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SILENT STEPPE II: Mongolia’S Wildlife Trade Crisis, Ten Years Later

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SILENT STEPPE II: Mongolia’S Wildlife Trade Crisis, Ten Years Later MONGOLIA SILENT STEPPE II: Mongolia’s Wildlife Trade Crisis, Ten Years Later MONGOLIA IRIM Independent Research Institute MONGOLIA SILENT STEPPE II: Mongolia’s Wildlife Trade Crisis, Ten Years Later MONGOLIA IRIM Independent Research Institute MONGOLIA SILENT STEPPE II: Mongolia’s Wildlife Trade Crisis, Ten Years Later September 2019 This study was prepared by The Zoological This report is a product of the staff of the Society of London (ZSL), Legal Atlas, and the Zoological Society of London, Legal Atlas, and Independent Research Institute of Mongolia IRIM, as well as the reviewers that provided (IRIM) with funding from the Illegal Wildlife valuable input to the final draft. In this regard, Trade Challenge Fund of Great Britain’s special thanks are due to Mr. Gombobaatar Department for Environment, Food and from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The UK government is Resources, who provided a review of the committed to tackling illegal wildlife trade, a critical chapters. The report’s findings do not criminal industry worth more than £6 billion necessarily reflect the views of the Directors of each year threatening both wildlife and people. these entities or the government of Mongolia. The Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Challenge No entity involved in this study guarantees the Fund provides financial support to practical accuracy of the data included. Likewise, the projects around the world which: boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work • develop sustainable livelihoods for do not imply any judgment on the part of communities affected by illegal wildlife any entity named herein concerning the legal trade status of any territory or the endorsement or • strengthen law enforcement and the role acceptance of such boundaries. of the criminal justice system The material in this publication is copyrighted. • reduce demand for the products of the Copying and/or transmitting portions or all illegal wildlife trade of this work without permission may be a As of 2017, the Challenge Fund has allocated violation of applicable law. The Zoological around £9.8 million to 34 projects. Society of London and Legal Atlas encourage dissemination of this work and will normally This publication is available online at www. grant permission to reproduce portions of this zsl.org and www.legal-atlas.net. work promptly. For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to ZSL. Suggested citation: Wingard, J., Pascual, M., Rude, A., Houle, A., Gombobaatar, S., Bhattacharya, G., Munkh- Cover image: Gombobaatar S., Advisor, © The jargal, M., Conaboy, N., Myagmarsuren, Sh., Zoological Society of London, Mongolia Khaliun, T., Batsugar, T., and Bold, T. 2018. Cover design by: Legal Atlas Silent Steppe: Mongolia’s Wildlife Trade Crisis, Ten Years Later. Zoological Society of London, Publication Copyright London UK, Legal Atlas and IRIM. © 2018 The Zoological Society of London Editor: Merson, S.D. © 2018 Legal Atlas, LLC Contact information of the primary authors: James R. Wingard, JD All rights reserved. Legal Director, Legal Atlas Email: [email protected] Maria Pascual Director, Legal Atlas Email: [email protected] Gitanjali Bhattarcharya South and Central Asia Programme Director Zoological Society of London Email: [email protected] Contents PREFACE ...................................................... IV RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS ........................... 36 FORWARD FROM MONGOLIA .............................. VI Instrument Development FORWARD FROM UK ....................................... VII Instrument Validation ACRONYMS .................................................... VIII Instruments Targeting Households TRANSCRIPTIONS ............................................. IX Instruments Targeting Markets CREDITS ........................................................ X Instruments Targeting Stakeholders SAMPLING DESIGN .................................... 44 Household Design Sampling for Market Instruments DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ................ 51 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................... 2 CHAPTER III. THE BIGGER PICTURE CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION THE SETTING .......................................... 20 INTERNATIONAL TRADE IS A PRIMARY DRIVER ................................................... 56 A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ...................... 23 China’s Influence OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH ...................... 25 Russia’s Influence A More Holistic Approach To Surveying Wildlife Trade A Confirmed Transit Country Matching Wildlife Trade Cycles CITES TRADE REFLECTS A CHANGING Tailoring Survey Instruments To Separate Tasks ROLE ...................................................... 