19/04/2005 – Legislative
reform in Malaysia and Singapore is needed
to control the continuing trade in products
derived from the threatened musk deer, according
to TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring
network.
A new report by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia –
Against The Grain: Trade in Musk Deer Products
in Singapore and Malaysia – found that trade
in traditional chinese medicine preparations
containing musk from the CITES-listed musk
deer is not being properly controlled.
Between 11000 and 2001, CITES export statistics
show Singapore as the destination for 86kg
of raw musk. During the same period, both
Malaysia and Singapore reported no imports
of musk derivatives, despite CITES export
records from China, the world’s major exporter
of musk derivatives, showing that over 1 million
specimens were destined for Singapore, as
well as 800kg of derivatives to Malaysia.
“The majority of musk products, particularly
plasters, ointments, pills or capsules, that
are openly available in traditional chinese
medicine outlets in both Malaysia and Singapore
are not appearing in CITES trade records from
these two countries,” said James Compton,
Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
“Even if musk products have been imported
illegally, the legislation in both countries
does not allow law enforcement agencies to
act once the products are in the country.”
The report’s recommendations highlight concerns
pertaining to the gaps in coverage by the
national legislations of both Singapore and
Malaysia as significant consumer countries
of musk from musk deer, and the fact that
musk derivatives are only rarely appearing
in trade statistics collected by these two
CITES Parties.
TRAFFIC hopes that the report will serve
as an incentive to improve the legislation,
trade monitoring and law enforcement effectiveness
in both countries.
Currently, the 1989 Endangered Species Act
of Singapore and the 1972 Protection of Wild
Life Act of Malaysia do not allow for the
effective control of musk deer in trade because
they fail to explicitly cover derivatives
of protected species.
Only animals and their “readily recognizable”
parts appear to be covered by Singapore’s
and Malaysia’s legislations. Once the musk
is extracted from the musk gland of the male
musk deer and processed or manufactured into
derivative medicines, it is no longer explicitly
controlled under national law in these two
countries.
While both countries need to consider improvements
in legislative coverage, Malaysia is a particular
priority as it is currently under review by
the CITES National Legislation Project. In
recent weeks, calls for amendments to Malaysia’s
national list of protected species have captured
the attention of the Minister of Natural Resources
and Environment.
TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s report demonstrates
that holistic legislative reform needs to
take place so that Malaysia is in a position
to comprehensively regulate its trade in wild
plants and animals. Malaysia’s progress with
legislative reform will be reviewed at the
53rd Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee,
which will begin in Geneva on 27 June.
“Because musk is such an important ingredient
in traditional chinese medicine, there is
also a clear vested interest on the part of
traditional practitioners, vendors and users
to ensure that future trade is legal and sustainable,”
Compton added.
“TRAFFIC encourages the participation of
traditional medicine industry stakeholders
to enhance compliance with CITES procedures,
as well to support the establishment of a
universal labelling system for musk products,
to help control the musk trade more effectively.”
NOTES:
• 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.The
Convention is currently applied in 167 nations,
including Singapore and Malaysia.
• 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.
• Populations of Himalayan musk deer (Moschus
chrystogaster) found in Afghanistan, India,
Nepal and Pakistan are listed in CITES Appendix
I. Populations of Black musk deer (M. fuscus)
found in Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal
are also listed in CITES Appendix I.
• The following musk deer populations are
listed under CITES Appendix II: Forest musk
deer (Moschus berezovskii), found in China
and Viet Nam; Himalayan musk deer (M. chrystogaster)
found in China; Black musk deer (M. fuscus)
found in China; Siberian musk deer (M. moschiferus)
found in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China,
the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia.
• TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring
network, works to ensure that trade in wild
plants and animals is not a threat to the
conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint
programme of WWF and IUCN – The World Conservation
Union.
