Opening and welcoming remarks: 1. Good morning/afternoon everyone, my name is and I am (job title) for (Company). a) Thank you very much for coming today for this awareness training on wildlife trafficking for airline and airport staff. b) This is a short workshop, developed specifically to help you identify and report wildlife crime at work. 2. I would like to thank our host and also USAID for their support and the efforts of the ROUTES partners 3. This is the first module of four and provides an overview of wildlife trafficking. 4. Wildlife trafficking refers to the illegal trade of wild animals and plants. 5. It should be recognized that not all wildlife trade is illegal, but a worrying proportion of trade is carried out in contravention of national laws and international regulations. 6. As you will learn, the illegal trade causes serious problems to wildlife populations, to governments, to local communities and to legitimate business which may become inadvertently caught up in this. 1
ROUTES is a program funded by USAID which aims to improve the ability of transportation personnel to assist law enforcement to combat wildlife trafficking: Aims to improve knowledge and data on wildlife trafficking in the transport industry (led by C4ADS) Engage corporate leadership (led by WWF) Enable and train transportation staff to identify and report wildlife crime (led by TRAFFIC) Integrate wildlife trafficking into relevant industry standards and protocols (led by IATA) Increase passenger and client awareness of wildlife trafficking issues (led by Freeland Foundation) 2
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Because the illegal trafficking of wildlife poses significant risks to you and your company: 1. Reputation: a) When trafficked wildlife is found, reports may include i. Airline name ii. Flight number iii. Suggestion of staff involvement iv. Company responds, but damage is done 2. Legal: a) Companies may be at risk of prosecution for failing to ensure what they were carrying was legal 3. Economic: a) Increased scrutiny can result in delays b) Reputational and legal risks may result in lost business opportunities 4. Safety: a) Risk of injury and spread of disease from smuggled wildlife 4
Risks to the transport sector from wildlife trafficking include: 1. Reputational risk: a) In some cases, media reports of wildlife seizures which are made at airports include the name of the airline (and/or flight number) on which the items were carried or were due to be carried. a) In one example, press reports appeared claiming that a particular airline s staff had been charged with the smuggling of turtles. The airline concerned issued a statement to deny that any of the accused worked for their company and stressed that they had a clear zero tolerance policy for employers, contractors or service providers who are guilty of criminal offences and illegal activities. Later press reports confirmed that the three men did not work for the airline, but the reputational damage had already been done. b) The three men (who were not airline employees) were working in collaboration with the security scanner operator who escaped arrest. The turtles had been found inside the luggage of three passengers due to board for the flight. The passengers were taken aside and questioned, but it was not until security footage showed the men actually placing the animals in the bags that the true story emerged. (notes to be continued on next page) 5
(notes continued from previous page) 2. Legal risk: a) There have been occasions where companies in the transport sector have been prosecuted for not making enough effort to ensure that shipments did not contain contraband after they were found to contain ivory. Many national laws allow for the seizure of vehicles used to transport illegal wildlife. 3. Economic risk: a) Reputational and legal risks can lead to economic risk. Cargo customers and passengers are likely to avoid any transport provider whose services may be delayed through increased enforcement attention or have been linked to wildlife trafficking. 4. Safety risk: a) There is a risk of injury to staff and passengers from smuggled wildlife. In 2015, passengers on two separate flights were stung by scorpions. It is not clear how the scorpions came to be on the flight. 6
Ask the participants why they think wildlife is traded. 7
Ask the participants why they think wildlife is traded? 8
1. Detect look out for signs of smuggled wildlife 2. Protect take care and ensure that you do not personally handle any animals or wildlife products. They could be dangerous. 3. Respond decide the best course of action, call animal quarantine to manage any wildlife 4. Report report any crimes to your supervisor in the first instance as well as your local police and customs officials 9
Speaker should encourage participants to guess 10
Timber is used all over the world, as furniture, as a building material and as fuel 11
From furniture to paper almost everyone uses wood. Wooden ornaments Furniture https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=215320 12
1. These squirrels and other animals were seen in a market on sale in Vietnam. 2. Although this may not look tasty to everyone, wild meat is popular in many places across the world. 13
1. Can you identify these? a) Left: Bear paws. b) Right: Pangolin tail. 2. Often items such as these are viewed as delicacies and may be ordered by diners in an effort to impress others with their wealth. 3. The meat from wild animals is usually much more expensive than that from domestic animals such as cows, goats, chicken or pigs. 14
