Transcript Trade in Wildlife Parts History

Trade in Wildlife Parts
History
History
•Back in the day (colonization of NA)
• Back
in the
day (colonization
NA)
–Native
Americans
used parts to of
trade
w/ white
–man
Native Americans used parts to trade w/ white
man
–Mostly pelts, antlers, and horns
– Mostly pelts, antlers, and horns
–For guns, traps, pots and pans, and other
– For guns, traps, pots and pans, and other
necessities
necessities
––Lead
Lead to early exploitation of native wildlife
populations
History cont’d
• Exploitation went on for many years
• Only after many wildlife numbers decreased
dramatically did the gov’t step in
• Began with setting aside land for National
preserves
– Created many different laws pertaining to
wildlife
Laws
• 1st major law: Lacy Act (1900)
- regulates interstate and international trade
of wildlife and wildlife parts (dead or alive)
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1916)
- protects migratory bird species in Canada,
Mexico, and the US
Laws cont’d
• Duck Stamp Act (1934)
- to supplement and support Migratory Bird
Act
- Funds from duck stamp set aside to buy
land for wildlife sanctuaries (mostly
wetland habitats)
Laws
• Endangered Species Act (1973)
- Purpose:
- To conserve habitats that endangered
species depend on
- To create programs to conserve
endangered/threatened species
- To uphold other treaties/conventions
Endangered Species Act
• Policy:
– To conserve endangered/threatened species to
uphold this act
– Cooperation between state and federal
authorities for conservation
– Prohibition of exporting or importing any
endangered/threatened species native to any
country
CITES
• Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (1975)
• Global treaty focusing on protection of
plant and animal species form
unregulated international trade
CITES
• Three phases
– Protects threatened species from international
trade
– Regulates trade in non-threatened species but
may become threatened if trade goes on
– Gives countries options of species to list if
already protected within boundaries
International Trade
• Main importers: South East Asia, Europe,
and US
• Main exporters: South America, US, and
Africa
ASIA
•Big importers and exporters
• Big importers and exporters
•Poor
• Pooreconomy
economyininplaces
places(rural)
(rural)==exporters
exporters
••Good
Goodeconomy
economyininplaces
places(city)
(city)==importers
importers
• China – biggest importer both
•China – biggest importer both internationally
internationally and intranationally
and intranationally
– Biggest problematic country
-biggest problematic country
ASIA
• Rural problems
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Not a lot of money
Know that wildlife parts = big money
Used to and still hunt for subsistence
Sell/trade parts for food, salt, guns, etc.
Belief of success in next hunt if have skulls
ASIA
• City problems
– Too much money
– Want traditional medicines
– Want to be like western peoples (US)
--Trophies etc.
ASIA
• Main mammals poached in SE Asia:
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Tigers
Tibetan antelope and gazelle
Giant panda
Rhinos
Tapirs
Musk deer
Various monkeys
Tigers
Hair: when burnt chases away centipedes
Brain: laziness and pimples
Skin: treat mental illness
Bones: arthritis, strengthen muscles
Stomach: calm upset stomach
Whiskers: toothaches
Tail: various skin diseases
Other mammals:
•Panda
Panda
-- skins sold for
$100,000 US
Tapir:
-- skin used to
remove boils and
keep away infections
More mammals:
Tibetan antelope:
-- fashionable hides
-- called Shahtoosh
-- In 1992, $2750 /lb
-- 20000 killed
annually (1999)
-- exported to Italy,
France
Sumatran Rhino:
-- horn: relieves
headaches and
fevers
More mammals:
Musk deer:
Gibbons and macaques:
-- musk gland used
--skins made into
-- to treat malaria,
shoulder bags
convulsions
-- treatment for
-- perfume to
malaria
Germany, France
-- $ 45,000 /kg
Solutions (possible)
• A college in San Francisco started
promoting alternative ingredients for
traditional medicines
• Actually pay people to work in national
preserves
• Give people salt to safeguard wildlife
AFRICA
• Declined in exporting 1980’s – 1990’s
• Recent increase due to lifted ban on ivory
• Main problems:
-- civil war
-- hunting (subsistence)
-- lack of funding
AFRICAN MAMMALS
• Main mammals effected in Africa
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Elephants
Black and White Rhinoceros
Gorillas and other primates
Cheetahs and other big cats
ELEPHANT
elephant
•Hunted for ivory
jewelry
piano keys
carvings
•Hunted for meat
RHINOCEROS
Hunted for : horns
- medicinal value
- dagger handles
meat trade
Gorillas and other primates
gorilla
Hunted for: meat
hands and other body parts
young ones
capture for zoos and private
collections
Cheetahs and other big cats
• Hides used for trade
• Meat used to sell to other tribes
• Killed for predation on cattle
Africa
Solutions:
• Burning stacks of horns to curb hunting
• Cutting of rhino horns before they get big
•Public
• More education
money to fund park rangers
•Cease
agreements to wars to stop accidental
• Publicfire
education
deaths
• Cease fire agreements to wars to stop
accidental deaths
Africa
More Solutions:
• Hippo teeth and
warthog tusks for ivory
• DNA tracking of ivory
– New tests help
differentiate elephant
ivory from mammoth
ivory (which is legal)
– Tests also locate
approximate location of
kill
SOUTH AMERICA
• Recent member to
illegal trade family
• Mostly trade for
money
• Lack of education
about endangered
species
South America
• Brazil
– Mostly bird smuggling: parrots, etc.
