[House Hearing, 110 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
IMPACTS OF U.S. CONSUMER DEMAND ON THE ILLEGAL AND UNSUSTAINABLE TRADE
OF WILDLIFE PRODUCTS
=======================================================================
OVERSIGHT HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES, WILDLIFE
AND OCEANS
of the
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
__________
Serial No. 110-84
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/
index.html
or
Committee address: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov
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COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
NICK J. RAHALL, II, West Virginia, Chairman
DON YOUNG, Alaska, Ranking Republican Member
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan Jim Saxton, New Jersey
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Elton Gallegly, California
Samoa John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland
Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas Chris Cannon, Utah
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Jeff Flake, Arizona
Islands Stevan Pearce, New Mexico
Grace F. Napolitano, California Henry E. Brown, Jr., South
Rush D. Holt, New Jersey Carolina
Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona Luis G. Fortuno, Puerto Rico
Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington
Jim Costa, California Louie Gohmert, Texas
Dan Boren, Oklahoma Tom Cole, Oklahoma
John P. Sarbanes, Maryland Rob Bishop, Utah
George Miller, California Bill Shuster, Pennsylvania
Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts Bill Sali, Idaho
Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon Doug Lamborn, Colorado
Maurice D. Hinchey, New York Mary Fallin, Oklahoma
Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island Adrian Smith, Nebraska
Ron Kind, Wisconsin Robert J. Wittman, Virginia
Lois Capps, California Steve Scalise, Louisiana
Jay Inslee, Washington
Mark Udall, Colorado
Joe Baca, California
Hilda L. Solis, California
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, South
Dakota
Heath Shuler, North Carolina
James H. Zoia, Chief of Staff
Rick Healy, Chief Counsel
Christopher N. Fluhr, Republican Staff Director
Lisa Pittman, Republican Chief Counsel
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS
MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam, Chairwoman
HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina, Ranking Republican Member
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan Jim Saxton, New Jersey
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland
Samoa Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii Tom Cole, Oklahoma
Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas Bill Sali, Idaho
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey Robert J. Wittman, Virginia
Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island Don Young, Alaska, ex officio
Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Lois Capps, California
Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia,
ex officio
------
CONTENTS
----------
Page
Hearing held on Tuesday, September 16, 2008...................... 1
Statement of Members:
Bordallo, Hon. Madeleine Z., a Delegate in Congress from Guam 1
Prepared statement of.................................... 2
Brown, Hon. Henry E., Jr., a Representative in Congress from
the State of South Carolina................................ 2
Statement of Witnesses:
Allan, Crawford, Director, TRAFFIC North America............. 8
Prepared statement of.................................... 10
Bigue, Marcel, Deputy Director, WildAid...................... 18
Prepared statement of.................................... 20
Kowalski, Michael J., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Tiffany & Co............................................... 22
Prepared statement of.................................... 24
Perez, Benito A., Chief, Law Enforcement, Fish and Wildlife
Service, U.S. Department of the Interior................... 4
Prepared statement of.................................... 5
Sebunya, Kaddu Kiwe, Director of Program Design, African
Wildlife Foundation........................................ 25
Prepared statement of.................................... 26
OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE IMPACTS THAT U.S. CONSUMER DEMAND IS HAVING ON
THE ILLEGAL AND UNSUSTAINABLE TRADE OF WILDLIFE PRODUCTS, AND ONGOING
AND PROPOSED EFFORTS TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THESE IMPACTS.
----------
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
U.S. House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
Committee on Natural Resources
Washington, D.C.
----------
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:08 a.m. in
Room 1324, Longworth House Office Building, The Honorable
Madeleine Z. Bordallo [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Bordallo, Brown, Kildee,
Faleomavaega, Pallone, Capps, Saxton and Young.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, A DELEGATE IN
CONGRESS FROM GUAM
Ms. Bordallo. Good morning, everyone. The oversight hearing
by the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans will now
come to order.
The Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans meets
this morning to hear testimony on the impacts that the U.S.
consumer demand is having on the illegal and unsustainable
trade of wildlife products and ongoing and proposed efforts to
increase public awareness about these impacts.
Pursuant to Committee Rule 4(g), the Chairwoman and the
Ranking Minority Member will make opening statements.
On March 5, 2008, the Committee on Natural Resources held a
hearing entitled ``Poaching American Security, Impacts of
Illegal Wildlife Trade.'' During this hearing we heard about
the serious consequences of the global illegal wildlife trade,
including the threats to our national security, to human
health, and to biodiversity.
The Committee's investigation also revealed that the U.S.
is largely driving this trade, with the value of wildlife
imports to the United States more than doubling over the past
eight years.
Yet, while the U.S. consumer is, in many cases, unwittingly
fueling the illegal and unsustainable trade of wildlife and
wildlife products, the U.S. strategy to educate consumers is
woefully lacking in resources at the Federal level, and is
largely left to private and nonprofit organizations.
Without awareness and education, American consumers will
continue to make uninformed decisions that contribute to this
growing problem.
Those few governmental, private, and non-governmental
organizations that have empowered consumers to make choices
that also promote the conservation of wildlife stand out.
Through advertising, marketing, and education, these groups
have started to address the illegal and unsustainable trade of
wildlife and wildlife products.
So I look forward this morning to hearing from our
witnesses, whose testimonies will highlight these pioneering
initiatives to build public awareness about this illegal trade.
And I also look forward to hearing suggestions for possible
Congressional action that may expand our national education
efforts to address this growing problem.
And now at this time I recognize Mr. Brown, the gentleman
from South Carolina, the Ranking Republican Member, for any
statement he may have.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Bordallo follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Chairwoman,
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
The Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans meets this
morning to hear testimony on the impacts that U.S. consumer demand is
having on the illegal and unsustainable trade of wildlife products and
ongoing and proposed efforts to increase public awareness about these
impacts.
On March 5th, 2008 the Committee on Natural Resources held a
hearing entitled ``Poaching American Security: Impacts of Illegal
Wildlife Trade.'' During this hearing we heard about the serious
consequences of the global illegal wildlife trade, including the
threats to our national security, to human health, and to biodiversity.
The Committee's investigation also revealed that the U.S. is largely
driving this trade, with the value of wildlife imports to the U.S. more
than doubling over the past 8 years.
Yet, while the U.S. consumer is, in many cases, unwittingly fueling
the illegal and unsustainable trade of wildlife and wildlife products,
the U.S. strategy to educate consumers is woefully lacking at the
Federal level and is largely left to private and non-profit
organizations. Without awareness and education, American consumers will
continue to make uninformed decisions that contribute to this growing
problem.
Those few governmental, private, and non-governmental organizations
that have empowered consumers to make choices that also promote the
conservation of wildlife stand out. Through advertising, marketing, and
education, these groups have started to address the illegal and
unsustainable trade of wildlife and wildlife products.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses, whose testimonies
will highlight those pioneering initiatives to build public awareness
about this illegal trade. I also look forward to hearing suggestions
for possible Congressional action that may expand our national
education efforts to address this growing problem.
______
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE HENRY E. BROWN, JR., A
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Mr. Brown. Thank you, Madame Chair. Today we continue our
review of the international and domestic wildlife trade, while
focusing on the consumer's demand for animals. This is not a
new issue or concern; in fact, this Subcommittee held one of
its first oversight hearings on the emerging bushmeat crisis
more than six years ago.
This Subcommittee moved historic legislation to establish
the Asian Elephant Conservation Act, the Great Ape Conservation
Act, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and
Marine Turtle Conservation Act to provide grants to conserve
these bellwether species.
