SB194 3/13/2017 EXHIBIT C Senate Committee oncommerce Labor and Energy Date: Total pages: 18 Exhibit begins with: C1 thru C18

Transcription

1 SB194 3/13/2017

2 The Illegal Wildlife Trade According to a 2014 UN report on environmental crime, the illegal wildlife trade of flora and fauna is estimated to be worth as much as 23 billion dollars annually. Wildlife trafficking is organized crime, behind only drugs, arms, and human trafficking. C2

3 In 2015, 1,338 rhinoceros were illegally poached for their horns. 29,000 rhinos exist in our world today down from 500,000 in the early 1900 s. Nick Brandt C3

4 tigers live in the wild - 5,000 tigers live in captivity - 100,000 existed in the early 1900 s C4

5 Sea Turtles All seven species are appendix 1 on CITES For more than 100 million years marine turtles have covered vast distances across the world's oceans, performing a vital and integral role in marine and coastal ecosystems Turtles are slain for their eggs, shells, and meat C5

6 Pangolin Most trafficked animal in the world for its meat, skin, and scales. More than 1 million pangolin have been traded in the past 10 years, approximately 100,000 a year. The pangolin pit dead pangolins, 5 tons, is the largest seizure ever recorded. C6

7 One quarter of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. Close to 100 million sharks are killed every year to supply global demand for their products, 73 million for shark fin soup Some populations have declined by 99% over the last 50 years. Up to 98% of the animal is wasted as the remainder of the shark is thrown overboard to drown or bleed to death after its fin is sliced off. Loss of sharks would be devastating to the ecosystem resulting in declining biodiversity NPR.org The Shark Trust C7

8 The Great Elephant Census Population of 352, 271 elephants counted in 18 countries. Savanna elephants declined by 30% from Tanzania has lost 60% of its elephants in the past 5 years, primarily due to poaching. An elephant is estimated to be killed every 15 minutes. In October 2016, the CITES Conference of the Parties, a treaty of 182 governments, adopted a resolution recommending the closure of domestic ivory markets around the world. C8

9 Do we want elephants or ivory? C9

10 Wildlife Trade Ties To Terrorism According to the US State Department, wildlife trafficking has severe implications for the security and prosperity of people around the world US Fish and Wildlife has found that many of the organized criminal gangs at the center of the trafficking rings are also implicated in the trafficking of drugs, arms, and even people. Illicit proceeds from ivory smuggling are financing some of the world s worst militia and terrorist groups, from Al Shabaab to Janjaweed to Boko Haram to the Lord s Resistance Army s Joseph Kony making the link between security and wildlife trafficking irrefutable. C10

11 A February 2017 article in the Economist ties the drug trade to the ivory and rhino horn trade. Transnational organized crime is a business, and the ultimate goal is money not ideology or anything else. It doesn t matter if it is drugs, weapons, ivory, people; it s just about moving illicit goods for profit, says Javier Montano, a wildlifecrime expert at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Nairobi Drug Trade connection Lionaid.org C11

12 According to an article in the journal Conservation Biology in 2014, it has proven to be impossible to coordinate an effective, sustainable, and legalized trade in elephant ivory due to severe corruption throughout the commodity chain. Virtually impossible for enforcement to determine legal from illegal ivory. Modern DNA tests are expensive and inefficient, preventing their usefulness in the field. Why limit trade? C12

13 Why else? A thriving, diverse, ecosystem will improve our natural resources, economies, and be an example of stewardship for the next generation of children watching and learning from our actions. C13

14 US Role Demand in the US is 2 nd in the world, just behind China. China is phasing out their domestic ivory trade in Federal laws have been strengthened, but we need state laws to close state loopholes US Fish and Wildlife Service is encouraging states to go further with state level bills for a more effective joint approach C14

15 Why Nevada Wildlife trafficking bills have now been passed along the entire West cost and Hawaii A 2014 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that the proportion of illegal ivory entering California has doubled over the past 8 years since the 2006 study. Nevada is likely to be a targeted state for increased trafficking due to a lack of state laws. Nevada has an opportunity to protect species threatened with extinction. C15

16 What future will we choose? Nick Brandt C16

17 In Summary Given the ecological loss at stake, the rapid decrease of populations, and the global security implications, we hope you will stand behind these important efforts and pass this wildlife trafficking bill. Nick Brandt C17

18 Questions? C18 Nick Brandt