traffic 1 BULLETIN TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is the leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. For further information contact: The Executive Director TRAFFIC David Attenborough Building Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK Telephone: (44) (0) 1223 277427 E-mail: traffi c@traffi c.org Website: www.traffi c.org PANGOLIN TRADE SYNTHETIC WILDLIFE SUBSTITUTES is a is a strategic alliance of CHINA’S BOTANICALS MARKET LIZARDS: SPINY-TAILED AND SUNGAZERS APRIL 2016 1 28 NO. VOL. The journal of the TRAFFIC network disseminates information on the trade in wild animal and plant resources INTERNATIONAL Headquarters Office David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, TRAFFIC was established Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK. Tel: (44) 1223 277427; Fax: (44) 1223 277237; E-mail: [email protected] in 1976 to perform what AFRICA remains a unique role as a Central Africa Regional Office c/o IUCN, Regional Office for Central Africa, global specialist, leading and PO Box 5506, Yaoundé, Cameroon. Tel: (237) 2206 7409; Fax: (237) 2221 6497; E-mail: [email protected] supporting efforts to identify East/Southern Africa Regional Office c/o IUCN ESARO, PO Box 11536, Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa. and address conservation Tel: (27) 12 342 8304/5; Fax: (27) 12 342 8289; E-mail: [email protected] challenges and solutions East Africa Office c/o WWF-Tanzania Country Office, 350 Regent Estate, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Tel/Fax: (255) 22 2701676; E-mail: [email protected] linked to trade in wild WILD WONDERS OF EUROPE, MARKUS VARESVUO / WWF WILD WONDERS OF EUROPE, MARKUS VARESVUO animals and plants. AMERICAS US Office c/o WWF-US, 1250 24th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA. Tel: (1) 202 293 4800; Fax: (1) 202 775 8287; E-mail: [email protected] TRAFFIC’s Vision is of a world in which trade in wild plants and animals is managed at sustainable levels without damaging the integrity ASIA of ecological systems and in such a manner that it makes a significant contribution to human needs, supports local and national East Asia Regional Office c/o WWF-Hong Kong, 15/F, Manhattan Centre, economies and helps to motivate commitments to the conservation of wild species and their habitats. 8 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung N.T., Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2161 9686; Fax: (852) 2845 2764; E-mail: [email protected] China Office c/o WWF-China Programme Office, Room 2616, Wen Hua Gong, (Laodong Renmin Wenhuagong Dongmen), rade in wildlife is vital to meeting TRAFFIC is to seek and activate solutions to the problems Beijing Working People’s Culture Palace, the needs of a significant proport­ created by illegal and/or unsustainable wildlife trade. Beijing 100006, People’s Republic of China. ion of the world’s popul ation. TRAFFIC’s aim is to encourage sustainability by providing Tel: (86) 10 6511 6211; Fax: (86) 10 6511 6261; TProducts derived from tens of thousands government, decision­makers, traders, businesses, consu­ E-mail: [email protected] of species of plants and animals are mers and others with an interest in wildlife trade with traded and used for the purposes of, reliable information about trade volumes, trends, pathways India Office c/o WWF-India, 172-B Lodi Estate, among other things, medicine, food, and impacts, along with guidance on how to respond where New Delhi-110 003, India. fuel, building materials, clothing and trade is illegal or unsustainable. Five regional TRAFFIC Tel: (91) 11 41504786; Fax: (91) 11 43516200; ornament ation. offices are co­ordinated by the TRAFFIC headquarters in E-mail: [email protected] Cambridge, UK. Most of the trade is legal and much of it Japan Office 6th Floor, Nihonseimei Akabanebashi Bldg, sustainable, but a significant proportion is TRAFFIC’s reports and advice provide a technical basis 3-1-14, Shiba, Minato-ku, 105-0014, Tokyo, Japan. not. As well as threatening these resources, for the establishment of effective conservation policies Tel: (81) 3 3769 1716; Fax: (81) 3 3769 1717; unsustainable trade can also lead to and programmes to ensure that wildlife is maintained species declining in the wild to the point within sustainable levels and conducted according to E-mail: [email protected] that they are threatened with extinction. national and inter national laws and agreements. The Illegal trade undermines local, national journal of the TRAFFIC network, TRAFFIC Bulletin, is Taipei Office3F ., No. 92, Ln 106, Sec. 3, Bade Road, and international efforts to manage wild the only publication devoted exclusively to issues relating Songshan District, Taipei City 105, Taiwan. natural resources sustainably and causes to international trade in wild plants and animals. Provided Tel: (886)(2) 25795826; Fax: + (886) (2) 25796036; massive economic losses. free of charge to over 4000 subscribers and freely available E-mail: [email protected] from the TRAFFIC website (www.traffic.org), it is a key JÜRGEN FREUND / WWF TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of WWF tool for disseminating knowledge of wildlife trade and an Southeast Asia Regional Office Unit 3-2, 1st Floor, Jalan SS23/11, and IUCN, the International Union for important source of information for those in a position to Much of the content published in the Taman SEA, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Conservation of Nature. The role of effect change and improve awareness. TRAFFIC Bulletin arises from invest­ Tel: (603) 7880 3940; Fax: (603) 7882 0171; E-mail: [email protected] igations carried out by TRAFFIC staff, whose wide­ranging expertise allows for Viet Nam Office No 32, Lane 34, Van Bao Street, Ba Dinh District, a broad coverage of issues. TRAFFIC has Ha Noi, Viet Nam. also built up a global network of contacts Tel: (84) 4 3726 5023; Fax: (84) 4 3726 4665; Email: [email protected] with, for example, law enforcement agents, scientists, and wildlife experts, some of whom are regular contributors to EUROPE the TRAFFIC Bulletin. Europe Regional Office David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, TRAFFIC welcomes articles on the subject Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK. of wildlife trade that will bring new Tel: (44) 1223 277427; Fax: (44) 1223 277237; E-mail: [email protected] information to the attention of the wider F I C O E S A R T public; guide lines are provided in this issue Sweden Office c/o WWF-Sweden, Ulriksdals Slott, S-17081 Solna, Sweden. and online to assist in this process. For more Tel: (46) 8 624 7400; Fax: (46) 8 85 1329; E-mail: [email protected] information, please contact the editor: TRAFFICTRAFFIC BRENT STIRTON / GETTY IMAGES / WWF-UK / GETTY STIRTON BRENT HARTMUT JUNGIUS /HARTMUT WWF Kim Lochen ([email protected]). The TRAFFIC Bulletin is a publication of TRAFFIC, the wild life trade monitoring network, which is the leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of WWF and IUCN. TRAFFIC The TRAFFIC Bulletin publishes information B U L L E T I N and original papers on the subject of trade in wild animals and plants, and strives to be a source of accurate and objective information. VOL. 28 NO. 1 APRIL 2016 The TRAFFIC Bulletin is available free of charge. Quotation of information appearing in the news sections is welcomed without permission, but CONTENTS citation must be given. Reproduction of all other material appearing in the TRAFFIC Bulletin news requires written permission from the publisher. Editorial • African pangolins to Asia • MANAGING EDITOR Steven Broad Wildlife App campaign • EDITOR and COMPILER Kim Lochen Madras Hedgehogs • SUBSCRIPTIONS and MAILING 1 Sungazer Lizards • Susan Vivian (E-mail: [email protected]) Reducing illegal timber from • Cameroon to China/EU • The designations of geographical entities in US ginseng verification programme • this publication, and the presentation of the China botanicals market potential • material, do not imply the expression of any Scaling up pangolin conservation • opinion whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC or its supporting organizations con cern ing the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. feature Synthetic biology, product substitution and the battle against illegal wildlife trade Any opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of TRAFFIC, Steven Broad and Gayle Burgess WWF or IUCN. 22 Published by TRAFFIC, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK. Copyright of material published in the TRAFFIC Bulletin is vested in TRAFFIC © TRAFFIC 2016. ISSN 0267-4297. UK Registered Charity No. 1076722 seizures and A selection of Cover photograph: prosecutions seizures and prosecutions White-bellied Pangolin Phataginus tricuspis that have recently (© Tim Wacher / ZSL) taken place around the world Photographs this page, from top: American Ginseng Panax quinquefolius (© Andrea Ottesen) 29 Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis (© Martin Harvey / WWF) Ivory seizure, Heathrow Airport, UK (© UK Border Force) Egyptian Spiny-tailed Lizard Uromastyx aegyptia (© Or Oi Ching / TRAFFIC) Funding for the printing and distribution of this short The use of spiny-tailed lizards issue of the TRAFFIC Bulletin is generously communication Uromastyx spp. for medicinal purposes in provided by The Rufford Foundation. Funding to Peninsular Malaysia print and distribute future issues is being sought. Please visit http://www.traffic.org/donate/ Or Oi Ching and Serene C.L.Chng if you can help. 35 Printed by Portland Print, Kettering, Northants NN16 8UN, UK. E D I T ON RE IW A SL he transportation and logistics sector, comprised was attended by industry and transport associations, several primarily of passenger and cargo airlines, airlines, supply chain experts, Customs officials, express express couriers, freight forwarders and shipping courier companies, NGOs and government representatives.