CITES and the North-South Initiative to Make Wildlife Trade Crime More Visible

Article reproduction. See http://www.cites.org/eng/news/sundry/2012/20110206_tz_roundtable.php


Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens. Levels of exploitation of some animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species close to extinction.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. For many years CITES has been among the conservation agreements with the largest membership, with now 175 Parties.

Sweden’s Minister for Trade (Hon. Ewa Björling) and Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism (Hon. Ezekiel M. Maige) organized a roundtable on 26 January 2012 in Dar es Salaam on how to prevent and combat illegal trade in endangered species, with support from the CITES Secretariat and the World Customs Organization (WCO).

Participants included representatives of: Tanzania’s Wildlife Division, National Parks Division, Wildlife Research Institute and Revenue Authority - Customs; Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which hosts the Minister for Trade) located in both Dar es Salaam and Stockholm; Nigeria’s Customs Services; the CITES Secretariat; WCO; the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC); the United Nations Environment Programme’s Great Apes Survival Partnership; TRAFFIC; World Wild Fund for Nature; Pan African Sanctuary Alliance; and African Apes.

During the ministerial segment of the roundtable, co-chaired by Ministers Björling and Maige, participants noted the need to raise the awareness of heads of State about the scale of illegal wildlife trafficking and its impacts not only on wildlife conservation but also the tourism sector and local livelihoods. They recognized that wildlife crime should be addressed from both the supply and demand sides, to be most effective. Acknowledging the electronic control systems that are already in place in many Customs services, participants concluded that other law enforcement agencies need to develop similar systems to support better communication and cooperation not only with Customs but also with each other.

A technical-level discussion, co-chaired by Ms. Marceil Yeater of the CITES Secretariat and Mr Mohamed Madehele of Tanzania’s Wildlife Division, followed the ministerial segment. During this session, participants noted that increased penalties for wildlife crimes need to be adopted to deter offenders and to obtain support from general law enforcement agencies. They expressed interest in using controlled deliveries as an investigation tool for wildlife crime, building on the experience gained with their use in drug crimes, and pointed out the importance of related awareness-raising activities. Participants recognized that enhanced cooperation among law enforcement agencies would bring different competencies together and strengthen the different pieces of the enforcement chain. They acknowledged that cooperation beyond law enforcement agencies (e.g. with other government agencies, local communities and non-State actors) was also necessary. Finally, they identified priority issues that needed immediate attention, such as the gathering and use of intelligence about recent instances of alleged illegal trade in great apes.

The findings and conclusions of the roundtable are expected to contribute to: targeted national wildlife law enforcement actions in producer and consumer countries; coordinated activities of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), comprising the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, UNODC, the World Bank and WCO; upcoming international meetings on wildlife crime to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 13 to 17 February 2012 and Lyon, France from 27 to 29 March 2012; and the second phase of an operational project in Africa and Asia (funded by Sweden) which will be organized by WCO later in the year.

O2E says…
Many argue the CITES does not contribute much to the “war on wildlife trade”. And with numbers of illegal imports and exports not really budging, it is easy to see why. I see CITES as the UN of wildlife trade. Necessary but not necessarily effective. Let’s see how the upcoming international meetings on wildlife crime pan out. With representatives attending these meetings from grassroots organisations, the opportunity exists for CITES to hear and acknowledge the real issues and to support NGOs more rigorously.

Illegal Wildlife Trade Reports 2004-2008
(Thailand and Australia)

Go to CITES to check out illegal trade reports in your neck of the woods. (Sorry about the reproduction quality but you get the picture!)

Day Seven : Our Favourite Ele pics!

We hoped you enjoyed this week celebrating elephants.

We have put together this collage to show what remarkable, intelligent, wonderful creatures they truly are. Photos are of both Asian and African elephants and are complements of Oceans2Earth, Wildlife Pictures Online or National Geographic.

We need to work together and diligently to save them from harm and indeed, extinction.

Day Six : Other stuff about the Elephant

Do elephants have good memories?

Elephants seem to have one of the best memories of all animals.