In fact, the former Chairman of this Subcommittee,
Congressman Jim Saxton, sponsored the Rhino and Tiger Product
Labeling Act of 1997, a landmark conservation measure that
banned all products that contained rhino or tiger parts.
In countries such as China, it is part of their cultural
heritage to use animal parts for medicinal purposes. It is my
firm belief that most U.S. consumers want to protect threatened
and endangered species, though many times they fail to
understand the relationship of how these animals come into the
international market.
For instance, how many Americans understand that the
tropical fish they will buy and adopt as a loved pet may have
been illegally captured through the use of cyanide? In terms of
the bushmeat crisis, we know that more than one million metric
tons of wildlife are being killed each year in Central Africa.
While much of the meat is being eaten by 26 million starving
people living in the region, there is ongoing demand for this
meat in upscale restaurants in Central Africa, where a diner
can choose a gorilla steak as their main course.
I am deeply offended by this practice. By consuming this
highly endangered species, consumers are simply enriching the
lives of wildlife poachers, and fueling the demand for further
killing.
We also know that in this country, more than 200 million
live animals enter this country each year. While it is not
clear how many were illegally captured, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is able to only inspect about 25 percent of
those wildlife shipments. I look forward to testimony on how we
can increase this inspection rate.
Finally, there is no question that greater emphasis must be
placed on educating the public. Years ago, the African Wildlife
Foundation had a slogan that only elephants should wear ivory.
This powerful message was instrumental in the enactment of the
African Elephant Conservation Act of 1988. President George H.
Bush banned carving ivory and greater national protection.
While visiting wildlife in places like the Myrtle Beach
Safari and our excellent Charleston Aquarium, people have a
greater appreciation for wildlife, and are willing to join the
fight to stop these species from being slaughtered. Sadly, at
today's gas prices, it is difficult for many families to make
these trips, and we are losing valuable voices for
conservation.
The Democrat Alice-In-Wonderland energy policy is mind-
boggling. We are the only nation in the world where the
leadership in this Congress believes that our vast untapped
energy resources are a curse, and not a blessing, for the
American people.
We should do more to conserve wildlife, to educate more
Americans to the evil of poaching, and to stop the largest
transfer of wealth in the history of this nation by utilizing
our own domestic oil and gas resources.
And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. Thank
you, Madame Chair.
Ms. Bordallo. I thank the Ranking Member for his opening
statements. And now I would like to introduce the witnesses at
our table. We have just one panel this morning.
First, Mr. Benito Perez, Chief, Office of Law Enforcement
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Mr. Crawford Allan, Director of
TRAFFIC North America; Mr. Marcel Bigue, Deputy Director of
WildAid; Mr. Michael Kowalski, Chairman and CEO of Tiffany &
Company; and Mr. Kaddu Sebunya, Director of Program Design,
African Wildlife Foundation. I want to thank you all for being
here today.
Before we begin, I would like to, in case there is any
misconception, the suit I am wearing is fake.
We will begin with Mr. Perez to testify for five minutes.
And I would note for all witnesses that the timing lights on
the table will indicate when your time has concluded. Be
assured that your full written statement will be submitted for
the hearing record.
Mr. Perez, you can now begin.
STATEMENT OF BENITO A. PEREZ, CHIEF, LAW ENFORCEMENT, U.S. FISH
AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Mr. Perez. Thank you. Madame Chairwoman and Members of the
Subcommittee, I am Benito Perez, Chief of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement. I am pleased to
be here today to discuss consumer demand for wildlife products
and our office's role in educating the public about illegal
wildlife trade.
The Service is the lead Federal agency for wildlife law
enforcement. Our mandate includes inspecting wildlife imports
and exports for compliance with U.S. wildlife laws and
regulations, intercepting illegal shipments, and investigating
and dismantling wildlife smuggling networks.
Our 120 wildlife inspectors stationed at 38 U.S. ports of
entry focus exclusively on wildlife trade. Our 186 special
agents investigate violations of all U.S. wildlife laws,
including those that address global wildlife trafficking.
Preventing illegal trafficking in global resources is a
critical part of the Service's mission. Given the limited
resources available to us, we must, out of necessity, focus
primarily on core enforcement work in support of this goal.
However, we recognize that public outreach and education can
help raise awareness among those that are unwittingly
contributing to a black market industry.
Our wildlife inspectors deal daily with businesses that
import and export wildlife and wildlife products. Much of our
compliance outreach targets this wildlife trade community.
Compliance outreach includes presentations and training
programs for brokers' associations and industry groups. We have
participated in annual meetings, conventions, and other forums
sponsored by such groups as the Marine Aquarium Societies of
North America, the National Association for the Specialty Food
Trade, the Association of Chinese Herbalists, and Safari Club
International.
Our one-on-one compliance outreach efforts have included
consultation with internet service providers, such as eBay, to
assist them in establishing appropriate guidelines for online
wildlife transactions, and with staff from major department
store chains to help them meet requirements for importing
fashion goods made from wildlife.
We have also teamed with nonprofit groups to develop a
conservation curriculum for traditional medicine schools in the
United States, and have participated in industry-sponsored
symposiums, addressing the use of protected wildlife and plants
in traditional Chinese medicine.
Our focus on compliance outreach is critical to our efforts
to stem wildlife trafficking on the supply side. We have,
however, also long recognized the importance of educating the
general public.
The latest edition of our buyer-beware brochure, co-
produced with World Wildlife Fund TRAFFIC North America,
spotlights caviar, wildlife wolves, and exotic plants, in
addition to such long-banned items as sea turtle and spotted
cat products.
A special Caribbean edition produced in both English and
Spanish focuses on regional trade issues, warning travelers
about purchasing products made from sea turtle, coral, queen
conch, and other Caribbean species.
A few years ago, we teamed with a number of nonprofit
groups to update our Suitcase for Survival program, which
utilizes seized wildlife items in a formal curriculum package
to teach the public about conservation threats related to
illegal wildlife trade. Last year alone, our national wildlife
property repository provided over 3,000 items to schools, zoos,
and other organizations seeking materials for use in
conservation education.
Such outreach clearly has a place in the effort to protect
global species from illegal trafficking. We would, however,
caution against seeing public education as a panacea to the
problem of illegal wildlife trade.
Government engagement in such efforts dates back to the
1970s. Nonprofit conservation groups have also invested
considerable time, energy, and money to educate the public on
this issue. And as any law enforcement officer working in any
arena can testify, knowledge of the law does not, in itself,
constitute compliance with the law.
In short, strategies for combatting illegal wildlife trade
must consider the complexity of the problem, and the need to
address it on multiple fronts.
The Service is committed to conserving wildlife not only in
this country, but throughout the world. We appreciate the
Subcommittee's interest in the consumer awareness and education
about illegal wildlife trade, and appreciate the opportunity to
participate in this hearing.
Madame Chairwoman, this concludes my prepared remarks. I
would be happy to respond to any questions you may have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Perez follows:]
Statement of Benito A. Perez, Chief, Law Enforcement,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior
Madam Chairwoman and Members of the Subcommittee, I am Benito
Perez, Chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) Office
of Law Enforcement. I am pleased to be here today to discuss our role
in educating the public about illegal wildlife trade.
The Service is the lead Federal agency for wildlife law
enforcement, including the enforcement of U.S. laws and treaties that
regulate international wildlife trade. Our mandate includes inspecting
wildlife imports and exports for compliance with U.S. wildlife laws and
regulations; intercepting illegal shipments; and investigating and
dismantling wildlife smuggling networks.
