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 …
Previous studies demonstrated that the trade in marine turtle products in Viet Nam was threatening local populations. Hawksbill turtles, which comprise most of the illegal trade in Viet Nam, have traditionally been exploited primarily for their shell and there has never been a significant international trade in other products from …
Despite serious attempts at putting an end to elephant poaching, the disappearance of the species in various parts of the world continues to be reported. However, evolution has come to the rescue of this magnificent animal, with a reduction in its physical size and the length of its tusks, giving …
No rules to check illegal practices in iron ore-rich Jharkhand Folklore has it that when iron ore explorers first came to Jharkhand, they were surprised to find tribesmen using axes made of iron. When asked about the source of the iron, the tribesmen pointed to a hill and called it …
This report presents an assessment of the trade in gibbons and orang-utans in Sumatra, Indonesia, including the islands off Sumatra’s west coast (most notably, the Mentawai Islands). Until recently Sumatra and its off-lying islands harboured one of the largest expanses of lowland evergreen rainforest in Southeast Asia. Most of the …
Environmental stories to watch in 2009 talk about four stories: Will the economic stimulus be green?; What are the prospects of Congress passing climate legislation?; How will the U.S. work with China?; and Will see a new weapon for protecting global forests and stopping illegal logging?.
The hunting of songbirds for consumption as a delicacy in restaurants, principally in Italy, is an issue of serious conservation concern. This activity, which involves highly organized criminal activity in South-east and Central Europe, has received insufficient attention to date, however. Hunters are illegally shooting birds and smuggling them to …
In India, mining is one of the main economic activities since time immemorial, giving rise to a long historical tradition of artisanal mining. As modern mining rose during the colonial occupation, artisanal mining activities began to be overlooked and this great tradition became obscure. This invisibility, added with confusion with …
Lack of information, coordination and expertise make wildlife crime difficult to curb In the first week of July, a major player in wildlife trade was subjected to narco analysis and brain mapping at the Central Forensic Laboratory in Bangalore. Shabbir Hussain Qureshi was arrested in 2007 in Lucknow and was …
State of Delhi vs Ashok Nath Three leopard skins seized in Delhi on May 20, 2005. The final judgement was delivered on March 16, 2006, and the accused was sentenced to three-and-a-half years
There is a rapid growth in Europe and worldwide of counterfeit and illegally-traded pesticides. These illegal products are produced and distributed by criminal gangs. They are untested, unregulated and threaten farmers and consumers health and the environment. The scale and scope of counterfeit pesticides differs from market to market depending …
This report provides data on the logistics, scope, and economics of the illegal trade in wildlife in Vietnam. It analyses the main reasons for the rapid growth in this trade and highlights key failures in the country's attempts to control it. This report recommends that the government should strengthen the …
coastal campaign: The National Fishworker's Forum began a two-month campaign in Gujarat to draw public attention to the centre's move to dilute Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991, and frame new law for coastal zone management. Members allege such measures would lead to "the sale of India's 7,500 km coastline and …
On April 11, the union cabinet gave the go-ahead to conservation authorities to sign an mou with international counterparts to protect the dugong and its habitat. Indian efforts to conserve this virtually-unknown sea creature will get international recognition as a result. But this initiative has probably come too late. The …
According to an Assocham study, the lethal fake drugs market is growing at 25% annually. Lending urgency to the study is a recent research article in the Lancet journal, which says that in developing countries like India, 10-30% of medicines is feared to be counterfeit. The health ministry's estimates are …
The unabated illegal felling of valuable trees is threatening the existence of Dibru Saikhowa, a biosphere reserve in Tinsukia district. Sources said that mediapersons yesterday recovered 25 logs which have been illegally felled and kept hidden in Kaliapani ghat of river Guijan near Natun gaon under Guijan PS some 10 …
The illegal international trade in environmentally sensitive items such as ozone depleting substances, toxic chemicals, hazardous waste, and endangered species is a serious problem with global impact. This scourge which affects all countries threatens human health, deteriorates the environment, and results in revenue loss for governments in some cases. In …
The Jammu and Kashmir Government's clean slate denying any reported case of illegal possession of shahtoosh items has come under tough scrutiny before the Supreme Court. At pains to implement a State law banning trade in shahtoosh items for the past five years, the Court took the State's assertion with …
Issues relating to protection of the planet continue to capture media headlines and provoke public and political debate. The United Nationsʼ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has referred to global warming as a ʻweapon of mass destructionʼ (IPCC, 2007). However, global warming is not the only earth-threatening issue – there …
In a survey of ivory items for retail sale conducted in June 1999 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, almost 10,000 ivory objects were found, the fourth largest in Africa after Abidjan, Harare and Cairo. In 2004 TRAFFIC and the CITES Secretariat gave encouragement and technical help to the Government of Ethiopia …
