Wildlife Trade

1. Wildlife Trade

2. Wildlife trade • Sale and exchange of wild animals, plants, and products • Multi-billion dollar business driving species to brink of extinction • Much trade is legal, but significant portion is unmanaged and/or illegal -WWF

3. Parts and Products • Ornamental objects • Elephant ivory jewelry • Sea turtles shell cases • Matted butterflies • Exotic leathers and fur • Kangaroo skin soccer balls • Cat, fox, and coyote fur coats • Snake and lizard skin shoes

4. Live Wildlife • Food • Reptiles, amphibians, fish • Zoos and safari parks • Elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, monkeys, birds • Biomedical research • Primates, reptiles, fish • Pet Trade • Birds, reptiles, amphibians

5. Conservation Problems • Wildlife-rich nations unable to control trade of wildlife. • 40% of vertebrates endangered or threatened today, in part due to uncontrollable wildlife trade • Rarely enough funds to study conservation

6. Human Problems • Methods to capture and kill for the trade are inhumane • Poisoned, trapped, snared or bludgeoned • Trade in live wildlife results in injury and death of large % captured -HSUS

7. Wildlife Trade • Illegal trade- well organized crime • Creates black markets • Smuggling syndicates move and trade rarest animals

8. Ivory Poaching • Death rate from poaching throughout Africa is 8% per year • Unless more reinforcement occurs, large groups extinct by 2020 • Illegal ivory trade-driven by markets in China and Japan • Demand risen in U.S. for knife handles and gun grips -ranks 2nd behind China for marketplace for illegal ivory

9. Ivory Poaching • IFAW has found eBay accounts for majority of illegal ivory sold openly on web • DNA tools can determine which elephant population ivory came from • Can help to provide enforcement in specific areas where poaching is known to occur

10. Illegal Tiger Trade • Numbers have decreased dramatically due to poaching • Fewer than 3,500-4,000 tigers remain in Asia • The 5 existing subspecies all are critically endangered -HSUS

11. Illegal Tiger Trade • Most illegal tiger trade and poaching driven by illegal markets in China • China argued that tigers should be treated like crocodiles: farmed for bones and skin • Tiger farms- slaughter, entertainment

12. Video • An activist uses a video camera to expose what many would consider a grisly illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjtEJHQluCQ

13. World Wildlife Fund • Plays important role in fighting illegal trade • 50 years of environmental conservation. • “Human induced change.” • Works in conjunction with TRAFFIC and CITES

14. Methods of WWF • Global 200 ecoregions • Social, economic, and policy issues • Working with others • Creating harmony between humans and nature

15. TRAFFIC • World’s largest wildlife monitoring network • Protect wild animal and plant species • Promote international agreements and policies • Safeguard priority ecoregions

16. Methods of TRAFFIC • Mobilization of knowledge • Use of effective regulation • Use of positive economic incentives • Promotion of sustainable consumptive behaviors

17. CITES • CITES was established in the 1960’s • Ensuring that international trade of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival • Roughly 5000 species of animals and 28000 species of plants are protected

18. Methods of CITES • Control of international trade • Import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea • Designate one or more ManagementAuthorities • Scientific Authorities advise on effects