Our 120 wildlife inspectors, stationed at 38 U.S. ports of entry,
focus exclusively on wildlife trade. Our 186 special agents investigate
violations of all U.S. wildlife laws, including those that address
global wildlife trafficking, throughout the country. 1
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\1\ LE Staffing figures as of 7-16-08
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Overview of Illegal Wildlife Trade
Black market trade has long been recognized as a threat to wildlife
worldwide. Despite global efforts to stem it that date back nearly four
decades, illegal trade continues to thrive. More than 30,000 different
animal and plant species now receive protection under the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora
(CITES) 2 and since the early 1990s 3, listings
under CITES have increased by more than 75 percent.
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\2\ CITES website: http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/species.shtml
\3\ USFWS Office of Law Enforcement Strategic Plan 2006-2010
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Despite years of public outreach to discourage the consumption of
protected species, demand persists and black markets flourish, even in
the United States. The impact of such demand has been exacerbated by
the globalization of the world economy, its population, and cultures.
The ease of travel, transport, and transaction that characterizes the
global marketplace has bolstered illegal wildlife trade, facilitating
its conduct and foiling its detection. Over the past decade, interest
in exotic locales as tourist destinations has increased, as has our
ability to buy virtually anything we want from anywhere in the world
just by visiting a website.
Examples of wildlife products traded on the black market in the
United States include beluga caviar, reptiles listed as threatened or
endangered, elephant ivory carvings, sea turtle boots, illegally
obtained tribal artifacts from the Amazon and Africa, sea turtle eggs
and meat, and traditional medicines made from protected species.
Reducing Supply and Demand: Enforcement and Education
All too often, consumers fail to count the cost to wildlife of the
exotic items they purchase. Of course, some people who buy illegal
wildlife and wildlife products simply do not care about the
consequences to the species. A certain number, however, do not think
about the nature of the transaction at hand, or they honestly do not
know that their purchase makes them the last link in a chain of
criminal activity that includes poachers, middlemen, smugglers, and
retailers who are all stealing our natural heritage.
Those in law enforcement must deal with the challenge of people who
do not care--particularly those whose indifference to conservation is
apparent from their direct engagement in smuggling and selling
protected species. Preventing illegal trafficking in global resources
is a critical part of the Service's mission. As resources are finite,
we focus on core enforcement work in support of this goal. We
recognize, however, that public outreach and education can help those
who act in ignorance see that their business transactions and personal
purchases contribute to a black market industry that is pushing species
to the brink of extinction.
The Office of Law Enforcement Strategic Plan addresses this linkage
directly. The plan establishes ``Prevent[ing] the unlawful import/
export ``of foreign fish, wildlife and plants'' as a strategic goal and
acknowledges that meeting this and other goals will depend in part on
our success in ``Provid[ing] outreach and education to increase
compliance with wildlife laws.'' Our work to combat global wildlife
trafficking thus includes efforts to promote compliance in the wildlife
trade community and efforts to educate consumers about their role in
stopping illegal wildlife trade.
The Service regulates virtually all wildlife trade in this country.
Our wildlife inspectors deal directly on a daily basis with businesses
and other entities that legally import wildlife and wildlife products.
As such, we are uniquely positioned to work with wildlife importers and
exporters to ensure that they comply with U.S. requirements for legal
trade--requirements that range from declaring shipments to obtaining
the appropriate permits under CITES. Much of our compliance outreach
targets this wildlife trade community--a community that includes custom
brokers; companies dealing directly in wildlife and wildlife products;
and businesses with other links to wildlife trade (such as
international hunting guides and outfitters, and internet sale venues).
Compliance outreach includes presentations and training programs
for brokers associations and industry groups. We publish public
bulletins to alert the wildlife trade community about changes in
regulations or requirements. We have participated as exhibitors or
speakers at annual meetings, conventions and other forums sponsored by
such groups as the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America, the
National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, the Association of
Chinese Herbalists, the American Watch Association, the American
Ornithologists Union, and Safari Club International. Other recent
venues for compliance outreach have included meetings of the Animal
Transport Association and the Independent Pet and Animal Transportation
Association International and events such as the Baltimore-Washington
International Air Cargo Expo in Baltimore and the International Air
Cargo Convention in Houston.
Our one-on-one compliance outreach efforts have included
consultation with eBay to assist them in establishing appropriate
guidelines for online wildlife transactions and with staff from major
U.S. department store chains to help them meet requirements for
importing fashion goods made from wildlife. We have teamed with
nonprofit groups to develop a conservation curriculum for traditional
medicine schools in the United States, and have participated in
industry-sponsored symposiums addressing the use of protected wildlife
and plants in traditional Chinese medicine. Our staff at the Memphis
and Louisville hubs of Federal Express and United Parcel Service have
worked directly with those companies to improve compliance with import/
export requirements.
Our focus on compliance outreach that targets those engaged in
wildlife trade on an ongoing basis is critical to our efforts to stem
wildlife trafficking on the supply side. We have, however, also long
recognized the importance of educating the public in general to reduce
demand for illegal wildlife. In fact, the Service has been involved in
public outreach in this arena for over 30 years. Our archives include
airline magazine notices from the 1970s urging travelers to ``check the
import regulations before you go'' and public service announcements
from the 1980s promoting ``Smart Shopping'' with respect to wildlife
and wildlife products.
Such advice remains a staple component of our consumer outreach
program. The latest edition of our ``Buyer Beware'' brochure, co-
produced with World Wildlife Fund/TRAFFIC North America, spotlights
caviar, wildlife wools, and exotic plants in addition to such long-
banned items as sea turtle and spotted cat products. A special
``Caribbean'' edition, produced in both English and Spanish, focuses on
regional trade issues, warning travelers about purchasing products made
from sea turtle, coral, queen conch, and other Caribbean species.
``Buyer Beware'' information and more detailed guidance is also
available on the Internet. The Service's home page includes an
``Import/Export'' portal for those seeking information on this subject.
The public can access this information as well as information
specifically for travelers from the Service's law enforcement program's
website. The latter includes tips for travelers in English and seven
other languages, as well as fact sheets and links to other useful
websites.
The Service has large-scale permanent or temporary exhibits warning
travelers about contributing to illegal wildlife trade at five major
airports (Anchorage, Atlanta, Denver, Detroit, and Minneapolis). Many
border crossings in Texas feature displays on wildlife trafficking
issues. In recent years, we worked with the staff of the new Atlanta
Aquarium to develop a wildlife trade exhibit and hands-on learning
center at that facility and helped the Memphis Zoo assemble a permanent
display on the threat of illegal trade to wildlife conservation.
A few years ago, we teamed with a number of nonprofit groups to
update our ``Suitcase for Survival'' program, which utilizes seized
wildlife items and a formal curriculum package to teach the public
about the conservation threats related to illegal wildlife trade. Last
year alone, our National Wildlife Property Repository, which maintains
wildlife parts and products forfeited to the Service, provided over
3,000 items to schools, zoos, and other organizations seeking materials
for use in conservation education. Our officers occasionally provide
presentations on illegal wildlife trade to local area school and
community groups. We also conduct broad-based public outreach by
staffing exhibits at venues that range from state fairs and sportsmen's
shows to Earth Day celebrations.
We routinely work to educate the public through the media by
teaming with U.S. Attorney's offices to issue news releases
spotlighting the prosecution results of specific wildlife smuggling
investigations. We work with print and TV journalists, writers, and TV
producers to explore the issue of wildlife trade through such vehicles
as news and feature articles, books, nightly news segments, and
documentary programming--all of which help educate consumers about
wildlife trafficking.
As a member of the State Department-led Coalition Against Wildlife
Trafficking, we recently supported production of a series of Public
Service Announcements featuring actor Harrison Ford. Our officers have
also participated in media events with the State Department's Special
Envoy Bo Derek, including a media tour of our inspection operation at
Miami International Airport and a co-appearance on a morning news show
in New York.