The long lifespan of elephants do require that they have a good memory. There is proof that elephants have recognized urine samples from group members they had been separated from for a few decades.

This good memory is very beneficial for survival when knowledge about where to find food, water and security is very useful during extreme climatic cycles.

Did you know an elephant’s height can be estimated from the size of its footprint?

Its footprint can determine the height of an elephant. For males shoulder height is approximately 5,8 time the length of the hind footprint (and in the case of females 5,5 times).

An elephant’s foot generally measures 40 - 50 centimetres in length and width and has a circumference of about 1.34 meters.

The footprint can also indicate the age of an elephant. Younger elephants leave a more defined footprint than older elephants that might have smoother ridges and well-worn heels.

All mammals can be divided into different groups based on their foot posture while standing. Elephants fall into a group called near-ungulates, which refers to the fact that they have toenails rather than hooves.

An elephant’s foot is designed in such a way that elephants actually walk on the tips of their toes. African elephants have 4 nails on their front feet and 3 nails on their back feet. These nails are worn down and do not always show on their footprints. The sole of the foot is covered in a thick epidermal layer tissue that acts like shock absorbers. This allows the elephant to move surprisingly silently.

The ridges and grooves give it a good grip some stability when walking over a variety of terrains. The reason that elephants can walk so quietly is in part due to the fibro elastic layer providing a spongy cushion on the bottom of the foot. This allows the foot to mould over objects on the ground thereby effectively smothering the objects beneath it.

How do African elephants sleep?

African elephants can sleep standing up for a few minutes at a stretch but they do lie down in order to sleep more deeply. Adult elephants sleep for about 3 to 4 hours at night, a whole family group at the same place and time, while young elephants are sometimes overcome by sleep at other times. Then you can see their mothers patiently guarding their sleep.

Elephants even snore at times. They will also lie down in the heat of the day for an hour or two.

Can elephants swim?

Elephants enjoy showering by sucking water into their trunks and spraying it all over themselves. Afterward, they often spray their skin with a protective coating of dust.

If it is possible an elephant goes to water once a day to drink, bathe and wallow in mud. On average it will drink 70 to 90 litres a day but it can down 150 litres when thirsty. Wallowing in mud is an important activity for elephants. It cools them off and it protects its skin against parasites.

In deep water an elephant will immerse itself completely. Elephants can swim across lakes and rivers with only the tip of their trunks showing. Elephants shower themselves with dust and sand for the same reasons. Sand also acts as a useful substance to help dislodge ticks when the elephant rubs itself on rocks and trees.
You may visit our site, oceans2earth.org/volunteer to enjoy many more projects which will surely be turn into your best experience of rejuvination. 

Day Five : Elephants charging .. and why?

Hey! You’re in my space. Back off will ya?

Seems fair enough, doesn’t it?

Well the elephant can be just as clear with its meaning to back off too. You’ll get a warning – a mock charge – and then if you won’t take the hint – it WILL mean it.
Please note: Each elephant has its own distinctive character so don’t generalise about the difference between serious and mock charges. This is for interest only. Obviously you should stay away from an elephant. Leave it be.

THE LEAD UP
An aggressive elephant raises its head and trunk, extends its ears, trumpets and throws up clouds of dust by kicking the ground and shaking its head.
A lot of this activity initially involves displays of bravado and can be considered to be mock displays. By now, any species in its right mind will take notice of these threatening displays and take the necessary evasion action.

If the elephant however realises that attempts to intimidate have failed and still feels threatened, the elephant will likely then sway backwards and forwards before it charges.

In a serious charge the ears are held back against the neck and the trunk is tucked up against the chin.

Most charges are stopped before the target is reached. HOWEVER if an attack is followed through an elephant is quite capable of killing rhino and hippo, and of wrecking vehicles.

At top speed an elephant can travel at 40 km/h (25 miles/h).

However their biggest asset is not their speed. Their primary defense is their sheer bulk, tusks and trunk as well as their strength in numbers. Adult elephants have virtually no enemies except humans. Wonder why…

Day Four : That Amazing Trunk!