• Venezuela:
– Mostly bird smuggling
– Few mammals being smuggled
– Just hides and other parts: ocelot skins
South America
• Problems:
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Increase of population size
Decrease value of money
Had to increase exporting something
Rise in unemployment = need for cheep food
= native species
SA Mammals
CAPYBARA:
• Hide used for leather
products
• Considered a delicacy
OCELOT:
• Pelts used in fur
industry
• Trapped for house cats
South America
• Another major problem:
– Drug lords getting in on trade
– Good, quick money
– Stuffing drugs and other paraphernalia into
mounted species
South America
Solutions:
-- Find other products to export (oil,
minerals, etc.)
-- help their economy
-- increase value of their money
-- employ more people
North American Trade
Intro to North America
• World’s largest
importing/exporting
region in the world.
• Trade is about 20 billion
dollars worldwide, second
only to narcotics.
• Discovery by European
nations 300 years ago.
• Historically fur- Highest
value commercially in the
world.
United States
• High demand for live animals and exotic
leathers.
• Largest wildlife consuming country in
world.
• Center of commerce for worlds animals and
plants.
• Canada and Mexico play similar roles but
on a smaller scale.
Trade
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Two types usually
Legal
Illegal
Majority of trade is illegal
Many rules/regulations restricting trade.
Some categories subject to restrictions are:
Mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, insect,
crustaceans, etc.
• Also any products manufactured from wildlife like
feathers, skins, and eggs.
Trade
• Designated ports for entry.
• Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
San Francisco, and Seattle.
• Must have containers marked and labeled to
show name of shipper and consignee and
number and kind of contents.
Illegal Trade
• One third of world’s
wildlife is in danger of
extinction because of
illegal trade.
• Profit is high, risk of
getting caught is low.
• Animals worth more dead
than alive.
• The more endangered, the
more valuable.
Illegal Trade
• Worth more than $5 billion per year in the
U.S.
• Most people involved are also involved
with organized crimes like drugs and
prostitution.
• Supplies are diminishing. Heading to
Canada for supplies.
Canada
• Many Canadian
animals are in high
demand.
• National Parks are
supermarket for major
trophy heads.
• Animals are grown
protected, now they
are major target for
poachers.
Targets
• High price getters
• Bighorn, Elk, Moose, Deer, Goats, and
Bears.
• Also Fetuses, antlers and velvet, deer
hooves, predatory bird feathers, gall
bladders, teeth, paws, and claws of bears.
• Bears are one of main targets.
Black Bear
• Mainly targeted for gall
bladder.
• Trade is similar to heroin,
only scarcer.
• Valued part- bile
• Traditional medicines to
treat burns, fever, stomach
ulcers, heart disease,
cancer, gall bladder
problems, and
hemorrhoids.
Black Bears
• Flight from Toronto to
New Delhi crashed June
22, 1985.
• Two suitcases with gall
bladders from 1,000 black
bears was lost.
• 70 pounds
• $1 million in gall bladders
• Bear paws are also taken.
Poaching
• California population
is decreasing.
• Biggest factor said to
be poaching due to
value of gall bladders.
• Most go to China
Viagra Involved??
• Thought to slow use of animal parts from
endangered species for aphrodisiacs.
• Slowed trade in harp seals genitals
• Claimed to be reason for market drying up.
• 10 years ago- $65 a piece. 8 years later- $6
• Found viagra had very little impact.
• Decline underway before 1998.
Seals
• 92,000 killed last year in newfoundland.
• 282,000 in 1998
• Reduced numbers caused by poor ice and
oversaturated market.
• Now hunting/trade on rebound in Canada
• 214,000 this year already.
• $27 a piece. Up from $8.50 a year ago
• Set a legal quota on number to be taken.