A study by WWF on the illegal wildlife trade in Pakistan, that is expected to be launched today, states that illegal wildlife trade seems to be getting out of the control of the authorities in Pakistan. One reason for this is the ineffective implementation of the legislation that deals with this issue.
The report which is a part of the project “Combating Illegal Wildlife Trade by Establishing a National Monitoring Network that Benefits Local Communities and Environment”, says that the lack of effective management and weak law enforcement has resulted in the prevalent and often unreported wildlife crime in Pakistan.
According to the study, most of the species which are being traded illegally are listed in the convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These species include Saker and Peregrine falcons, freshwater and marine turtles, Indian pangolin and several other rare species.
The study also chalks out the areas where such activities are prevalent and identifies various modes through which the illegal practice is being conducted. Undercover surveys of animal markets and shops dealing in wildlife and their derivatives were conducted in 23 cities across Pakistan. The criteria used in selecting the cities were based on the available literature, which identified the presence of illegal wildlife trade.
To compile the study, a survey of 288 shop keepers and street vendors across 55 markets in the 23 cities of was conducted that revealed to the researchers that all of the people who were questioned in the survey were involved in the illegal trade of wildlife. The majority of the species that were dealt with by the people who were included in the survey are listed within CITES and International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.
“Survey also recorded the use of derivatives of 12 mammals, five reptiles, one bird and invertebrate species being sold by street vendors and local herbalists (hakeem)”, study says, adding that the herbalists use material found in these animals to make their medicines that are commonly sold as ointments and are believed to have aphrodisiac properties.
Giving recommendations to control the illegal wildlife trade, study states that all of the four provincial wildlife departments should enact regulations, stated within the provincial wildlife laws to regulate and monitor trade of wildlife species locally.
