8 FOCUS MAY/JUNE 2004 MAY/JUNE 2004 • VOLUME 26, NUMBER 3 CONTENTS 1 PAGE 2 ᮣ PAGE 3 ᮣ PAGE 4 ᮣ FOCUS ON … CONSUMER’S CORNER GIFT PLANNING Take Action WWF Office EFN: to Save Reopens in Investing in Contemplating Wildlife Congo People to Using Your Power and other ingredients believed to be Protect Nature beneficial for your health if eaten. How to Plan As a Consumer to Turtle shells are boiled until they break down into a glue-like residue and then Your Estate? FOCUS Protect Wildlife the jelly is concentrated by evaporation. Whether you go around the corner or Because turtle jelly is so thoroughly around the globe, you could stumble processed, it is impossible for wildlife upon products made from medicinal officers to verify the species actually in ingredients derived from endangered the products. Between the demand for Sumatran Tiger on the Brink of Extinction species. Sometimes you may not even turtles as food and for medicine, hun- know that what you buy contains any- dreds of tons of turtles are imported to he critically endangered Sumatran professional hunters. Along with a thriv- and teeth of the tiger are sold as Sybille Klenzendorf, head of WWF’s thing questionable. So, it’s up to you to China annually. tiger could be the first large pred- ing international smuggling network, charms, trophies, and for the practice of tiger conservation program. “It’s not too Deborah Gainer/WWF read labels, ask questions, and request Tator to become extinct in the the report found a surprisingly large magic. In traditional Chinese medicine, late for the Indonesian government to What Can You Do? TAKE THE NEXT documentation. The more we reduce twenty-first century if poaching and domestic market in Indonesia for tiger tiger bones are believed to relieve pain get serious about wildlife protection STEP IN YOUR the market demand for these products, Read the label and ask questions! widespread illegal trade are not stopped. skins and other parts, such as bone used and treat arthritis. Skins are also sold and save the country’s last tigers.” MEMBERSHIP the more we can reduce the pressure Visit WWF’s Virtual Pharmacy site at A report released in March by TRAF- in traditional Chinese medicine. both domestically and internationally. WWF and TRAFFIC are urging the Russell Mittermeier Have you ever thought of joining on animals and plants. http://www.worldwildlife.org/buyerbe- FIC, WWF’s wildlife trade monitoring Because tigers are so endangered, all “The one bright spot is that tiger Indonesian government to increase ware/pharm.htm to get the lowdown on veryone needs to make plans to distrib- network, found rampant tiger poaching commercial trade is banned by interna- populations are able to antipoaching measures, stiffen penal- WWF’s Wildlife Rescue Team? By Endangered Plant and bad medicine. ute their assets after their lifetimes. If you in Indonesia. At least 50 Sumatran tional treaty. But a rebound if they are ties for convicted poachers and crack committing to give on a monthly Animal Species are at Risk E basis, the WRT members play a key don’t make your own estate plans, the state tigers were poached each year between thriving black market protected from down on the ongoing illegal export of role in assuring that WWF has the ■ Ginseng is a popular herb that has To learn about other actions you can will do it for you. Of course, you’ll want to 1998 and 2002. The total population of continues to threat- poaching and their tiger parts from Sumatra, as well as the immediate resources needed when- many traditional medicinal uses. In take as a consumer to help protect the include those individuals dear to you in your Sumatran tigers—found only on the en tigers’ survival. In habitat is pre- domestic trade. Just days after the ever wildlife crises arise. When you Asia, it is often prescribed to tone the environment, visit: estate planning—family, friends, and special Indonesian island of Sumatra—is esti- Indonesia’s domestic served,” TRAFFIC report was released to media join the Wildlife Rescue Team, lungs, strengthen the spleen and bene- ➤ www.worldwildlife.org/consumer others. But many people choose to include mated to be less than 500. market, TRAFFIC said around the world, Indonesian authori- you’ll become a part of something fit the heart. But the most common use, organizations they’ve supported over the “Nowhere to Hide: The Trade in found that the ties announced the arrests of six peo- big: WWF’s commitment to save the especially in Europe and the USA is to years—like WWF—as well. Sumatran Tigers,” based largely on whiskers, ple for allegedly poaching tigers in natural world, its breathtaking di- increase energy levels. The demand for By including WWF in your will, trust, or undercover work by TRAFFIC and other claws, Sumatra. versity, and the wild creatures that both American and Asian