1. Traditional medicine this image shows cobras and lizards in wine and was taken in Viet Nam 2. Traditional medicines are used in most places of the world 3. These items may also be traded in pill or tonic form. 15
1. This collection of photographs shows some examples of wildlife used as traditional medicine in some places in Asia. a) Bear bile in vials (top left) b) Bear gall bladders (bottom left) c) Pangolin (found in Asia and Africa said to be the world s most trafficked mammal) (right) 16
1. There is a huge demand for wildlife as pets 2. This species, the Grey Parrot is one of the most popular. a) In some locations wild populations have declined between 90 99% b) Collection for the pet trade has in many cases caused the most harmful impact. 17
1. The pet trade affects many species of wildlife across the world and as these images show, social media is an extremely popular way to sell and promote the trade in wildlife. 2. The image on the left from the Middle East features a Chimpanzee kept as a pet the commercial trade in this species is illegal. 3. There are three different types of tortoises advertised for sale in the picture on the right. a) All are protected and two should never be commercially traded. b) The seller says he/she has adults and babies and offers to ship the animals to Asia, Europe, Middle East, Canada and the U.S. 18
1. Most zoos obtain their animals legally, but there are some that are involved in wildlife trafficking. a) This orangutan is being used as a photoprop at a zoo which was fined in 2005 for the illegal import of 36 orangutans from Thailand into Cambodia. (https://cites.org/sites/default/files/common/cop/14/doc/e14-50a01.pdf, http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/safari-worldfined-over-apes). 2. The commercial trade in this species is illegal. Information on orangutan picture: https://www.tripadvisor.com/locationphotodirectlink-g1532269-d3392688- i89190708-koh_kong_safariworld-koh_kong_koh_kong_province.html This photo of Koh Kong SafariWorld is courtesy of TripAd visor. 19
1. The wildlife trade involves plants and animals. 2. Left: two Leopard cubs a) These were rescued before they were due to be smuggled out of Bangkok on a plane. 3. Right: slipper orchid. a) Some people like to collect the rare and expensive this also includes rare species of plants such as this orchid. Information on orchid picture: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:slipper_orchid_flower.jpg 20
When you show this slide, only the large picture on the left will be visible (https://www.fws.gov/lab/library03.php). Ask the participants if they can identify this object. When you click, the picture of the bird will appear, click once more and the third image will appear. 1. It is the head of a Helmeted Hornbill which occurs only in Asian forests. a) The beak of this bird can be carved much like ivory (and its Indonesian name translates as the Ivory Hornbill ). b) It is used to make intricately carved items which were traditionally highly valued in China and Japan. c) This trade was uncommon until a few years ago and now the Helmeted Hornbill is at real and immediate threat of extinction. Photo of carved Helmeted Hornbill beak (casque) on left taken from https://www.fws.gov/lab/library03.php 21
1. Ivory is used purely as a luxury item. 2. Each year poachers kill many thousands of elephant in Africa and in Asia for their ivory. 3. The ivory trade is global (but much of the demand comes from Southeast Asia and China). 22
1. The trade in wildlife is traditional and involves most cultures 2. It includes much of the fish that we eat and the timber we use for our furniture 3. Legal wildlife trade is worth around USD 320 billion per year Chair image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:wooden_chair_5678.jpg Sushi image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=215320 23
1. Accurately valuing any illegal activity is difficult. 2. These figures come from Global Financial Integrity s report published in 2011 which ranked a number of criminal markets in terms of their value. 3. The illegal trade in wildlife (which includes the trade in timber and fish) was estimated to be worth around USD 26 billion annually. 4. This ranks illegal wildlife trade as the fourth largest criminal market, surpassed only by the trades in illicit drugs, counterfeit goods and human trafficking. Much of this is conducted by organized criminal networks. 24
1. Illegal wildlife trade includes the poaching, purchase, sale, transit and consumption of protected wildlife, their parts and products. This picture shows ivory seized in Malaysia. 25
1. These usually include rules governing capture from the wild, sale, possession and transport of certain species. Images: Langur: Photograph by Rob from Cambridge, MA, distributed under a CC-BY- 2.0 license African Elephant: Photograph by Muhammad Mahdi Karim, distributed under a GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 Giant Panda: http://aplus.com/a/giant-pandas-no-longer-an-endangeredspecies?no_monetization=true 26
1. But there are also international efforts to address this. 2. CITES is an agreement between governments which began in 1975. 3. Is your country a Party to CITES? a) Check using this link before the training: https://www.cites.org/eng/disc/parties/chronolo.php?order=field_c ountry_official_name&sort=asc 4. Being part of CITES means that your government has made a commitment to enforce the Convention. a) Each country uses its national laws and enforcement agencies to implement CITES. 27