Such outreach clearly has a place in the effort to protect global
species from illegal trafficking. We would, however, caution against
seeing public education as a panacea to the problem of illegal wildlife
trade. As we have noted, government engagement in such efforts dates
back to the 1970s. Non-profit conservation groups have also invested
considerable time, energy and money to educate the public on this
issue. And, as any law enforcement officer working in any arena can
testify, knowledge of the law does not in itself constitute compliance
with the law.
Efforts to address illegal wildlife trade must focus on strong and
effective enforcement in ``market'' countries like the United States.
On a global basis, such efforts must also include improved enforcement
in ``supply'' nations and the development of viable economic
alternatives to wildlife trafficking in countries where local
communities have few options. In short, strategies for combating
illegal wildlife trade must consider the complexity of the problem and
the need to address it on multiple fronts.
Conclusion
The Service is committed to conserving wildlife not only in this
country, but throughout the world. We appreciate the Subcommittee's
interest in consumer awareness and education about illegal wildlife
trade and appreciate the opportunity to participate in this hearing.
Madam Chairwoman, this concludes my prepared remarks. I would be
happy to respond to any questions that you may have.
______
Ms. Bordallo. Thank you very much, Mr. Perez, for
highlighting the Service's efforts.
And now, Mr. Allan, it is a pleasure to welcome you before
the Subcommittee. You are now recognized to testify for five
minutes.
STATEMENT OF CRAWFORD ALLAN, DIRECTOR,
TRAFFIC NORTH AMERICA
Mr. Allan. Madame Chairwoman and Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
My name is Crawford Allan, and I am Director of TRAFFIC North
America. TRAFFIC is a global network, the wildlife trade
monitoring program of IUCN and World Wildlife Funds.
As you may know, the United States plays a leading role in
the global wildlife trade. It is a primary destination for
wildlife and wildlife products from legal and illegal sources.
It is estimated that 20 percent of the legal global
wildlife trade is destined for the United States, with
indications the demand is increasing. The Fish and Wildlife
Service reports that the value of U.S. legal wildlife trade has
grown significantly, from $1.2 billion in 2000 to $2.8 billion
in 2007. The trade in wildlife in the U.S. feeds a diverse
range of market sectors, including the pet industry, fashion,
furniture, and medicine.
From 2000 to 2005, the United States was the world's
largest declared importer of corals and live reptiles. Live
animals make up the largest volume of U.S. wildlife trade,
mostly for exotic pets, including tropical fish, reptiles,
songbirds, and amphibians.
Ninety-six million animals collected from the wild were
imported into the United States in 2006 and 2007. Many of the
source countries of wildlife are developing nations, where
resource security, livelihoods, poverty, and national security
are often intertwined with the wildlife trade.
Legal wildlife trade can be profitable, and, if managed
effectively, revenues can benefit local communities and bolster
support for wildlife habitat protection in developing
countries. Sustainable management and trade systems, such as
implementing CITES or certification schemes, can contribute to
development goals. However, poverty and the relative high
return that can be gained from selling wildlife create powerful
incentives to harvesting trade unsustainably or illegally. At
the same time, punitive measures for illegal wildlife trade are
often insufficient.
U.S. demand is contributing to the problem. While most
wildlife trade in the United States is legal, a significant
level of illegal trade also occurs. Between 2000 and 2004, the
Fish and Wildlife Service intercepted imports of illegal
wildlife products valued at $35 million. But some estimate the
illegal wildlife imports are worth over 10 times that amount.
Wildlife is smuggled from every corner of the globe,
ranging from elephant ivory from the Congo, to tiger bone
medicines from China, to sea turtle leather from Mexico.
Illegal wildlife trade is a big, well-organized criminal
business that can quickly threaten species with extinction.
Changing the way business and industry works in the United
States is vital to ensure that any trade is sustainable through
appropriate corporate buying practices, and marketing
sustainable products to consumers.
One solution is industry and consumer outreach initiatives
to change availability of supply and buying behaviors. WWF and
TRAFFIC are working on initiatives with the tourism industry,
and particularly cruise lines. A large proportion of the
international seizures of wildlife are comprised of tourist
souvenirs.
A TRAFFIC study of sea turtle exploitation found that
products, such as jewelry made from hawksbill turtle shell,
continue to be sold throughout the Caribbean, and even though
the species is critically endangered and protected under law.
In 2006 50,000 sea turtle products were detected in just
one week by TRAFFIC in the Dominican Republic, in shops
frequented by tourists from U.S. cruise ships. Imperiled
species can be better protected if tourists receive clear
guidance on what is illegal or damaging to buy at their
vacation destination.
The U.S. transport industry can also play a role in helping
to counter illegal trade, including the smuggling of invasive
species or wildlife that can transmit disease. Airlines, sea
freight, and express mail companies can work with law
enforcement to raise awareness of their customers and
passengers to the illegal trade in wildlife, and they can alert
the authorities to problems.
Despite the United States' comprehensive policies and
enforcement mechanisms, illegal wildlife trade persists.
Implementation of regulations is lacking in some instances,
largely because the agencies responsible are severely under-
resourced, and coordination could be improved.
To close these gaps, wildlife trade needs to be a political
priority. And implementing agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, must be given the necessary resources to
raise awareness and ensure the success of undercover
investigations and inspection programs.
In some instances additional regulation may be required. Of
particular concern are the 5,000 tigers in captivity in the
United States, bred to feed U.S. demand for tigers as pets and
for entertainment. TRAFFIC's latest report shows that in the
U.S. there are not adequate management systems to monitor
captive tigers, so we cannot track where these tigers are, who
owns them, and what happens to them when they die. This lax
regulation could have global implications. Any illegal drip-
feed of supply from captive populations could perpetuate demand
for tiger parts, and further threaten wild tigers, as their
parts are preferred in Asian medicine, if they are from the
wild.
TRAFFIC recommends that the United States take steps on the
legal regulatory and law enforcement fronts to better track
U.S. tigers, and ensure their parts do not enter the trade. The
U.S. must not become complicit in endangering wild tigers.
The countries impacted by U.S. consumer demand also need
assistance with implementing their wildlife trade laws. For
many years the United States, with the support of organizations
such as World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFIC, has been engaged in
international capacity-building efforts, including the CITES
support program of the Dominican Republic and Central American
Free Trade Agreement, and the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement
Network.
Also, the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking, thanks to
U.S. leadership, has been an effective global initiative for
heightened political awareness of the challenges.
FFIC encourages further U.S. investment in addressing legal
wildlife trade at home and abroad. We call upon the United
States to reaffirm its global leadership role in wildlife
conservation by taking strong action on these recommendations.
Many species threatened by illegal and unsustainable wildlife
trade really cannot afford to wait.
Madame Chairwoman, thank you for the opportunity to testify
before the Subcommittee today. I will be happy to answer any
questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Allan follows:]
Statement of Crawford Allan, Director, TRAFFIC North America
Madam Chairwoman, Mr. Ranking Member, and members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name
is Crawford Allan, Director of TRAFFIC North America. TRAFFIC is the
wildlife trade monitoring program of IUCN (the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). TRAFFIC
works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat
to the conservation of nature. Over the past 30 years, TRAFFIC has
gained a reputation as a reliable and impartial organization and a
leader in the field of conservation as it relates to wildlife trade. We
are a global network, with 25 offices around the world. Our parent
organization, WWF, is the largest private conservation organization
working internationally to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats. WWF
currently sponsors conservation programs in more than 100 countries
with the support of 1.2 million members in the United States and more
than 5 million members worldwide.
