Balisage

“On the Trail” n°7.
Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling.
1st October – 31st December 2014.
pdf 132 pages, 7.1 Mo.
Whales and marine mammals, pages 6 and 7

“On the Trail” n°7.
Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling.
1st October – 31st December 2014.
pdf 132 pages, 7.1 Mo.
Seahorses, sea cucumbers, corals and fishes, pages 3 to 6

“On the Trail” n°7.
Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling
1st October – 31st December 2014.
pdf 132 pages, 7.1 Mo.
Rhinoceroses and elephants, pages 62 to 95

“On the Trail” n°7.
Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling
1st October – 31st December 2014.
pdf 132 pages, 7.1 Mo.
Birds, pages 20 to 31

Breaking at sea :

• the Forsaken ones
• the Sunken ones
• from cattle traffic to Human trafficking
• India : 200 ship scrapping workers on an asbestos-contaminated aircraft carrier

The end of :

The decision to immediately suspend exports of whole or cut elephant tusks from France announced by Madam Royal, Minister of Ecology, is good. France has also vowed to promote such measure within the European Union.

In 2014, over 3 tons of raw ivory were sold in auction houses in France. This entire amount of ivory was bought by foreign citizens, especially from Asia. In France, ivory is sold between 300 and 1000 € per kilo. In China, prices at present are as high as 6000 to 7000 € per kilo.

Raw ivory sales in France and its export encourage speculation on ivory. Using the cover of legal ivory, ivory networks in Asia sell off illegal ivory.

 Nuclear Code of Silence

Thirty-seven years ago, the Russian nuclear powered satellite Cosmos 954 returned to Earth during its 2060th revolution. Its debris crashed on the Canadian Far North close to the Arctic. It was the 24th of January 1978, 11h53 Universal Time, 5h53 at Yellowknife on the banks of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories Canada.

The decade 1970-1980 is marked by the worldwide launch of nuclear-based electricity. It is the height of the Atoms for Peace campaign launched in the 1950s to erase the horrors of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Nuclear for all is on the way.

Following Robin des Bois’ invitation, 37 NGOs around the world addressed a letter the 20 January 2015 to Madam Royal, Minister of Ecology, requesting a ban on trade in raw and cut ivory and on exports from France.

Madam Royal answered positively to this request in saying to the French Press Agency that “France first will align its legislation with the most advanced rules in this domain.”

In Germany, since last September, a decree bans exports of tusks and raw ivory bigger than 20 cm long. In the United Kingdom and Sweden, trade and export of raw ivory is no longer authorized.

In a joint letter, 37 Non-Governmental Organizations from Europe, Africa, America and Asia are asking the Minister of Ecology to stop the sale and exports in and from France of raw and cut ivory (letter available online). If France decides to take these two measures, this will participate in stopping elephant poaching, contraband and speculation on ivory.

The quantity of smuggled ivory is 3 time higher than in 1998. In Asia and particularly in China, demand from middle and upper classes is increasing. An endless demand.

The worse has happened. The smugglers used a livestock carrier to transport men, women and children. The Ezadeen was expected at the port of Sète (France), the leading European port for the export of livestock. Sète came near to import surviving human beings. Like the Blue Sky M and the East Sea, the Ezadeen is an old hull, she is 49 years of age and maritime inspectors in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea have pointed out 204 deficiencies from 2007 to 2014. Initially built as a general cargo carrier, she was converted to livestock carrier in 2010. Her call papers show she is a regular visitor to the port of Beirut and to the Syrian port of Tartous.