63 Refined Sampling Methods Official Numbers Tell Part of the Story A Professional Survey Team Mongolia is a Consumer Country of Foreign Tapping Into New ICT Opportunities Wildlife Adding Data Visualization Live Specimen Trade Dominates Nesting The Survey In A Global Context Exports are Still Strong CHAPTER II. METHODS HARD TO CONTROL ................................... 71 INTRODUCTION .......................................... 30 Increased Trade Requires Increased Capacity RESEARCH QUESTIONS .............................. 31 Free Trade Zones Pose Risks SOURCES OF INFORMATION ........................ 32 Unprotected Borders Facilitate Trade Vast Territories Challenge Enforcement RESEARCH TEAM ...................................... 33 The Threat of Violence Hinders Enforcement RESEARCH CALENDAR ............................... 35 iv Illicit Wildlife Trade Similarities to Drugs Traditional Medicine Trafficking Retail Markets International Organized Crime is Part of IWT in Outdoor Markets Mongolia Trophy Hunting Synergies with Business to Hide Illicit Trade Case Study: Gray Wolf Case Study: Marmot CHAPTER IV. INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE ......................... 81 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................... 193 Rebuilding Capacity Regulators and Managers ANNEXES ............................................ 198 The Enforcers ANNEX I. Research Questions Corruption ANNEX I. Research Questions Annex II. Household Survey IWT LEGAL FRAMEWORK ........................... 106 Annex III. Observational Sheet The Full Framework Annex IV. Retail Shop Survey What Constitutes a Wildlife Offense Annex V. Tourism Agency Survey CITES Compliance Annex VI. Restaurant Survey Gap Analysis Summary Annex VII. Traditional Medicine Survey PROSECUTING WILDLIFE CRIMES ................. 127 Annex VIII. Price Report A Divided System Annex IX. Key Informant Interview Wildlife Crime Cases Annex X. Management Authorities The Final Challenge to Prosecution Questionnaire Conclusion Annex XI. Enforcement Authorities Questionnaire Annex XII. Scientific Authorities & Academia CHAPTER V. WILDLIFE TAKE AND Questionnaire TRADE Annex XII. NGOs and International WILDLIFE TAKE ......................................... 142 Organizations Questionnaire Estimating Hunters and Fishers Variety of Species Targeted Reported Harvest Volumes Trends 2005-2015 Harvest Seasons Old Times, New Times Illegal Hunting Methods Taking Over Fish: The New Marmot ‘We Fish Like Thieves’ Hunter and Fisher Profiles WILDLIFE TRADE MARKETS ......................... 160 Household Sales Household Purchases Restaurants v traditionally hunted for many reasons (fur, meat, medicine, livestock protection), had to contend Preface with a new international market with an appetite for traditional medicine and trophies that few In the summer of 2005, a collection of 30 knew existed. Trading in a limited number of organizations and close to 50 people, led by species for decades,3 Mongolia had yet to come the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and to terms with the fact that most if not all of its with financial support from the Environment wildlife was a commodity at home and abroad. and Natural Resource Division of the World Bank (WB), undertook the largest and most The reasons for the surge in take and trade comprehensive wildlife trade survey ever were rooted in a seemingly disconnected conducted in Mongolia. The impetus for the event, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. With effort came from many fronts, but all centered the end of a political era came the collapse of on the suspected increases in hunting and trade an economic one, the consequences of which as the probable cause for the gradually more fell especially hard on countries like Mongolia obvious decreases in wildlife populations. whose economies were entirely nested within the Soviet system. In the first few years, Mongolia’s Covering every one of the country’s 21 Aimags1 inflation rate stayed in the triple digits, GDP (provinces), researchers queried more than 4,000 lost as much as 30%,4 and every sector of the individuals and completed another 1,100 market economy suffered from shortages in everything, surveys to gather data on a wide variety of wildlife including the basics of food and clothing. As trade related practices and trends. At the same much as one-third of the country found itself in time, the authors gathered hunting data from extreme poverty, and 50% living on less than two local governments; traveled to China and Russia dollars per day.5 For a variety of reasons, this to see firsthand what was happening at the transformational recession continued into the border; completed a gap analysis of Mongolia’s early 2000s.6 A culture that had always relied on national and international wildlife trade
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