2 BULLETIN OTTER PELT SEIZURES IN NEPAL REPTILE PET MARKET IN JAPAN MEDICINAL USE OF PRIMATES IN BENIN OCTOBER 2018 OCTOBER 2 30 NO. VOL. The journal of TRAFFIC disseminates information on the trade in wild animal and plant resources 75$)),&ZDVHVWDEOLVKHG LQWRSHUIRUPZKDW UHPDLQVDXQLTXHUROHDVD JOREDOVSHFLDOLVWOHDGLQJDQG VXSSRUWLQJH൵RUWVWRLGHQWLI\ DQGDGGUHVVFRQVHUYDWLRQ FKDOOHQJHVDQGVROXWLRQV OLQNHGWRWUDGHLQZLOG NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY / WWF PICTURE LIBRARY NATURE DQLPDOVDQGSODQWV TRAFFIC’s Vision is of a world in which trade in wild plants and animals is managed at sustainable levels without damaging the integrity RIHFRORJLFDOV\VWHPVDQGLQVXFKDPDQQHUWKDWLWPDNHVDVLJQLÀFDQWFRQWULEXWLRQWRKXPDQQHHGVVXSSRUWVORFDODQGQDWLRQDO economies and helps to motivate commitments to the conservation of wild species and their habitats. rade in wildlife is vital to meeting created by illegal and/or unsustainable wildlife trade. the needs of a significant proport- TRAFFIC’s aim is to encourage sustainability by providing Tion of the world’s popul ation. government, decision-makers, traders, businesses, consu- Products derived from tens of thousands mers and others with an interest in wildlife trade with of species of plants and animals are reliable information about trade volumes, trends, pathways traded and used for the purposes of, and impacts, along with guidance on how to respond where among other things, medicine, food, trade is illegal or unsustainable. fuel, building materials, clothing and ornament ation. TRAFFIC’s reports and advice provide a technical basis for the establishment of effective conservation policies and Most of the trade is legal and much of it programmes to ensure that trade in wildlife is maintained sustainable, but a significant proportion is within sustainable levels and conducted according to not. As well as threatening these resources, national and inter national laws and agreements. The journal unsustainable trade can also lead to of TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC Bulletin, is the only publication species declining in the wild to the point devoted exclusively to issues relating to international trade that they are threatened with extinction. in wild plants and animals. Provided free of charge to over Illegal trade undermines local, national 4000 subscribers and freely available from the TRAFFIC and international efforts to manage wild website (www.traffic.org), it is a key tool for disseminating natural resources sustainably and causes knowledge of wildlife trade and an important source of massive economic losses. information for those in a position to effect change and improve awareness. HARISH SEGAR / WWF iNTERNATIONAL The role of TRAFFIC is to seek and activate solutions to the problems Much of the content published in the TRAFFIC Bulletin arises from invest- igations carried out by TRAFFIC staff, whose wide-ranging expertise allows for a broad coverage of issues. TRAFFIC has also built up a global network of contacts with, for example, law enforcement agents, scientists, and wildlife experts, some of whom are regular contributors to the TRAFFIC Bulletin. TRAFFIC welcomes articles on the subject of wildlife trade that will bring new information to the attention of the wider public; guide lines are provided in this issue and online to assist in this process. For more information, please contact the editor: JOHN E. NEWBY / WWF INTERNATIONAL JOHN E. NEWBY TRAFFICTRAFFIC MICHEL GUNTHER / WWF INTERNATIONAL MICHEL Kim Lochen ([email protected]). The TRAFFIC Bulletin is a publication of TRAFFIC, a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The TRAFFIC Bulletin publishes information and TRAFFIC original papers on the subject of trade in wildlife, and strives to be a source of accurate and objective B U L L E T I N information. The TRAFFIC Bulletin is available free of charge. VOL. 30 NO. 2 OCTOBER 2018 Quotation of information appearing in the news and short reports sections is welcomed without permission, but citation must be given. Reprod uction of all other material appearing in the TRAFFIC Bulletin requires written permission from the publisher. CONTENTS MANAGING EDITOR Steven Broad EDITOR and COMPILER Kim Lochen Editorial 41 SUBSCRIPTIONS and MAILING Sabri Zain (E-mail: [email protected]) Bulletin board 42 The designations of geographical entities in this Anti-snare campaign: 43–44 publication, and the presentation of the material, a year of combating snares in Malaysia do not imply the expression of any opinion Nur Hazwani Hassan and Salman Saaban whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC or its supporting organisations concern ing the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its Emerging international trade in vulnerable 45–47 authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its species of South Asian freshwater turtles frontiers or boundaries. Sarah Stoner Any opinions expressed are those of the writers Trade in primate species for 48–56 and do not necessarily reflect those of TRAFFIC. medicinal purposes in southern Benin: implications for conservation Published by TRAFFIC Chabi A.M.S. Djagoun, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Etotépé A. Sogbohossou, Barthélémy Kassa, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK. Hugues A. Akpona, Isidore O. Amahowe, Joël Djagoun and Brice Sinsin Copyright of material published in the TRAFFIC Bulletin is vested in TRAFFIC UN FAO’s efforts towards sustainable 57–58 © TRAFFIC 2018. wildlife management and improved ISSN 0267-4297. food security and livelihoods UK Registered Charity No. 1076722 Kristina Rodina The illegal trade in otter pelts in Nepal 59–63 Cover photograph: Melissa Savage and Mohan Bikram Shrestha Green Tree Python Morelia viridis (© Martin Harvey / WWF) Scaling up: the contemporary 64–71 reptile pet market in Japan Photographs this page, from top: Keiko Wakao, Jordi Janssen and Serene Chng Small-clawed Otters (© N. Duplaix) Wild meat market, Phalanga, D.R. Congo Seizures and prosecutions 72–78 (© Nathalie van Vliet / CIFOR) Vervet Monkeys (© Martin Harvey / WWF ) Spot survey: insights into medical students’ 79–84 perspectives on the use of wildlife products Funding for the printing and distribution of this in traditional medicine in Viet Nam issue of the TRAFFIC Bulletin is generously Vinh Dang and Madelon Willemsen provided by The Rufford Foundation. Funding to print and distribute future issues is sought. Please visit http://www.traffic.org/donate/ if you can help. AC Print Solutions Limited 55 High Street Hunsdon Herts SG12 8NJ E D I T O R I A L KHQ WKH ¿UVW /RQGRQ &RQIHUHQFH RQ ,OOHJDO The Taskforce will also be working to identify criminals :LOGOLIH 7UDGH ,:7 ZDV KHOG LQ )HEUXDU\ XVLQJ OHJLWLPDWH ¿QDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQV WR FRQGXFW WKHLU W2014, the world was seeing unprecedented EXVLQHVVHV DQG LOOXPLQDWH WKH FRQÀXHQFH RI SURFHHGV levels of poaching and illegal trade in many species. from wildlife and other illicit trades. The year before had been the worst year on record for Illegal wildlife trade on the internet was another focus rhinoceros poaching in South Africa thus far, with over of the Conference, recognising that e-commerce and 1,000 animals killed illegally. The report of the Elephant online auction sites, as well as social media platforms, Trade Information System that was presented at the are increasingly used to sell illegal wildlife products, 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES providing as they do an alternative to physical markets (Convention on International Trade in Endangered which may be perceived to be or may actually be more exposed to monitoring and enforcement action. Showcased at the Conference was the work of WKH*OREDO&RDOLWLRQWR(QG:LOGOLIH7UD൶FNLQJ E D I T O R I A L Online. The Coalition, which includes 23 global e-commerce, social media and technology 6SHFLHVRI:LOG)DXQDDQG)ORUD WKDW\HDUDOVRVKRZHG companies including Tencent, Alibaba, eBay, Google, illegal trade in ivory at its highest levels in nearly two Microsoft and Rakuten, in partnership with TRAFFIC, decades, with 2011 the worst year on record for ivory ::) DQG ,)$: DLPV WR UHGXFH ZLOGOLIH WUD൶FNLQJ seizures. Political attention at the highest levels was through web-based platforms by 80% by 2020. urgently needed to address the crisis and many hoped Another strong display of private sector engagement that the London Conference would provide the global LQ FKDPSLRQLQJ JOREDO H൵RUWV WR WDFNOH ZLOGOLIH FULPH response that was needed. at the Conference was the announcement by the World That meeting concluded with the London Declaration Travel and Tourism Council that over 100 travel and that was adopted by acclamation by 41 countries, setting tourism companies have now signed up to the Buenos out an international call for action to eradicate markets Aires Declaration, working towards a common goal to for illegal wildlife products; strengthen law enforcement educate over one billion travellers about the nature, scale H൵RUWV DQG HQVXUH H൵HFWLYH OHJDO IUDPHZRUNV DQG and consequences of illegal wildlife trade. deterrents are in place; and promote sustainable The need to address demand for illegal wildlife livelihoods through positive engagement with local products was another issue highlighted at the Conference, communities. with Defra announcing the establishment of a consortium Four years on, some progress is being made on these of global behavioural change specialists, including IURQWVZLWKFRRSHUDWLYHH൵RUWVWRDGGUHVVZLOGOLIHFULPH TRAFFIC, the Oxford