A permit is needed for the import, export or re-export of these. 1. CITES works through a system of permits. A permit is required to take any live, dead, piece or derivative of a CITES-listed animal or plant across an international border a) Appendix I: Includes species which are at risk of extinction from international trade. Eg. Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) b) Appendix II: Includes species that may become threatened with extinction if trade is not controlled. Includes lookalikes that resemble species in Appendix I and II. Eg. Barn Owl (Tyto alba) c) Appendix III: Includes species protected in at least one country which has asked other CITES member states for help in controlling the trade. Eg. Striped Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena. It is found in over 40 countries, but was listed at the request of Pakistan. (Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:%e0%a4%b9%e0%a5%81 %E0%A4%81%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0.JPG) 2. For contact details of your national CITES Management Authority check https://www.cites.org/eng/cms/index.php/component/cp 28
1. Wildlife trade refers to the trade in wild plants or animals which are a) living, dead (whole), b) or traded as parts, and c) derivative products 29
1. This image shows a seizure on June 2011 of close to 500 live protected animals stuffed into four bags, among them hundreds of turtles and tortoises including Spotted Pond Turtles 2. Trade in this species and other freshwater turtles and tortoises has risen over recent years. 3. Smugglers of these animals often conceal them in the luggage of commercial airline passengers. 4. The illegal wildlife trade is driving many species to extinction. http://www.traffic.org/home/2011/6/2/live-crocodiles-and-turtles-seized-inairport-baggage.html 30
1. National trade: Wildlife is collected or produced for sale and consumption within a country s borders 2. For other wildlife the main demand may come from outside the country where the animal or plant naturally occurs. This international trade might involve a neighbouring country, one within the same region, or even one which lies far across the world in a different continent 3. Wildlife trafficking is both a national and international problem In some instances, wildlife is moved a considerable distance between the source and the market where it will be sold and consumed. 31
Ask the participants if they know any of the animals shown. 1. Americas: Harp Seal, American Alligator, Scarlet Macaw 2. Europe: European Eel, Peregrine Falcon 3. Africa: Pangolin, Elephant, Rhinoceros 4. Madagascar: Ploughshare Tortoise 5. Asia: Tiger, White-handed Gibbon, Leopard, Pangolin 6. Ocean: Marine Turtles, Sharks Wildlife trafficking happens everywhere this is a global issue Photo credits: - Seal: Photograph by Ville Miettinen, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 - American Alligator: Distributed under a CC.0 public domain license - Macaw: Petr Kratochvil, distributed under a CC.0 public domain license - Marine Turtle: Photograph by MDC SeaMarc Maldives, distributed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 - Rhino: Photograph by USFWS, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 - Elephant: Photograph by Frank Vassen, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 - Eel: Photograph by Frank Vassen, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 - Falcon: Photography by Ltshears, distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license - Tiger: Photography by kewlwallpapers, distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license - African Pangolin: Photograph by Masteraah, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 - Tortoise: Photograph by Hans Hillewaert, distributed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 - Shark: Photograph by Duncan Rawlinson, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 - Leopard: Photograph by PetraK, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 - Gibbon: Photograph by Ladislav Král, distributed under a CC-BY-SA 3.0 license - Pangolin: TRAFFIC 32
1. Countries can play a number of different roles in the wildlife trade: a) Source The location where a plant or animal was collected or produced. b) Transit Countries which act just as a way point in the journey as wildlife is moved from source to consumer. c) Consumer This is the end destination of the wildlife. 2. Some countries play more than one role, depending on the type of wildlife which is being traded. 33
1. Smugglers use a variety of modes of transport to move smuggled wildlife. 2. This may include: a) By land (motorbike, car, taxi, bus and trucks or train) b) By sea in shipping containers, c) By air. 34
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1. Since 2008, almost 6,000 rhinos have been killed across Africa - over 22% of these died in 2015. 2. The poaching of rhinos is driven by the demand for rhino horn: a) The Western Black Rhino was declared extinct in 2011 b) At present rates of slaughter, the future is not looking good for the others. 36