TRAFFIC North America addresses illegal and unsustainable wildlife
trade issues as they relate to North America by conducting and
disseminating original research on pertinent trends, providing
technical and policy guidance, collecting and sharing intelligence
information with enforcement agencies, promoting consumer and industry
awareness, and supporting capacity building efforts and trainings to
address wildlife trade issues at their source, both in North America
and abroad. My testimony today is offered on behalf of World Wildlife
Fund-US and TRAFFIC North America. It is also reflects the views of the
broader WWF and TRAFFIC networks around the globe.
SCOPE AND SCALE OF U.S. DEMAND FOR WILDLIFE
The United States plays a leading role in the global wildlife
trade. It is a primary destination for wildlife and wildlife products,
as well as an exporter. It is estimated that 20% of the legal global
wildlife trade is destined for the United States, 1 with
indications that demand is increasing. FWS reports that the value of
U.S. legal wildlife trade has grown significantly in recent years- from
$1.2 billion in FY2000 to $2.8 billion in FY2007 2. In the
ten years between 1992 and 2002, U.S. trade in wildlife and wildlife
products increased by 75%.
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\1\ Randi Alacron, ``The Convention on the International Trade of
Endangered Species: The Difficulty in Enforcing CITES and the United
States Solution to Hindering the Trade in Endangered Species,'' N.Y.
International Law Review, vol. 14, no. 2 (2001), pp. 105-108.
Referenced from Congressional Research Report available at http://
assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34395--20080303.pdf
\2\ U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS), Office of Law Enforcement, Annual Reports, FY2000-FY2006, at
[http://www.fws.gov/le/AboutLE/annual.htm]; and personal communication
with FWS officials, February 20, 2008. Figures are in constant FY2008
U.S. dollars. Referenced from Congressional Research Report available
at http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34395--20080303.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trade in wildlife in the U.S. feeds a diverse range of market
sectors, including the pet industry, fashion, furniture and medicine.
From 2000-2005, the United States was the world's largest declared
importer of corals and live reptiles and the second largest importer of
cacti, mahogany and orchids. 3 About 6.4 million live corals
were traded globally during this period, with the United States
accounting for 63% of the imports. 4 Other major wildlife
commodities traded include fish and fish products, birds, traditional
medicines (including ingredients such as tiger, leopard, rhinoceros,
bear and musk deer) and exotic foods. The U.S. is one of the largest
markets for wild-harvested caviar, with domestic prices averaging more
than $100 per ounce for the most popular types. 5 Live
animal trade makes up the largest volume of U.S. wildlife trade, mostly
to supply the pet trade, with the most commonly traded species being
tropical fish, reptiles, song birds and amphibians. 6 Nearly
96 million live animals collected from the wild were imported into the
United States in both 2006 and 2007, and over 99% of these were
imported for commercial purposes. 7
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\3\ Maylynn Engler and Rob Perry-Jones, Opportunity or Threat: The
Role of the European Union in the Global Wildlife Trade (Brussels,
Belgium: TRAFFIC Europe, 2007)
\4\ Maylynn Engler and Rob Perry-Jones, Opportunity or Threat: The
Role of the European Union in the Global Wildlife Trade (Brussels,
Belgium: TRAFFIC Europe, 2007)
\5\ Caviar prices obtained from TRAFFIC web analyses for beluga
caviar. July 2008.
\6\ U.S. Department of the Interior, FWS, Office of Law
Enforcement, Intelligence Unit, U.S. Wildlife Trade: An Overview for
1997-2003.
\7\ TRAFFIC analysis of USFWS LEMIS data. July 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the United States, there is a valuable trade in native species
such as Bobcat for fur, sturgeon and paddlefish for caviar, freshwater
and terrestrial turtles for pets, food and medicine, live fish for
aquaria and American ginseng for tonics, both for domestic and export
markets.
While most wildlife trade in the United States is legal, illegal
trade also occurs, due to high consumer demand for some species that
are not easily obtainable through lawful channels. Between 2000 and
2004, the FWS intercepted approximately $35 million worth of illegal
wildlife products upon their entry to the United States. 8
Wildlife is smuggled into the United States from every corner of the
globe, ranging from the most endangered tortoise from Madagascar to
tiger bone medicines from China to sea turtle leather from Mexico.
Recent studies indicate that illegal products such as elephant ivory
and bushmeat from Africa can be purchased in U.S. markets, and the
United States may be the single largest market for the illegal live
reptile trade. Illegal wildlife trade has evolved into a big business
that can quickly deplete sensitive species and threaten them with
extinction. Just last month, for example, U.S. Customs agents in Texas
intercepted a large consignment of illegal elephant ivory said to be
worth $185,000. The shipment originated in Ethiopia and was concealed
within a crate declared as musical drums.
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\8\ U.S. Department of the Interior, FWS, Office of Law
Enforcement, Intelligence Unit, U.S. Illegal Wildlife Trade: LEMIS Data
Analysis and Risk Assessment, November 2005.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ILLEGAL VS UNSUSTAINABLE TRADE
Trade in wildlife is deemed not detrimental to a species if it can
be proven that the species is being harvested sustainably. Indeed,
legal wildlife trade can be highly profitable and, if managed
effectively, revenues can benefit local communities and bolster support
for wildlife habitat protection. However, overharvesting often results,
either because of factors and pressures that push those extracting the
wildlife to take too much, or because there are no effective checks and
balances to ensure that the harvest does not exceed a sustainable
level. Pressures to harvest unsustainably include existing large
international markets that demand a regular supply of consistent
quality, and growing demand from consumers for wildlife and their
products as economies expand and new trends emerge. Many of the source
countries for wildlife are developing nations, where poverty and the
relative high return that can be gained from selling wildlife create
powerful incentives to harvest and trade unsustainably or illegally. At
the same time, punitive measures associated with illegal wildlife trade
in these countries are often insufficient to act as a deterrent. The
links between resource security, livelihoods, poverty and security are
entwined with the wildlife trade in developing nations and sustainable
systems can help ensure that development is effective and stable. This
can have benefits beyond wildlife conservation; namely benefits to
communities.
It is important to make the distinction between illegal and
unsustainable trade. Illegal trade is not always unsustainable.
Similarly, unsustainable trade can often be legal; the fact that trade
in a particular species is legal does not mean that the consumer or
trader can be certain that it is not harming wild populations and
potentially threatening their future viability. Part of the challenge
is that trade trends can rapidly change in terms of commodity type or
species involved. Wildlife trade management, trade regulatory
mechanisms and enforcement measures are not always able to adapt in a
timely way to address the impacts of a quickly evolving trade.
Critically, most governments, conservation organizations and harvesters
of wildlife frequently lack information on the size of a species
population and its capacity to withstand off-take for trade. Without
this information and scientific assessments to guide permissible trade
levels, it is very difficult to ensure that trade is sustainable.
Major consumer countries like the United States have a
responsibility to ensure that the wildlife and products they import are
legal and sustainable. Working with exporting countries, the United
States needs to prevent illegal wildlife trade while promoting measures
to ensure that any legal trade is sustainable. By ensuring that the
supply entering U.S. markets is consistent, sustainable, and clearly
legal, the U.S. government can alleviate the problems that wholesale,
retail and consumer sectors face in trying to make such a determination
when confronted with the array of wildlife and wildlife products that
are available.
SPOTLIGHT ON TYPES OF WILDLIFE TRADE IN THE UNITED STATES
Tigers
The estimated 5,000 tigers in captivity within the borders of the
United States offer a timely example of the result of U.S. consumer
demand for wildlife. These tigers are being bred to feed U.S. demand
for tigers as pets, as well as for entertainment purposes. While this
may not seem to have much relevance to potential impact on tigers in
the wild, a report launched last month by TRAFFIC shows that there
could be problems in future. The report, entitled Paper Tigers? The
Role of the U.S. Captive Tiger Population in the Trade in Tiger Parts,
sought to answer two central questions:
i) Are tigers or tiger parts from the U.S. captive population
entering the international tiger trade?
ii) What implications might trade in this tiger population have on
conservation of the world's remaining wild tigers?
