No progress in protecting Southern Bluefin Tuna—TRAFFIC/WWF

Southern bluefin tuna: a lack of action against overharvesting is driving the species to extinction © WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER Click to enlarge.  Canberra, Australia, 23 October 2007—The Commission for Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) concluded its 14th meeting, but failed to take any significant action to safeguard the fish stocks and other marine life it was established to manage and conserve says TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network and WWF.

“The Commission was unable to make any significant progress in preventing the overharvesting of southern bluefin tuna that is driving the species further towards extinction,” said Glenn Sant, TRAFFIC’s Global Marine Programme Leader.

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China hosts ASEAN to close net on wildlife crime

ASEAN-WEN is an intergovernmental initiative bringing ASEAN governments together to combat wildlife crime © James Compton / TRAFFIC Click to enlarge.  Guanzhou, China, 14 September 2007—China has wrapped up an historic five-day exchange with law enforcement officers from five ASEAN countries to address one of the region’s major crime issues jointly.

The China-ASEAN Wildlife Law Enforcement Co-operation exchange in Guangzhou and Shenzhen aimed to strengthen regional co-operation in the fight against wildlife crime.

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World’s fisheries could follow new Australian strategy

Australia's new strategy will ensure sustainability of stocks in Commonwealth-managed fisheries © WWF-Canon / Isaac VEGA Click to enlarge.  

Canberra, Australia, 11 September 2007—A new strategy for setting catch levels will help ensure the long term economic and environmental sustainability in Australia’s Commonwealth-managed fisheries.

The Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy was drawn up following recognition that better management of fish stocks is needed to rebuild overfished stocks and prevent others becoming overfished in Australian waters.

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TRAFFIC reveals the state of China’s wildlife trade

TRAFFIC's latest report gives a snapshot of the state of wildlife trade in China in 2006.  Beijing, China, 6 September 2007—TRAFFIC has published a snapshot of the state of wildlife trade in China in 2006.

The report, in English and Chinese, is the first in an annual series on emerging trends in China’s wildlife trade, and provides up-to-date reviews of work being carried out to prevent illegal and support sustainable trade in China.

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Can trade promote sustainable use of forest products?

Non-wood forest products include plantation products such as latex, used to make natural rubber © WWF-Canon / Eduardo RUIZ Click to enlarge.  Cambridge, UK, 5 September 2007—A recently published United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report examines the extent to which trade related instruments influence the international trade in non-wood forest products (NWFPs).

NWFPs range from plantation products such as gum arabic and rubber, through to forest plants, animals and their products.

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Bear and Tiger parts seized in Russian Far East

Members of the Khankaiskii Frontier Detachment with last week's seizures of 480 bear paws and a Siberian tiger pelt © Pavel Fomenko / WWF Click to enlarge

30 August 2007—Customs and the Frontier Service in the Primorskii province of the Russian Far East have seized llegal wildlife products bound for China.

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What’s cooking in Viet Nam?

Helene Bjerre Jordans of the Danish Embassy, WWF and TRAFFIC staff meet Travelling Exhibit student volunteers at the launch of TRAFFIC's Attitudes report. Click to enlargeHa Noi, Viet Nam, 29 August 2007—TRAFFIC today published the results of a survey into attitudes towards the use of wild animal products amongst residents of Ha Noi, Viet Nam.

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Shahtoosh smuggler fined in Thai first

Tibetan Antelopes are Endangered through overharvesting for their valuable shahtoosh wool © WWF Click photo to enlargeBangkok, Thailand, 27 August 2007—The owner of a luxury store in Bangkok was today convicted of importing and selling shawls made from shahtoosh, the wool of the Tibetan Antelope, an animal listed as Endangered by IUCN-The World Conservation Union, in the first conviction of its kind in Thailand.

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Trading goods in Cambodia and Lao

Local people regarded fish as their most important natural resource in both Lao PDR and Cambodia © Sarinda Singh / TRAFFIC

Cambridge, UK, 24 August 2007—Two reports recently launched by TRAFFIC reveal the critical importance of the trade in natural resources for rural livelihoods in Cambodia and Lao PDR.

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