South Korea clamps down on smuggling of ivory & wildlife products, seizes 23.4 tonnes since June

South Korea has confiscated a combined 23.4 tonnes of smuggled wildlife products as part of the global movement against illegal trading of endangered species, the customs agency said Thursday.

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* Find out about EIA's work on illegal wildlife trade at eia-international.org/our-work/environmental-crime-and-governance/illegal-wildlife-trade
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... The Korea Customs Service has joined the CITES global project to clamp down on such smuggling in the Asian region since June and caught a combined 23.4 tons of ivory, rhino horns and other wildlife goods.

Full story at www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171019000453

#Korea #SouthKorea #illegalwildlifetrade #elephants #ivory #rhinos #rhinohorn CITES

Images via Korea Herald ... See MoreSee Less

15 hours ago  ·  

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India: Owls from Assam trafficked to Delhi for sacrifice during Diwali

NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Oct 17 - They are called ‘Hoodu’ in Assamese, a nocturnal bird that makes mild shrieks in the night from trees in the backyard in Assam.

But the bird has two different species found in Assam – the Brown Fish Owl and Indian Scoops Owl called generically as ‘Hoodu’ in the State.

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* Find out about EIA's work on illegal wildlife trade at eia-international.org/our-work/environmental-crime-and-governance/illegal-wildlife-trade
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These birds are facing threats following their trafficking from the State just before the festival of lights – Diwali, for a reason which is deeply rooted in age-old superstition. For long the Brown Fish Owl and Indian Scoops Owl have been trafficked from Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts before Diwali to be sold in illicit wildlife markets outside Assam, mostly in New Delhi, the national capital. This time too, the Brown Fish Owls and Indian Scoops Owls have been trafficked since August from the boundary areas of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji due to their high demand outside.

The birds were caught in their juvenile state and sent outside to be raised as grown-up adults by the time of the Diwali, claim local wild life protection activists and conservationists here.

Read in full at www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=oct1817/state050

#India #Assam #Delhi #Diwali #owls #birds #illegalwildlifetrade

Image: Owls on the black market (c) Abrar Ahmed/TRAFFIC India ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago  ·  

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North Korean diplomats accused of smuggling ivory and rhino horn

- A new report identifies at least 18 instances of diplomats being implicated in smuggling, but they've rarely been caught or punished -

... According to historians, political scientists and various governments, North Korean diplomats are notorious for their involvement in illegal trading. Until now the spotlight has focused mainly on their smuggling activities in Europe and Asia, but a new report reveals that Africa and its wildlife also feature prominently in North Korea’s illicit portfolio.

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* The role corruption plays in destroying our natural world - ht.ly/t2Kt30fVGs1
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According to the findings, published by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime—a Geneva-based network composed of law enforcement, government, and development experts—the past 30 years have seen at least 18 instances involving North Korean diplomats caught trafficking rhino horn and ivory. The number of cases that slip by undetected is almost certainly many times more.

Read in full at news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/10/wildlife-watch-north-korea-illegal-wildlife-trade/

#Korea #NorthKorea #elephants #ivory #rhinos #rhinohorn #illegalwidlifetrade #corruption #Africa The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago  ·  

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