In general, the report finds that the U.S. captive tiger population
does not at present play a significant role in the domestic or
international trade in tiger bone or other parts. Tiger bone has been
widely used in traditional Asian medicine and poaching to meet consumer
demand that has pushed the tiger to the brink of extinction in the
wild. However, the report does find flaws in the United States'
management of its large captive tiger population. Specifically, the
report suggests that the U.S. is currently not in compliance with a
Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES)
Resolution agreed upon in 2000. CITES Resolution Conference 12.5
``urges Parties and non-Parties in whose territory tigers and other
Asian big cat species are bred in captivity to ensure that adequate
management practices and controls are in place to prevent parts and
derivatives from entering illegal trade from or through such
facilities.''
The United States' failure to properly manage its captive tiger
population could have global trade implications if it is not adequately
addressed. The concern is that this large population of tigers could
act as a drip feed of supply, thus helping to keep alive consumer
demand for tiger parts. Any demand could further threaten wild tiger
populations, as wild tiger parts are always preferred over captive
tigers in traditional medicines, and it is much cheaper to poach a wild
tiger than to raise one in captivity. Making greater supply available
to markets for tiger products could lead to the resumption of a demand
that many governments, traditional medicine practitioners, conservation
organizations and others have worked for decades to suppress. The U.S.
must do its part to ensure that its captive tiger population does not
unintentionally play a role in the endangerment of the world's
remaining wild tiger populations.
TRAFFIC recommends that the United States take steps on the legal,
regulatory, oversight, educational, and law enforcement fronts to
better track the U.S. captive tiger population and ensure that these
animals or their parts cannot enter illegal trade. At the federal
level, legal loopholes exempting certain categories of captive U.S.
tigers from regulation need to be rescinded, particularly under the
Captive-Bred Wildlife (CBW) Registration system. Additionally, all
persons or facilities holding USDA licenses for exhibition or breeding/
dealing in tigers should be required to report annually on the number
of tigers held, births, mortality, and transfer or sale. Lastly, all
U.S. states that allow private citizens to keep captive tigers should
enact laws or regulations that require a comprehensive accounting of
the number and location of all captive tigers in their jurisdictions,
and the disposal of these tigers when they die.
(Paper Tigers? The Role of the U.S. Captive Tiger Population in the
Trade in Tiger Parts can be accessed at: http://
www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2008/
WWFBinaryitem9751.pdf)
Marine Species and Products from the ``Coral Triangle''
A substantial volume of wildlife trade to the United States derives
from the ``Coral Triangle'' region of Southeast Asia, which is
comprised of marine areas bordering Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New
Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Fiji. Much of the
trade coming from this region is concentrated in mollusk products from
the Philippines, but there is also abundant trade in marine fish and
coral products to supply aquariums. In 2007 alone, over 1,655,000 kg of
corals and 655,000 pieces of coral were imported into the United
States, with most of this trade originating from Indonesia.
9
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\9\ TRAFFIC analysis of USFWS LEMIS data. July 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The negative impacts of trade on the coral species in the region
have been well-documented. Coral reefs face a number of conservation
concerns. Because of these pre-existing vulnerabilities, trade in coral
products is an important focus for conservation resources. Many mollusk
and fish species are part of the reef ecosystem and are negatively
affected by illegal or unsustainable trade in corals, as well as by
unsustainable fishing practices. Activities that deplete the integrity
of coral reefs endanger these species as well and threaten the
commodities that supply the fish and mollusk trades.
Increasing the awareness of certification measures for aquarium
resources and emphasizing the importance of such certification is one
way to drive market pressure towards sustainable sourcing practices.
Because so many small companies are engaged in the trade, it is a
difficult industry to pressure regarding responsible corporate
practices. However, increasing supply chain transparency and better
knowledge about fishing practices may go a long way toward changing
market dynamics.
The ecological systems of the Coral Triangle produce biological
resources that directly sustain the lives of more than 120 million
people living within this area, and benefit millions more worldwide.
USAID is currently exploring the need in the region to sustain the
natural productivity of the Coral Triangle for current and future
generations, including potential support for fisheries and trade policy
reforms, improved international standards for the Live Reef Food
Fishery Trade, and encouraging consumer and retailer demand for
sustainably sourced seafood from the Coral Triangle. WWF and TRAFFIC
support these efforts.
CONSUMER AND INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
There are two diametrically opposed issues at play in addressing
demand for illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, each with a
different solution. The first issue is addressing consumers and
industries that unwittingly make poor purchasing decisions. Steps need
to be taken to increase their awareness and improve their ability to
make better choices. The second issue is dealing with those consumers
and companies that know that their purchases or trading are illegal or
unsustainable. In this case, steps need to be taken to effectively
detect and deter these practices.
Corporate Engagement with Wildlife Conservation
One major solution is for key business sectors in the United States
to encourage sustainable trade through their buying practices and the
marketing of products. Businesses are primarily interested in reducing
costs and increasing revenue, which add to the long-term value of the
trade. The wildlife conservation community, informed consumers and some
parts of the public sector are interested in the long-term conservation
of biodiversity. It is vital that these separate interests can engage
and inform each other, helping to improve the way in which the market
in the U.S. views and supports sustainability of trade. Businesses need
to understand that sustainable use is critical to their success over
time and can be a source of profit. Adopting sustainable practices is
certainly in the best interest of businesses that participate in the
wildlife trade, and sustainability should be an important focus for
them. Partnerships with civil society may be the most effective way to
achieve these goals.
A critical example of this approach is Wal-Mart's decision to move
towards supplying its supermarkets with fish from sustainable sources
that are certified under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). As the
world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart buys and sells thousands of seafood
and aquaculture products every year. The company has committed to
purchasing 100 percent of its wild-caught seafood sold in the United
States from MSC-certified sources by 2011, leveraging its size and
scale in order to effect change within the entire industry. WWF has
partnered with Wal-Mart, MSC, and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
in order to make this goal a reality. WWF is helping Wal-Mart to use
its purchasing power to secure seafood from environmentally sustainable
sources by actively engaging with fisheries and helping improve them to
MSC certification standards.
Tourism and Travel
The international trade in souvenirs, curios and duty free goods
made from wildlife and aimed at tourists and travel markets presents
numerous challenges for the consumer. A large proportion of
international wildlife seizures are comprised of tourist souvenirs.
Many wildlife curios are available as souvenirs, and travelers often
have no way of knowing the harm done to wildlife by the high turnover
sales of such products in the world's major tourist and travel centers.
Cruise ship tourism is one specific area of concern. These
operations have very relaxed checks on travelers, and very little
information is available to let travelers know whether the wildlife
souvenirs they purchase are made from protected species (as is often
the case), whose export from their country of origin or import into the
United States is prohibited. This is particularly common in many ports
of call around the Caribbean, which see millions of cruise ship
tourists annually. A TRAFFIC North America study of sea turtle
exploitation in the Northern Caribbean found that hawksbill turtle
shell products continue to be sold in port shops and tourist markets
throughout the Caribbean, despite the fact that this species is
critically endangered and protected under domestic and international
laws. 10 A more recent TRAFFIC North America market survey
of shops in the Dominican Republic in 2006 found 50,000 hawksbill
turtle shell items openly available in the majority of stores
frequented by cruise ship passengers, regardless of their illegality.
