
Urgent Action Required for Asian Big Cats at CITES CoP19
Parties to the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) are reminded of the critical conservation status of Asia’s big cats
Parties to the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) are reminded of the critical conservation status of Asia’s big cats
The illegal wildlife trade corridor between Nigeria and Vietnam was recognised in the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) report to CoP18 and the 2020 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Wildlife Crime Report, which identified Nigeria and Vietnam as the largest export hub and import hub of ivory and pangolin scales respectively. This briefing highlights the parallel responsibilities and shortcomings of Nigeria and Vietnam which, as exporter and importer countries, share responsibilities to implement their commitments under CITES effectively and cohesively.
For a decade, Vietnam has been repeatedly highlighted for its role in the international illegal wildlife trade, so it is encouraging to see the recent efforts taken by the Government to address its involvement; it is to be congratulated for the measures it has taken and the successes it has had domestically.
EIA conducted a review of the information gathered between 2017 and 2020 by its Wildlife and Forests teams in Africa and Asia in order to examine the relationship between wildlife and forest crime. Detailed analysis of this information revealed a relationship (or ’nexus’) between the two crime types in three key areas...
Vietnam’s timber processing industry is one of the largest in the world, with exports of $11.5 billion in 2019. It relies significantly on imported timber, especially to produce furniture for international markets. To date, a large amount of that timber is procured from illegal sources.
There is no escaping the fact that countries from which wild tigers have been wiped out or virtually wiped out in recent years – Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China – are countries where the tiger has been valued solely for the sum of its body parts.