(IN): Cyber bazaar is spelling doom for wildlife

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Link:

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080064596 & ch=9/9/2008%\

207:07:00%20AM

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Cyber bazaar is spelling doom for wildlife

* Radhika Bordia, Supriya Sharma

Monday, September 08, 2008, (New Delhi)

 

 

International Fund for Animal Welfare has begun a new hunt to detect the

extent of illegal wildlife trade that may exist on the Internet.

 

What the world wide web throws up in just a week is shocking: Over 9,000

live wild animals, stuffed specimen and animal products -- illegally up for

sale.

 

Peter Pueschel, Director, IFAW (Wild Trade Programme), says: ''Our

investigations have shown that there are the most endangered species and

their products are being offered on the worldwide in the highest valued

markets in the North America, Europe or Far East Asia. For somebody living

in a wildlife rich country like India can easily offer illegal wildlife

products in a rich consumer country like north America or Europe.''

 

In one search, in one language, English, IFAW found 146 live species with

price tags on them. Some most rare are:

 

Siberian Tiger: $70,000

 

Lion: Price on request

 

**Gorilla in London: 4,500

 

Peregrine falcon in Taxidermy: 170

 

It sets the alarm bells ringing.

 

Here's a flourishing wildlife market, spinning out of control on

international buying and selling websites.

 

Rare turtles, snakes, crocodiles both live and skins

 

A big market for rare birds that can be stuffed

 

A niche market for ultra-expensive items like giant ivories,

Rhinofootstools, and stuffed polar

bears.

 

And thousands of ivory tusks of Asian and African Elephants -- that's the

biggest online trade in wildlife.

 

Thousands of rare animals are being killed for artifacts, rare collections,

jewellery and medicines. And so many live animals are being sold outside

their natural habitat. The trade in illegal wildlife has become the third

largest black market surpassed only by drugs and arms.

 

Bittu Sehegal, Editor, Sanctuary Magazine, says: ''The key issue for me

right now is the trade in wildlife, the trade in narcotics, and the trade in

arms. There is a revolving door. To pay for wildlife, they could be using

drugs. To pay for drugs, they could be using wildlife. It could be tiger

bone, it could be skins, it could be anything.''

 

For years, B K Sharma has been trying to decipher and crack these

connections. A noted cop from Orissa, he has seen the transition of the

poacher into an e-poacher.

 

B K Sharma, Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, says: ''The buyer

and the seller -- their identities are protected. And the second one is the

transaction speed. Somebody sitting in Tokyo can sell a product to a buyer

in Los Angeles by a click of the mouse.''

 

This is a cross-country trade. So, what is banned in one country may not be

so in others.

 

And the obligation to prove legality of a product is not the onus of the

seller.

 

Peter Pueschel, Director, IFAW (Wild Trade Programme), explains: ''Our

experience shows that many criminals easily falsify these documents and

nobody can assess at the copy on the Internet whether it's true or it's

false.''

 

The United States, West European countries and Far East have become the

biggest buyers. The United States accounts for 70% of the world's illegal

wildlife trade. Africa, central Asia, and Caribbean are emerging as largest

sellers.

 

Proposed laws to crush internet trade in wildlife are far away from global

approval even as cyber wildlife bazaar is open 24 hours a day.

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

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