1. Rhinos are one of the animals which are most threatened from the illegal trade. a) In 2007, 62 rhinos were poached across Africa. b) Over the next eight years, the number of rhinos slaughtered across the continent rose dramatically from 262 in 2008 to 1,342 in 2015. c) Between 2006 and 2015, more than 6,000 rhinos died at the hands of poachers all to supply the demand for their horns. i. More than 40% of those deaths occurred in 2014 and 2015. 37
1. Elephants are also being killed at unprecedented levels for their ivory. 2. An average of 55 elephants are killed a day (that s 20 000 each YEAR) 38
1. Demand for ivory has risen over the past few years, 2. With this we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of elephants poached from the wild. 3. Over the past ten years, over 20% of African Elephants have been lost (https://www.iucn.org/news/poaching-behind-worst-african-elephantlosses-25-years-%e2%80%93-iucn-report) 4. Poaching is behind the worst losses of African Elephants in 25 years. 39
There are two types of Rhinos in Africa: the Black and the White Rhino. 1. Black Rhino originally four separate groups (sub-species). a) Western Black Rhino was one of these groups i. Poaching and persecution saw the numbers of Western Black Rhinos drop to just 10 animals by 2000. ii. By the following year there were though to be only 5 left. iii. The last one was seen in 2006. iv. It was declared extinct in 2011. b) In 2015 estimated wild populations of the three remaining subspecies of Black Rhino totaled just 5,250 animals. 2. White Rhino - two groups (sub-species) a) One of these, the Northern White Rhino is down to just three animals. i. All are kept under armed guard in an effort to protect them from poachers 40
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) carries out Red List assessments of threatened wildlife. These three species are all listed as Critically Endangered (on the brink of extinction) the illegal trade represents a major threat to their continued survival in the wild. 1. Spix Macaw: a) Until recently, the Spix Macaw was thought to be extinct in the wild. b) One was spotted in a Brazilian Forest in 2016, before this, the last time it had been seen was in 2000. c) This species has a starring role in the animated Rio movies. d) Such rare species often command high prices in the illegal trade and hunting for trade has been a major factor in its decline. 2. Amur Leopard: a) Occurs only in the Russian Far East. b) Thought to be fewer than 100 Amur Leopards remaining in the wild. 3. Cat Ba Langur: a) Found only on one island in Viet Nam b) Fewer than 70 left in the wild These are just a few of the many species threatened by the illicit wildlife trade. 41
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) carries out Red List assessments of threatened wildlife. These two species are all listed as Critically Endangered (on the brink of extinction) the illegal trade represents a major threat to their continued survival in the wild. 1. Don t forget that plants are also severely affected by trade. 2. This Colombian orchid and Indonesian pitcher plant are just two examples of Critically Endangered species which are at risk from wildlife trafficking. a) Orchid (Anguloa cliftonii) (left) i. Found only in a small area of Colombia. ii. Even limited collection for trade could put species such as this at risk of extinction. b) Pitcher plant (Nepenthes aristolochioides) (right) i. Found only within one national park on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ii. Despite occurring in a protected area, harvest from the wild continues for plant collectors. Images: Orchid: By Orchi - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:anguloa_cliftonii_orchi_005.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0 Pitcher Plant: By Jaroslav Neubauer - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9749649, CC BY 3.0 CZ 42
1. Armed poachers bring instability to a region and often operate in sensitive border regions 2. Illegal wildlife trade damages tourism, a vital source of income for many countries, local communities and travel providers. Tourists avoid unstable regions and those who travel to view the natural environment and wildlife are more likely to stay away. 3. The illegal wildlife trade brings animals into close contact with people and encourages the spread of disease. Examples of diseases which are known to move from wildlife to people include Ebola and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Both have resulted in death and suffering. 4. The illegal wildlife trade is big business organized crime and corruption are both supported by these activities. 5. Smugglers don t pay tax and cause a significant loss of income to governments. 43
1. The illegal wildlife trade is a low risk activity for criminals, but one which offers a high reward. 2. For wildlife rangers and other frontline officers, the reward is low, but the risk is high, with some paying the ultimate price. 44
1. Over the past ten years, more than 1,000 wildlife rangers have been killed at work 2. Some were killed by the animals they were trying to protect, but 80% were murdered by poachers and armed militia groups. http://globalconservation.org/news/park-rangers-frontline-being-killedastonishing-rate-new-solutio/ 45
Ask the participants why people trade in wildlife. Answers: 1. Timber trade (furniture, fuel, building materials etc.) 2. Food (fish and the meat of wild animals) 3. Traditional medicine (some western medicine also uses wildlife) 4. Pet trade 5. Zoos and collections 6. Trophies, decorations and luxury items (eg. ivory, furs etc.) 46
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