11
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\10\ Fleming, E.H. 2001. Swimming Against the Tide: Recent surveys
of exploitation, trade, and management of marine turtles in the
Northern Caribbean. TRAFFIC North America. Washington, D.C.
\11\ Reuter, A. and Allan, C. (2006). Tourists, Turtles and
Trinkets: a look at the trade in marine turtle products in the
Dominican Republic and Colombia. TRAFFIC North America, Washington,
D.C.
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Other items may be legally traded but are harvested for trade in
volumes that are not sustainable, further threatening already imperiled
species. Species supplying this unsustainable trade from the wild
include birds of prey, corals, queen conch, crocodiles and caimans.
Incredibly, live animals such as parrots, sea turtles and rare endemic
lizards are sometimes purchased by tourists and carried with them in
their hand luggage. Sometimes the wildlife sold in tourist centers may
not even originate from the country or region of purchase, even though
marketed as a local souvenir. In the Caribbean, many souvenirs are
imported from Asia, including those made from corals and sea turtle
shells.
It is important for tourists to understand that even though a
product is openly offered for sale, the product may not be legal to
export from that country. TRAFFIC recommends that tourists, and
particularly cruise ship passengers, be provided with clear guidelines
regarding what is illegal to purchase and/or transport out of any given
port country. Outreach of this sort will help protected species while
helping tourists avoid any unfortunate incidents involving their
purchased products being seized by Customs. TRAFFIC is preparing
outreach materials that will help inform cruise ship tourists about
which wildlife souvenirs to avoid.
The Role of Transport
Trade in wildlife invariably involves transport of wildlife
merchandise as it moves from the supplier to the consumer, often across
international borders. A commodity may be transported by a number of
different means on its journey from source to consumer. Because of
this, the transport industry can play a constructive role in helping to
counter illegal trade, including trade that can transmit disease or
invasive species. The United States transport industry can work hand in
hand with consumers and law enforcement to raise the awareness of their
cargo customers and passengers to illegal and unsustainable trade in
wildlife, and to alert the authorities to problems.
The demand for black market wildlife tends to generate a trade
gradient of wildlife from biodiversity-rich countries in Asia, Africa
and South America to consumers and markets in North America, Europe,
China and Japan. The most rare and valuable wildlife tends to be
smuggled by air, which is the most rapid and secure transport method.
Sea freight tends to be used for smuggling non-perishable, bulky
products in large consignments, such as elephant ivory. Live wildlife
invariably is smuggled by air or by road, transported in crates,
luggage, or on the person of passengers. Express mail courier services
are frequently utilized as well. The incentives for smuggling wildlife
are high but the penalties for offences are low, and smuggling methods
can be complex and creative. Not all smuggling involves hiding
contraband within packages and crates; much of the wildlife smuggled
involves fraudulent documentation. Often, a smuggler will merely claim
that a rare, protected species is something more common and, of course,
legal.
The higher value illegal wildlife, including the parts and
derivatives of rarer species such as rhinos and tigers, are transported
using international airlines. This is also true of live animals and
plants, such as parrots, reptiles and orchids. Airline staff, because
they are present from the beginning to the end of any journey, may have
closer and more frequent contact with cargo, baggage and passengers
than customs officers. Airlines therefore have more opportunity to
notice suspicious shipments or wildlife in passenger's luggage.
Unfortunately, cabin crew, cargo and baggage handlers and
administrative staff generally have little or no knowledge of the legal
requirements for transport of wildlife and products. Increasing the
basic awareness of U.S. airline staff, passengers and cargo customers
could help reduce the incidence of smuggling of illegal wildlife, as
well as the spread of diseases and invasive species into the United
States.
The potential for serious human health and agricultural impacts due
to the illegal trade in wildlife must not be underestimated. Imported
live animals and their parts and products may present disease risks to
humans and domestic wildlife. Parrots, for example, can carry
respiratory diseases that can be fatal; Gambian pouch rats introduced
monkey pox into the United States; meat from wildlife for human
consumption, smuggled from West Africa in passenger luggage, may
transmit serious diseases; and animal skins can carry anthrax spores.
Agriculture can be catastrophically affected by diseases transmitted to
domestic livestock, and invasive pests can wreak havoc on crops, as
well as U.S. ecosystems. Because U.S. consumers are at the end of the
trade chain, they may end up being responsible for driving a trade with
adverse health and agricultural impacts, almost certainly through a
lack of awareness.
SUPPORTING HUMAN LIVELIHOODS AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS
Many rural households, especially in developing countries, depend
on wildlife for their livelihood. Some communities depend on wildlife
for subsistence living. Others derive part of their income through
benefits from wildlife trade. As species populations are depleted by
illegal or unsustainable trade resulting from the growing demand for
wildlife globally, the livelihoods of poor communities are also
threatened as they struggle to find wildlife to trade or consume. On
the other hand, well-managed wildlife trade has the potential to
deliver significant development benefits for the world's poor and to
decrease the incentives for illegal trade. The challenge is to find the
right balance and to ensure equitable revenue flows along the trade
chain so that poor communities benefit.
TRAFFIC and WWF issued a report highlighting this dynamic entitled,
Trading Nature: The Contribution of Wildlife Trade Management to
Sustainable Livelihoods and the Millennium Development Goals. The
report details how wildlife trade offers opportunities to the poor and
provides benefits to local communities. It also shows how these
benefits are threatened when illegal or unsustainable trade is allowed
to flourish, providing case studies on the wild meat trade in East and
Southern Africa, the trade in peccari and caiman skins and vicuna wool
in Latin America, and the trade in Asian coastal fisheries products. To
cite just one example, seahorse fishers and traders in the Philippines
reported that their catch contributes around 30--40% of their annual
income--sometimes reaching as high 80%. Many of the products they
harvest are regularly imported into the United States and sold to U.S.
consumers.
ENFORCEMENT
The United States has comprehensive policies and enforcement
mechanisms for regulating wildlife trade and for prohibiting
international and interstate trade of endangered, threatened, and
protected species. Nonetheless, illegal wildlife trade continues to
take place. Implementation of existing regulations is still lacking, in
large part because many of the agencies responsible are severely under-
resourced. To close these gaps, wildlife trade needs to be made a
priority on the political agenda, which it has not been up until now.
Given the proper resources, undercover investigations and inspection
programs can be highly successful. Operation Shell Game was an 18-
month-long joint Canadian and U.S. investigation into the unlawful
import and export of queen conch Strombus gigas. 12
Conducted in 2006, it was one of the largest U.S.-Canadian endangered
species smuggling cases in years, with over 111,000 pounds (50,349
kilograms) of threatened queen conch shipped to the United States and
Canada from Colombia and Haiti without the proper permits. The case
involved defendants in both the United States and Canada. This is just
one example of the law enforcement challenges faced by U.S. agencies
responsible for regulating wildlife traffic, and it highlights the
enormity of this illegal trade.
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\12\ Queen conch is a commercially valuable seafood product and is
a protected species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Since 1992,
queen conch has been listed on Appendix II of CITES so to engage in
trade in queen conch, all imports or exports must be accompanied by a
CITES export certificate from the country of origin, or a re-export
permit from a country of re-export
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Countries impacted by U.S. consumer demand also need assistance
with implementing and enforcing their own wildlife trade laws. To this
end, the United States, with the support of conservation organizations
such as TRAFFIC, has been engaged for many years in capacity building
efforts around the globe. The Central America-Dominican Republic
(CAFTA-DR) Free Trade Agreement CITES Support Program is a good example
of a medium-term capacity building program established by the United
States to support CAFTA-DR member countries. These countries encompass
a wide variety of ecosystems and a spectacular diversity of wildlife.
At the same time, they face chronic threats to biodiversity, which
often derive from unsustainable natural resource management practices.
