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| Home > Issue 15 > Preliminary efforts by WCS to respond to the wildlife trade in China |
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Preliminary efforts by WCS to respond
to the wildlife trade in China
(cont.)
Anti-transboundary illegal trade
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Campaigns are held in the city centre to draw
public attention |
China has a long border of over 21,000 km adjoining 15 counties, leading to much smuggling of wildlife across the border from southeast Asia and the Pamir mountains. The border region of China also encompasses a unique range of ecological zones and ecosystems. These include the habitat of Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) and many more. The control of illegal hunting and trade in these areas is a critical step in wildlife protection. WCS conducted a survey in the major fur markets of Inner Mongolia during 2005-2006. In 2008, WCS launched the China Transboundary Wildlife Conservation Award programme under the Bluemoon Fund of U.S.A. Individuals/groups who assist with wildlife protection are encouraged to apply for this award. The winners will receive their awards in public ceremonies and will then partake in a study tour to relevant wildlife enforcement programmes in other parts of Asia; they will also attend a training course in China. In 2009, three individuals and two groups won this award, and an additional 20 individuals/groups were nominated. The winners and nominees included members of nature reserve staff, forestry staff, the military and customs. The China Transboundary Wildlife Conservation Awards will become a long-lasting programme of WCS to strengthen transboundary conservation.
Trade review and public
awareness raising
During 2006-2008, WCS conducted a systematic trade review on the illegal wildlife trade in China. This review included the laws relevant to wildlife; the management system in China; the trade scale, routes, main markets and consumers; wildlife farming and public health issues1. According to previous research, the main consumption sites of wildlife are rich cities in eastern China4, so changing people's perceptions in these places could notably reduce the consumption of wildlife. In March 2008, WCS set up a new branch in Guangzhou. The primary objective of this branch is to raise public awareness and spread conservation knowledge about traded species. According to past research, some consumers regard wildlife consumption as their inherent right. What is more, they think animals are a threat to human beings.5 Wildlife consumption cannot be stopped until most people are willing to protect wildlife, or really appreciate animals. To raise public awareness, we have held campaigns in the city centre to draw public attention. For example, we set up a game booth in a shopping mall and invited passers-by to join in and have some fun. In addition, we have invited famous biologists to give presentations about wildlife protection. In future, we will develop projects about exploring nature through, for example, bird watching. Furthermore, we expect to involve different experts and the public in a symposium on biodiversity conservation.
The most effective way to control the illegal trade is enforcement by government agencies. But the staff on the ground are often handicapped during enforcement by the difficult diagnostic features of all the illegally-traded species. On the other hand, many people buy illegal animals or their products through lack of conservation knowledge. WCS is designing a user-friendly leaflet about illegal wildlife and their products, and will distribute it to the forestry bureaus, nature reserve staff and the public in Guangdong. This leaflet will help the enforcement agencies' staff in species identification; it will also involve people in market monitoring. We're planning to design more detailed brochures after the response from the forestry bureau staff is collected.
Working together
Many wildlife populations are on the brink of extinction due to the illegal trade. It is an urgent task to save them. But the trade cannot be controlled unless every step (hunting, transportation and marketing) is addressed. Besides enforcement by government agencies, we expect to involve the public in the campaign against the illegal wildlife trade. Populations of endangered wildlife can be saved only if long-term partnership between government, NGOs, scientists and the public is built.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Dr John Fellowes of Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden for his important help in preparing the manuscript. Special thanks are given to
Dr Xie Yan of WCS China Program for critical suggestions in draft preparation; Mr Zhang Guihong and Miss Du Youmei for providing some reference for this article. I would also like to thank Dr Ren Guopeng of Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science for his helpful comments.
All photos are credited to the author
References :
| 1 |
Bennett EL and Li LS, 2008. A Review of Wildlife Trade in China. Wildlife Conservation Society, 159pp. |
| 2 |
Li YM and Li DM, 1997. The investigation on wildlife trade across Guangxi borders between China and Viet Nam. Conserving China Biodiversity. Beijing: China environment and science publish house. p 1992-1996. |
| 3 |
Lee KS, Lau MWN and Chan BPL, 2004. Wild Animal Trade Moniforing at selected Markets in Guang Zhou and Shenzhen, South China. 2002-2003. Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. 40pp. |
| 4 |
Zhang L, Hua N and Sun S, 2008. Wildlife trade, consumption and conservation awareness in southwest China. Biodiversity and Conservation 17(6): 1493-1516. |
| 5 |
Li LS, Yao Zhao and Elizabeth. L. Bennett, 2005. Report of a Survey on Saiga Horn in Markets in China. Wildlife Conservation Society, 35pp |
| 6 |
国际爱护动物基金会(IFAW)，2005。中国关键地区野生动物贸易及消费控制及公民消费意识教育项目调研报告，26pp。 |
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