08/08/2005 – In the largest
ever single seizure of tiger bone in Taiwan,
and one of the largest ever in Asia since
2000, Kaohsiung Customs authorities in Taiwan
recently confiscated over 140kg of tiger bones,
including 24 skulls, in a shipment from Jakarta,
Indonesia. The contraband was hidden in a
container of deer antlers being exported to
Taiwan for use in traditional medicines. Also
seized were 400kg of pangolin scales and five
pieces of carved ivory weighing 1kg.
"The recent seizure of tiger bone in
Taiwan clearly shows that there is little
evidence of a major reduction in poaching
of tigers in the wild and signals the urgent
need for strong enforcement action by both
tiger range States and potential consumer
countries," said Chris Shepherd, a regional
programme officer with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
The Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) prohibits the international trade
in parts and derivatives from tigers, elephants,
and pangolins and all three are totally protected
species in Indonesia. However, a TRAFFIC Southeast
Asia report released last year found that
despite full protection, poaching of and trade
in Indonesia's tigers continues unabated.
According to TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, the
report estimated that at least 50 tigers were
killed or removed from the wild in Indonesia
per year between 1998 and 2002.
"This single shipment intercepted in
Taiwan last month represents nearly half that
annual figure," Shepherd added.
"Assuming that all these tiger parts
were sourced from Sumatra, Indonesia is in
real danger of losing its last remaining tiger
sub-species – the Sumatran tiger – if the
widespread illegal trade in tiger parts is
not stopped."
Indonesia, once home to three sub-species
of tiger – Javan, Balinese, and Sumatran –
now only has between 400 and 500 tigers left
in the wild in Sumatra. The Java and Bali
tigers have both gone extinct due largely
to illegal killing for trade and loss of their
habitat.
During TRAFFIC’s research in Sumatra, traders
indicated that they illegally sold tiger parts
to Taiwan, as well as to Korea, China, Japan,
Singapore, and Malaysia.
"We would like to commend the efforts
of the Taiwan Custom's authorities in intercepting
this illegal shipment and we encourage other
potential consumer countries to show similar
vigilance and strong enforcement action,"
Shepherd said.
"Despite earlier indications of the
trade in some markets shifting to tiger skins
and other products beside bone, this seizure
clearly illustrates that tiger parts in traditional
Asian medicine continues to be a threat to
wild tigers."
TRAFFIC also urged Indonesia to significantly
boost their enforcement efforts to ensure
that even more tigers are not poached for
the bone trade.
"Increased and improved enforcement
is critical to saving Sumatran Tigers, and
action should be taken against the markets,
trade hubs, and retail outlets, especially
in northern Sumatra," Shepherd stressed.
"More specialized anti-poaching units
also need to be urgently established. Traders
of illegal wildlife and wildlife parts and
derivatives should also be punished to the
full extent of the law."
Reports in recent months regarding the decline
in tiger populations in some protected areas
in India have forcefully re-focussed the attention
of the international conservation community
on the poaching of tigers, especially in South
Asia. However, this seizure has firmly put
the global spotlight on Southeast Asia as
well.
"Conservation efforts must address the
global picture if the trade in tigers is to
be stopped, and if ultimately tigers are to
survive in the wild," Shepherd said.
The seizure also clearly indicates that illegal
trade of numerous protected species from Southeast
Asia to Taiwan and other East Asian destinations
continues on a large scale. Pangolins, one
of the most heavily traded species in Asia,
are also protected in Indonesia, and throughout
their range in Asia. However, demand for their
scales and meat in East Asia continues to
drive a market that is threatening remaining
wild populations.
END NOTES:
• Trade in CITES-listed species is regulated
by the Foreign Trade Act in Taiwan. Tigers,
pangolin and elephants are also protected
in Taiwan under the Wildlife Conservation
Law. Illegal imports or exports of protected
wildlife or its products can lead to jail
terms of between 6 months to 5 years, and/or
fines of up to 1,500,000 Taiwan Dollars (US$47,037).
• The largest seizure of Tiger bones ever
recorded was made in India in 1993, following
an investigation by TRAFFIC. Authorities seized
283kg tiger bones, 8 tiger skins and 60 leopard
skins from a Tibetan refugee, who had been
allegedly smuggling wildlife articles, including
tiger bones, to Tibet for many years. In January
2000, the TRAFFIC India Informer Network also
helped Indian authorities seize over 175kg
of bones from tiger and other big cat species
in Khaga, Uttar Pradesh.
• 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, the conservation organization
and IUCN - The World Conservation Union.
• The TRAFFIC Southeast Asia report ‘‘Nowhere
to hide: The Trade in Sumatran Tiger’ can
be downloaded at http://www.traffic.org/sumatranTigers.pdf.
Generous funding support for this report was
received from 21st Century Tiger and WWF-UK.
