USAID WildlifeAsia held a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss findings of a recent wildlife trafficking research project in China. Results will be detailed in a formal report to be released later this year.
Preliminary findings indicate that acquisition of illegal wildlife products in China occur generally in higher income and educated households. Women dominate the market for ivory while men lead in other products including tiger bone, rhinoceros horn, and pangolin scales. The overall perception comes from a sense of entitlement and even though individuals understand the impacts of their purchase, they do not view threat of a species or extinction to be their fault, per se.
Since the outlaw of ivory sale in China which in came into effect on the last day of 2017, most is now purchased in Taiwan or Hong Kong, among other external markets, then brought across the border. Targeting those trade routes is still necessary to combat illegal wildlife trade globally which is now estimated to be worth between $15 billion and $25 billion a year.
The information gathered from this report with be used in further educational and outreach campaigns throughout the region. Elephant, rhino, tiger, as well as pangolins are among the top animals illegally traded worldwide, and especially in Southeast Asia and China.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), working closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), addresses wildlife trafficking as a transnational crime through the USAID Wildlife Asia activity. The activity works to reduce consumer demand for wildlife parts and products, strengthen law enforcement skills, enhance policy, legislation and jurisprudence and improve regional action to reduce wildlife crime in Southeast Asia and China.
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Article and Photography by Giacomo Abrusci