26/05/2005 – In an unprecedented
move against Southeast Asia’s illegal and
unsustainable trade in wildlife, delegates
from the ten members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed
upon a five-year action plan to combat threats
to the region’s rich biological diversity.
“It is extremely encouraging to see the action
plan already in place,” said James Compton,
TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s Regional Director.
“It is an ambitious programme of work, but
if the leadership shown by the ASEAN countries
can be matched by some of the region’s key
consumer partners in East Asia, Europe, and
North America, there is incredible potential
to achieve large-scale partnerships that can
impact both biodiversity conservation and
sustainable development in the Asian region.”
The illegal and unsustainable trade in wild
animals and plants in the region continues
to drive critical threats to the survival
of a large number of threatened species. Birds
and reptiles for the pet trade, luxury items
made of ivory and hawksbill turtle shell products,
as well as highly-valued medicines such as
musk, tiger bone and ginseng are all in high
demand as the economic growth in the wider
Asian region has continued to increase.
Recent seizures of smuggled species listed
under the UN's Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) in a number of countries
such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and
Vietnam illustrate not only increased enforcement
effort in these countries, but the persistently
large volume of illegal wildlife trade in
Southeast Asia.
The newly endorsed ASEAN Regional Action
Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora provides
a solid framework agreement for collaboration
between the ten member countries. Specifically,
it addresses common issues of enhanced law
enforcement networking, inter-agency co-operation,
strengthened national legislation, and increasing
the availability of scientific information
to guide wildlife trade management by CITES
authorities.
“This initiative is remarkable because of
the diversity of nations involved, and the
tremendous commitment and cooperation this
shows to focus together on the wildlife trade,"
said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of the WWF
Global Species Programme.
The regional Action Plan also prioritizes
engagement with civil society to raise awareness
of issues of legality and sustainability with
industry groups, traders, and local communities
involved in wildlife trade.
“Mainstreaming these issues should ensure
that legal and sustainable trade is prioritized
at the national levels in ASEAN member countries,”
said Dr Samedi from Indonesia's CITES Management
Authority, which hosted the special meeting
of the ASEAN experts group.
“Cracking down on illegal trade will require
cooperation not only between ASEAN countries,
but will depend on strong links with the region’s
major trading partners.”
NOTES:
• TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring
network – a joint programme of WWF and IUCN-The
World Conservation Union – works to ensure
that trade in wild plants and animals is not
a threat to the conservation of nature.
• TRAFFIC’s work assisting the ASEAN Experts
Group on CITES has been supported by the UK
Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Global Opportunities
Fund and WWF International’s Species Programme.
• The Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) regulates international trade in more
than 30,000 species of wild animals and plants.
CITES regulates international trade in species
by including species on one of its Appendices.
Appendix I bans commercial trade in species
threatened with extinction. Appendix II regulates
international trade in species whose survival
in the wild may be threatened if levels of
trade are not regulated.
