally sawn timber, including the banned Rosewood specie over the past week. …
