15
Oct 2008 - Naypyidaw, Myanmar: Skin and
bones, canines and claws from almost 1,200
wild cats were observed in Myanmar’s wildlife
markets during 12 surveys undertaken by
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.
They included parts
of at least 107 tigers and all eight cat
species native to Myanmar, formerly Burma.
Irregular surveys over the last 15 years
have recorded a total of 1,320 wild cat
parts, representing a minimum of 1,158 individual
animals.
“Although almost 1,200
cats were recorded, this can only be the
tip of the iceberg,” said Chris Shepherd,
Programme Co-ordinator for TRAFFIC’s Southeast
Asia office.
“The cat parts were
openly displayed for sale and the dealers
quite frank about the illegality of the
trade, which suggests a serious lack of
law enforcement.”
People from neighbouring
countries are the main buyers of these parts,
as reflected by the locations of the markets
- three of the four markets surveyed were
located on international borders with China
and Thailand. Prices were quoted in Thai
or Chinese currency, or even US dollars.
“The sale of endangered
cat parts, including Tigers of which only
about 4,000 remain, is an appalling and
brazen violation of the law in Myanmar and
should not be tolerated,” said Dr. Susan
Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s
Species Programme.
“Most of these species
have very low population numbers and will
not be able to withstand the amount of poaching
that is feeding this trade.”
National legislation
in Myanmar is imprecise as to how many cat
species are totally protected, but at least
five are. Native cats comprise Tiger, Leopard,
Clouded Leopard, Marbled Cat, Asiatic Golden
Cat, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat and Jungle
Cat.
Five of them are listed
in Appendix I of CITES (The Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora), which bans international
trade. Myanmar has been a signatory to CITES
since 1997.
“Myanmar has an amazing
wealth and variety of wildlife. However,
immediate action to close down these markets
and prosecute those engaged in the trade
of protected wildlife is essential,” said
Shepherd, adding that national legislation
needed to be tightened and better cross-border
co-operation with neighbouring countries,
particularly Thailand and China was needed.
Myanmar is a member
of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network
(ASEAN-WEN), a partnership that seeks to
end illegal cross-border wildlife trade
in the region.
In order to combat the
illegal trade in wild cat parts in Myanmar,
and to work towards the conservation of
wildlife, TRAFFIC recommended improving
and enforcing national laws and closing
markets actively selling protected wildlife.
Myanmar should also
work to reduce illegal international trade
of wild cats and other protected wildlife,
and should be encouraged to work closely
with Thailand, China and other relevant
countries as international co-operation
is essential to enforce effectively CITES
and to put an end to the illegal international
trade.
Authorities in airports
and other points of international entry
and exit should be more vigilant to prevent
parts and derivatives of protected wildlife
from being carried across Myanmar’s borders.
Myanmar should also
ensure that staff based at these checkpoints
are sufficiently trained in CITES implementation,
enforcement and species/parts of species
identification.
Regular and systematic
monitoring of the markets in Myanmar should
continue to be carried out by non-government
organizations to assist the authorities
in their enforcement efforts as well as
to detect changing trends and dynamics in
the trade.
And Myanmar, as a party
to CITES, should revise existing laws or
enact completely new CITES implementing
legislation and enforce all CITES-enabling
legislation.
