Wed, May 9, 2012 - New
national CITES enforcement coordinating
body shows positive results
Mr John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General,
presenting a Certificate of Commendation
to Ms. Yin Hong, Vice Aministrator of State
Forestry Administration.
Geneva/Guangzhou, 9
May 2012 - The Secretary-General of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
Mr John E. Scanlon, has today awarded a
Certificate of Commendation to the National
Inter-Agency CITES Enforcement Collaboration
Group (NICECG) of China in recognition of
two nationwide wildlife law enforcement
operations carried out earlier this year.
Over 100,000 enforcement officers were mobilised
in this effective offensive against wildlife
crime.
During the Forest Police
Operation, organized by the State Forestry
Administration, more than 700 cases of illegal
wildlife trade were uncovered; 7,155 illegal
wildlife stalls and shops as well as 628
illegal online wildlife shops were shut
down; 520 websites believed to offer for
sale illegal wildlife were closely monitored;
enforcement action was taken against 1,031
wildlife dealers involved in illegal activities;
13 wildlife-related criminal networks were
dismantled and approximately 130,000 wild
animals; 2,000 wildlife products and 147
wild animal skins were conficated.
During the Customs Authorities
Operation, organized by the General Administration
of Customs, 13 suspects were arrested; 1,366.3
kg of ivory, 337,400 kg of red sandal wood;
and approximately 30,000 kg of yew timber
and 876 horns of saiga antelope were seized.
These two major operations
were carried out under the auspices of NICECG,
which was established in December 2011 in
order to facilitate the collection and exchange
of intelligence, enhance capacity building,
and coordinate joint enforcement activities.
NICECG comprises the State Forestry Administration,
the Ministry of Public Security, the General
Administration of Customs, the Ministry
of Agriculture and the Administration of
Industry and Commerce. The CITES Management
Authority of China, hosted by the State
Forestry Administration, is the coordinating
body of NICECG.
The CITES Secretary-General,
Mr John E Scanlon, presented the Certficate
of Commendation to the Chair of NICECG and
Vice Minister of the State Forestry Administration,
Ms Yin Hong, at the opening ceremony of
a meeting hosted by China on the Development
of CITES E-Permitting Systems, which is
being held in Guangzhou and attended by
participants from 14 CITES member States.
Mr Scanlon declared: "The sheer scale,
extent of coordination, and level of success
of these intelligence-driven operations
exemplify the coordinated enforcement effort
that is required at the national and sub-national
levels to combat wildlife crime successfully.
We commend the Chinese Government for this
excellent initiative, which echoes the coordinated
enforcement approach that we are promoting
through the International Consortium on
Combatting Wildlife Crime (ICCWC)."
At the acceptance of
the Certificate of Commendation, Ms Yin
Hong, stated: "The Government of China
attaches great importance to the protection
of the ecological system, and has always
given high priority to the protection of
biological diversity and wildlife law enforcement.
China is committed to work with the international
community to enhance the implementation
and enforcement of CITES."
Although China has been
conducting nationwide wildlife enforcement
actions for many years, the new operations
coordinated by NICECG, have clearly given
new impetus to CITES implementation. NICECG
is also serving as a model at the provincial
level, with five CITES enforcement inter-agency
groups being set up.
Dr Meng Xianlin, Executive
Director-General of the CITES Management
Authority of China, said: "We see the
Certificate of Commendation from the CITES
Secretary-General as a very positive recognition
of the law enforcement efforts made by China
in the implementation of CITES, one for
which we are extremely grateful. This is
an invaluable encouragement to all the wildlife
law enforcement officers across China. NICECG
will spare no efforts to bring its power
into full play in order to gather concerted
efforts of all relevant authorities in combating
illegal activities in wildlife and to curb
illegal wildlife trade effectively. "
CITES implementation
has also recently been brought to the fore
at the highest political level. In the joint
statement issued after the fourth round
of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic
Dialogue held from 3 to 4 May in Beijing,
article 47 states that: "We decide
to jointly support the wildlife law enforcement
efforts and to combat the smuggling of endangered
and protected species. China and the United
States will attend the Special Investigation
Group Meeting held from 20 to 21 June 2012
in Nanning, China, led by ASEAN-WEN. At
the meeting, wildlife investigators and
forensic experts will identify and recommend
improved enforcement and inspection efforts."
+ More
UN Secretary General's
Message on International Day for Biological
Diversity
Tue, May 22, 2012 -
Oceans cover almost three-quarters of the
surface area of the globe. They are home
to the largest animal known to have lived
on the planet - the blue whale - as well
as billions upon billions of the tiniest
of microorganisms. From sandy shores to
the darkest depths of the sea, oceans and
coasts support a rich tapestry of life on
which human communities rely. Fisheries
provide more than 15 per cent of the global
dietary intake of animal protein. Oceans
and coastal areas provide invaluable ecosystem
services - from tourism to protection from
storms. Minuscule photosynthesizing plants
called phytoplankton provide 50 per cent
of all the oxygen on Earth.
Yet, despite its importance,
marine biodiversity - the theme of this
year's International Day for Biological
Diversity - has not fared well at human
hands. Commercial over-exploitation of the
world's fish stocks is severe. Many species
have been hunted to fractions of their original
populations. More than half of global fisheries
are exhausted, and a further third are depleted.
Between 30 and 35 per cent of critical marine
environments - such as seagrasses, mangroves
and coral reefs - are estimated to have
been destroyed. Plastic debris continues
to kill marine life, and pollution from
land is creating areas of coastal waters
that are almost devoid of oxygen. Added
to all of this, increased burning of fossil
fuels is affecting the global climate, making
the sea surface warmer, causing sea level
to rise and increasing ocean acidity, with
consequences we are only beginning to comprehend.
But, there is hope.
A scientific review conducted in 2011 showed
that, despite all the damage inflicted on
marine wildlife and habitats over the past
centuries, between 10 and 50 per cent of
populations and ecosystems have shown some
recovery when human threats were reduced
or removed. However, compared to the land
- where nearly 15 per cent of surface area
is under some kind of protection - little
more than 1 per cent of marine environments
are protected.
Lately, some progress
is being made, particularly with the establishment
of large-scale marine reserves and documenting
areas of ecological or biological significance
in open-ocean and deep-sea habitats. On
this International Day for Biodiversity,
as we look ahead to the UN Conference on
Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June,
we need to recommit to building on these
advances.
Rio+20 must galvanize
action to improve the management and conservation
of oceans through initiatives by the United
Nations, governments and other partners
to curb overfishing, expand marine protected
areas and reduce ocean pollution and the
impact of climate change. By taking action
at the national, regional and global levels,
including enhancing international cooperation,
we can achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Target
of conserving 10 per cent of marine and
coastal areas by 2020, a crucial step in
protecting marine biodiversity for the future
we want.
