“On the Trail” n°8

“On the Trail” n°8 is now available.
Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling
The wildlife crime scene of January, February and March 2015 through 500 events across the 5 continents. 108 pages PDF, 5MB
Seahorses, sea cucumbers, corals and fishes, pages 3 to 6

An immersion in the war of rhino horn and ivory, a focus on the latest tricks of traffickers who hide ivory in medical plaster or milk powder, stuff reptiles and frogs in books for children and cigarette packet, paint leopard skins in tiger skins to maximize profits. An encounter with torn families of poachers, with teachers, scholars and vicars who teach and preach during the day and traffic at night…

Benchmarks in January, February, March 2015: Seizures. According to Interpol seizures represent 10% of the illegal traffic. Seizures involve 384 elephants and 13,494 pangolins, 7,296 live or dead birds, 101 felines, tigers, leopards, ocelots… naturalized, frozen, dismembered or alive, plus 284.2 kilograms of bones, 12,789 sea and freshwater turtles.

Teachings of this issue 8 of “On the trail” for the first 3 months of the year: There are more and more corruption, collusion between poachers and services responsible for the protection of wildlife in Africa and Asia. There is more and more violence. “Shoot on sight” is allowed in some States on poachers who take more risk and carry war weapons. Bail for poachers and traffickers tend to decrease. Sanctions are strengthened, enforcement remains to be checked. Voluntary destructions of seized ivory increase. Mammoth ivories contributes to the development of traffic. Robin des Bois (Robin Hood) with “On the trail” n°8 wish mammoths could be exceptionally listed in CITES Appendix I or II.