With estimated muscle counts ranging between 40,000 and 150,000, the trunk of an elephant is the most extraordinary and dexterous nose in creation. The trunk feels a bit like a hairy tree trunk or hard, crackly old leather! It’s extremely strong and yet gentle and sensitive as well, and is both capable of killing a lion - or caressing a frightened elephant calf.

It can pick leaves, strip branches, pull bark off trees, and pick up objects as small as a coin. It can suck up a gallon of water to squirt into a mouth or on a hot back (Elephants do not drink through their trunk, but use it to draw the liquid).

With their trunks elephants throw dust in the air, rub their eyes, greet one another, sound calls, test uncertain ground, smell danger--or a potential mate--and snorkel. African elephants have two lobes on the tips of their trunks (Asians have only one) that act like fingers.

Since elephants spend most of their time eating and drinking, those fingers get a steady workout, grasping seeds, roots, fruit, flowers, leaves, branches, bark, grass, and even thorns to pacify an incurable appetite.

Elephants can consume as much 300 pounds of forage a day, and up to 50 gallons of water. They drink whenever they can since they may have to go for a couple days or more without water during dry spells or while traveling.

Elephants are fast walkers and some herds have been observed to cover 120 miles in one day. However, 15 miles is a closer average for an elephant. More than most of us walk, anyway.

Elephants communicate a lot through touch, taste, and smell. A mother may bat her calf with her tail to make sure he is still following behind her, or she may turn and shove him as discipline. Two elephants who meet will "greet" with trunks outstretched, sniffing for clues about the other. (Incidentally, some scientists say that excited behaviour during greetings may suggest that elephants remember one another, even after being separated for many years.)

Elephants on alert will raise their trunks like periscopes, with the tips pointed toward whatever ill wind is blowing. They also can make more than 25 various vocalizations. Trumpets, screams, rumbles, and grunts all send a message, depending on how they are made.

A series of long, low rumbles may be a signal for the family to get up and move on. A trumpet may be a show of intimidation; a special soft hum is a mother's song to her newborn. Some calls are made only by females, only by males, or by calves.
Thanks to http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com, http://oceans2earth.org/volunteer

Day Three : Asian Elephant

There are actually four subspecies of the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus: Elephas maximus maximus, found in Sri Lanka; Elephas maximus sumatranus, found in Sumatra and Borneo; Elephas maximus indicus, the mainland species found throughout South-east Asia; and last but not least, the Borneo pygmy elephant, Elephas maximus borneensis which was discovered in 2003. Slight variations exist in each subspecies, but nothing too drastic.

Asian elephants are huge gray animals inhabiting Asian tropical forests. Their gray coloration conceals them in their shady habitat. Elephants' trunks, unique among living mammals, are versatile, enabling them to reach the ground, manipulate tiny objects or tear down huge tree limbs, squirt water over their backs or into their mouths, or blow dirt onto their backs during dust baths. Female Asian elephants usually lack visible tusks as do males in some populations, such as those in northeast India. Wide, padded feet enable them to walk quietly. Large, flappable ears help these huge animals cool off, although elephants often must retreat to the shade or water during the hottest part of the day.

Asian elephants grow up to 21 feet long, stand up to 10 feet tall, and weigh up to 11,000 pounds. Females reach around eight and a half feet tall and weigh less than males. Despite their size, elephants are able to walk silently.
Asian elephants live in large blocks of forest near water sources and grasslands, habitat that has been greatly reduced in the last half century. They inhabit India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and southern China.

The Asian elephant is listed as endangered on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals.

Asian elephants inhabit a variety of tropical forest habitats from moist, evergreen lowland forest to dry semi-deciduous teak forests to cooler mountain forests up to 10,000 feet. They also frequent adjacent grasslands and farm areas. Their varied diet enables them to live in disturbed forests as long as they have plenty of space to move around and exploit different foods without coming into conflict with people.
A dexterous trunk and large, rasping molars allow Asian elephants to gather and process a wide variety of vegetation, including grasses and herbs, leaves, fruit, farm crops, and bark.

