TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature

A wildlife trade workshop takes place in Brunei Darussalam this week, home to commercially important wildlife species, like the Hill Mynah. © Gernof Baurle  Click photo to enlargeBandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, 29 April 2008—The Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry & Primary Resources, this week hosts Brunei Darussalam’s first Wildlife Trade Regulation training workshop as part of the country’s commitment to tackle organized poaching and trafficking of wild animals and plants in Southeast Asia.

Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Hamid bin Haji Mohd Jaafar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, during his opening address, said that the workshop was relevant to the policies of the Government of Brunei Darussalam relating to the conservation of biodiversity, industry and sustainable use.

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Nobel Laureate, Professor Wangari Maathai is presented with TRAFFIC's Tanzanian logging report at the launch of the anti-corruption Mama Misitu campaign. (Left) Blandina Nyoni, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Click photo to enlarge  © Mwanzo MillingaDar es Salaam, Tanzania, 10 April 2008—Seventeen non-governmental organisations today signed a milestone agreement to launch the Mama Misitu campaign, aimed at tackling corruption and mismanagement in Tanzania’s forestry sector.

Professor Wangari Maathai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace, formally launched the campaign in Dar es Salaam.

Mama Misitu was initiated following the release of TRAFFIC’s seminal report into the forestry sector in Tanzania last May, which provided evidence that illegal logging and weak forest governance was costing Tanzania billions of shillings in lost revenue each year as well as threatening some of the nation’s unique biodiversity.

Losses of up to USD58 million were estimated in 2005 alone—the equivalent of building 1,933 primary schools—and a culture of corruption has plagued the natural resources sector made worse by low awareness at many levels of the relevant legal and policy tools.

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TRAFFIC India staff met visitors and provided detailed information about ISSC-MAP and its implementation in India and elsewhere Click photo to enlarge  New Delhi, India—TRAFFIC India, supported by WWF-India, helped promote the International Standard for Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP) at an International Summit on Medicinal and Aromatic Products and Spices organized by ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) in New Delhi, India, from 4–6 April 2008.

The Summit brought together cultivators, traders and manufacturers of medicinal and aromatic plants and spices to showcase continental, regional and local competence in this field and to promote worldwide the upcoming business of herbals and spices. Principal guest was Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi, Honourable Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

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