ginseng other estate plans, you can help save conservation organizations, exposed the “Increased and improved enforce- make it what it is. species is now so great that wild plants wildlife and wild places for generations to relentless killing of a critically endan- ment is critical to saving Sumatran In order to save paper and postage, are fast becoming depleted. Next time come.Act now to help WWF ensure a living gered species by professional and semi- tigers,” said Steven Broad, executive we are pleased to offer the option of you go to the store looking for gin- world for your grandchildren and theirs. director of TRAFFIC International. seng—in any form—ask its source. A lot CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 ➤ debiting your monthly donations from For more information on including WWF in your your bank account or your credit of ginseng is cultivated, and American estate plans, request our free estate planning card. Visit us at www.wwfus.org/join ginseng is regulated in international booklet by contacting us at our toll-free num- ber or by email: or call 1-800-960-0993 to learn trade, so only buy products that are not more—and become a member today! harming wild ginseng populations. 888-WWF-WILL ■ Many turtles are severely threatened (1-888-993-9455) due to habitat destruction and trade, [email protected] sometimes for medicinal use. Turtle Note: For general membership inquiries, please call jelly, similar in appearance to petrolium 1-800-CALL-WWF (800-225-5993) WWF jelly, is a mixture of herbs, turtle shells, Ginseng MAY/JUNE 2004 • VOLUME 26, NUMBER 3 © WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey Protect Our Living Planet... Tiger populations can rebound if they are protected from poaching and their habitat is preserved. Support World Wildlife Fund WWF Teams with Getty Prize Goes to FOCUS CONSERVATION BRIEF: Five Remarkable Buying “Ocean Friendly” Fish Can Help Government, Conservationists Save Our Oceans—Look for the MSC Label Industry to Save Conservationists from Russia, Indo- As many of you know from reading FOCUS, several years ago WWF co- nesia, Chile, Papua New Guinea, and created an innovative ecolabeling organization for our oceans: the Marine Sea Turtles China will share this year’s $100,000 Stewardship Council (MSC). The Council’s task is to identify and promote Getty Prize. From one end of the globe seafood caught in an environmentally responsible manner. The MSC logo has In a move to prevent sea turtles from to the other, these remarkable individ- been spotted by many of you at fresh fish counters nationwide, especially next drowning in the longlines of commer- uals have made outstanding contribu- to special wild Alaska salmon displays. cial fishing fleets, the National Oceanic tions in their fields. Starting this spring, grocery chains including Whole and Atmospheric Administration Dmitry Lisitsyn and the Sakhalin Foods Market, Wegmans and Wild Oats stores—and on- (NOAA) has announced the successful Environmental Watch he cofounded line sites such as Vital Choice—will offer products such as development of new techniques that won new safeguards for Russia’s canned salmon with the MSC ecolabel, signifying that your will reduce the turtles’ accidental Sakhalin Island, protecting the region purchase of them helps save our endangered oceans. Later this entanglement in fishing gear, a problem from careless oil development prac- year, MSC-labeled frozen fish sticks will come on the market, and more known as bycatch. tices and potential environmental dev- selections of MSC-labeled fresh fish and shellfish should be available. In par- Together with fishermen and private astation. They also spearheaded the George Powell/WWF ticular, watch for fresh wild Alaska salmon during the May-July season. After industry, NOAA completed three years of creation of a 187,000-acre forest pre- Sifaka the fishing season is over, watch for “previously frozen” salmon. fishing gear research to develop turtle- serve and a marine reserve on the ✁ When you choose MSC-labeled fish, you not only protect the future of the friendly devices and new fishing methods northeast coast of Sakhalin Island. I’ll help save endangered wildlife wherever it is threatened, whenever it is fish we enjoy today, you also create a market for more ocean-friendly prac- for commercial longline vessels. Though In Indonesia, Haji Masdjuni, head of YES! threatened. I have enclosed a check to World Wildlife Fund for $ . tices and companies, and provide incentives for environmental fishing prac- the research took place in the high seas the Berau District, is providing a gen- tices around the world. of the Atlantic Ocean, the new methods uine example of local conservation Mr./Mrs. Help us track the label! If you see MSC-labeled products stocked in stores and can be adapted for use worldwide.