Older and larger males—especially those in musth (condition of heightened testosterone levels) dominate the breeding, winning the acceptance of females in heat. Gestation takes 20 to 22 months, and usually only one calf is born. Female Asian elephants can usually breed by age 14 and usually give birth to one young every four years.

In the wild, Asian elephants may live up to about 60 years but most do not live that long. Female and young male Asian elephants live in cohesive herds of related adults and their offspring. The matriarch, usually the oldest and largest female, sets the pace of the group's activities. Herds often join with others to form large groups called clans. Males leave herds at puberty, around their 13th year, and travel alone or in bachelor groups. Elephants wander widely in search of food. Movements vary widely depending upon food availability. Asian elephants communicate via rumbles, growls, bellows, and moans. Some of these varied, low-frequency sounds may travel a mile or more.

Past/Present/Future: Asian elephants once ranged from Iraq east through Asia south of the Himalayas, into southern China and possibly south to Java. However, centuries of hunting and habitat destruction caused dramatic declines. Males are still killed for their tusks, although this happens less often today thanks to a global ivory ban, in place since 1989. Today, Asian elephants thrive mostly in large remote reserves as well as in and among human habitation. Where elephants and people inhabit the same area, conflicts often occur.

Elephants can cause great damage to crops, and they occasionally kill people. Males in musth are responsible for the majority of attacks. Elephants play important roles in the cultures and religions of countries in most of their range, which inspires support for habitat protection measures, continued studies about elephants and their conservation needs, and efforts to mitigate conflicts between elephants and people.

Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus and Species: Elephas maximus

Day Two : African Savanna Elephant

Male African elephants of the savanna (species - Loxodonta 
africana) species grow up to 25 feet long, stand up to 11 feet tall and weigh up to 14,000 pounds. Males are usually larger than females.

African elephants live in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, although their range is now broken into patches. Small numbers of forest elephants live in dense equatorial forests of Central Africa from Zaire west to Mauritania, while savanna elephants are far more widespread in drier woodlands and savannas. Savanna elephants are now most common in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. The suspected third species lives in both savanna and forest in west Africa.

African elephants are listed as endangered on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Animals.

African elephants live wherever they can find enough food and water with minimal disturbance from people. Most of the continent's elephants live on savannas and in dry woodlands. In some regions, they occur in desert areas; in others, they are found in mountains. In Congo and other equatorial countries, forest elephants live in dense tropical rain forest.

A dexterous trunk and large, rasping molars allow African elephants to gather and process a wide variety of vegetation. During the rainy season, savanna elephants usually seek out grasses and herbs. During other times of year, they frequent forests, especially those by streams, where they also eat leaves, fruit, and bark from a variety of plants. Elephants supplement the sodium in their food by visiting mineral licks.

Older and larger males—especially those in “musth” (condition of heightened testosterone levels)—dominate the breeding, winning the acceptance of females in heat. Gestation lasts 22 months, and usually only one calf is born. Female African savanna elephants can usually breed by age ten and give birth to one young every four years.

Females and young males live in cohesive herds of about ten related adults and their offspring. The matriarch, usually the oldest and largest female, sets the pace of the group's activities. Males leave herds at puberty, around their 13th year, and travel alone or in bachelor groups. Elephants travel widely in search of food. Movements vary depending upon food availability. African elephants communicate with rumbles, growls, bellows, and moans. Some of these varied, low-frequency sounds may travel a mile or more.

The average life span of an African savanna elephant in the wild is 60 years.
Past/Present/Future: African elephants once lived throughout Africa; they now inhabit no more than one-third of the continent and are gone from the Sahara. Over the past 150 years, ivory hunters have ruthlessly hunted them for their tusks. Between 1979 and 1989, Africa's elephant population plummeted from 1,300,000 animals to 750,000, due mostly to ivory hunting. Since the 1980s, an international ban on trade in ivory has helped many populations hold steady or rebound.

However, African elephants have lost much of their habitat to ranches, farms, and desertification. The forest elephant, always far less common than the savanna subspecies, is under threat from logging and market hunting for its meat. African elephants are now found mostly in reserves. In some parks, confined elephant populations have major impacts on habitat, changing open forests into grasslands.