As demand for exotic leather, corals, parrots, fisheries products and
an array of other wildlife products continues to grow, it is important
for government agencies and industry to meet the implementation
requirements of CITES and support enforcement.
TRAFFIC has supported this program since 2006, in partnership with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the International
Technical Assistance Program of the Department of the Interior. This
capacity building effort enables governments to develop, implement and
enforce laws and regulations in a coordinated manner, support
sustainable use practices, and deter illegal activities that are
currently commonplace. It also identifies where trade in wildlife to
the United States could pose a problem and takes steps to mitigate it.
This work is funded by the U.S. Department of State, and TRAFFIC would
encourage further U.S. investment in addressing illegal wildlife trade
abroad, as well as the U.S. consumer demand that too often drives it.
General Education
The Suitcase for Survival program is a partnership of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS), American Zoo and Aquarium Association
(AZA), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) - Fisheries Services' Office for Law Enforcement
and with additional assistance from TRAFFIC North America. It is
designed to address the need for a national education program focused
on wildlife trade and biodiversity. Since 1991, the program has raised
awareness about the devastation caused by illegal wildlife trade
worldwide. It has also helped consumers understand the importance of
biodiversity and how their buying habits can contribute to biodiversity
conservation.
The program includes several components that build on the strengths
of the partners. The FWS and NOAA provide wildlife trade artifacts that
have been confiscated at ports of entry. These artifacts are
disseminated to a wide array of environmental educators and their
respective institutions throughout the nation, and host institutions
can assemble the artifacts into used suitcases. These suitcases can
then be used to conduct wildlife trade educational programs with
educators and students as well as the general public. In addition to
artifacts, the institutions can also use World Wildlife Fund's wildlife
trade education module, Wildlife for Sale: An Educator's Guide to
Exploring Wildlife Trade.
More funding for programs like Suitcase and the Buyer Beware
program, developed with TRAFFIC and FWS, would go a long way in
highlighting the conservation issues of wildlife trade and help to
alleviate U.S. consumer impact.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The United States is increasingly taking positive steps to reduce
its ecological footprint and improve the sustainability of its business
practices. As this awareness and positive action grows, the United
States must not overlook the need for sustainable sourcing of wildlife
and legal controls on wildlife imports and exports. The following are
priority considerations that frame the way in which the U.S. can bring
about change:
Educating consumers and raising awareness about the
impacts of their choices, and providing alternate sustainable choices,
is vital. The impact that consumer behavior in the United States has on
wildlife trade globally is large and direct. By working to influence
that behavior in positive directions and to bring about constructive
change with respect to enforcement efforts and business practices, the
U.S. government can make a real difference for international
biodiversity conservation.
High-level political will and adequate resources to
implement the necessary controls will be required to ensure that the
U.S. wildlife trade is legal.
More partnerships with the corporate sector and
additional sustainable sourcing initiatives backed up by consumer
marketing campaigns will be needed to make sure that trade is both
legal and sustainable.
Notwithstanding isolated challenges such as on tigers discussed
above, overall, the United States has one of the best regulatory
systems in the world for addressing wildlife trade. From the excellent
Wildlife Inspectors, Special Agents, Special Intelligence Unit, and
Forensics Lab of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to the prosecutors
in the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice,
the U.S. has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with
countries looking to improve their own regulatory systems. Where such
international efforts have received the needed support from the U.S.,
as in Southeast Asia under ASEAN-WEN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations-Wildlife Enforcement Network), they have met with great
success. We therefore urge Congress to:
Ensure that these U.S. enforcement agencies and units be
better resourced to address the ever-growing wildlife trade issues
threatening the United States, and they should be provided with
additional resources in order to assist in countries where U.S.
consumer demand is taking a serious toll on native wildlife
Raising awareness of the legal implications and penalties for
industry or individuals engaged in illegal wildlife trade is critical
as well. Through the combination of approaches mentioned below, led by
the U.S. government, there is the potential to elevate the level of
attention to the challenges of wildlife trade and drive home
initiatives to reduce illegal trade while increasing the benefits to
developing communities that supply wildlife on a sustainable basis.
Therefore, additionally:
Congress should allocate greater resources to awareness
of the legal and conservation issues surrounding wildlife trade.
Educating consumers and industry so that they can make informed choices
that are both legal and sustainable--with resulting conservation
benefits--will be essential.
These efforts to some degree take place through the multinational
species programs authorized by Congress--often with your leadership,
Madam Chair, and the leadership of this Subcommittee ``for elephants,
rhinos, tigers, great apes, sea turtles and neotropical migratory
birds. All of these species are affected by illegal trade, and
conservation efforts funded under appropriations through these programs
have helped to address this problem. However, the bills apply to a
narrow range of species, and provide only a drop in the bucket compared
to what is necessary. While the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act will be
an important addition to the multinational species programs, there are
still a great many species that do not receive any benefit through
legislation implemented by FWS. WWF has recently advocated before this
Subcommittee 13 the following recommendation and we stress
this need again here:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ 13 Testimony of Thomas Dillon, Senior Vice-President for Field
Programs, World Wildlife Fund, Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4455 before
the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. Committee on
Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, 24 June 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A broader approach to global species conservation is
needed, covering a much broader number of species, to address a host of
threats facing endangered species generally, including wildlife
trafficking. Such an omnibus species conservation bill would go a long
way to addressing the problems discussed in my testimony today.
I am appending to this testimony a statement of principles on what
such a paradigm would look like, that WWF produced in conjunction with
Wildlife Conservation Society.
Up to this point, the issue of illegal wildlife trade has tended
only to capture the attention of those tasked with addressing it. It
must be raised to a higher level of awareness and prioritization. One
mechanism currently in place to help generate political will for
addressing the problem is CAWT (Coalition Against Wildlife
Trafficking). CAWT is a mechanism to highlight wildlife trade at the
highest levels internationally, but it could also act as a mechanism
for coordination within the United States amongst all the agencies
tasked at any level with addressing this issue, including USFWS, NOAA,
CBP and others. WWF and TRAFFIC urges:
The United States to garner greater political will and
elevate the issue of illegal wildlife trade as a priority at
multilateral meetings and in diplomatic exchanges to bring about
significant change globally. CAWT is vital to support this change and
we hope that the United States continue and expand this effort and
consider ways for more effective coordination between United Stages
agencies regarding wildlife trade regulation and enforcement.
TRAFFIC has over 30 years of in-depth insight into the wildlife
trade, as well as experience in monitoring emerging trends, conducting
investigations and trainings, facilitating multiregional enforcement
networks, and analyzing data and legislation in every region around the
world. Specifically, TRAFFIC holds a wealth of intelligence on wildlife
smuggling and criminal networks in many regions, which we would be
happy to share with Congress and relevant agencies in order to
highlight the problems on the ground and to begin to develop effective
and collaborative solutions. WWF has worked with local communities,
industry and governments since 1961 and has pioneered education and
awareness raising work throughout these sectors. WWF has also built
significant partnerships with business and industry in the United
States, and these relationships can provide role model approaches for
future engagements with businesses engaged in the legal sale of
wildlife and wildlife products. TRAFFIC and WWF offer their support and
assistance to these efforts, wherever feasible.
CONCLUSION
The United States is one of the largest consumers of wildlife in
the world. This demand results in many problems, and these problems
need to be resolved if we are to ensure biodiversity conservation,
continued livelihoods for communities in the developing world, and a
legal and sustainable wildlife trade in the U.S. We call upon the
United States to reconfirm its global leadership role in wildlife
conservation by taking strong and immediate action to bring about
positive change. Many species threatened by illegal and unsustainable
wildlife trade cannot afford to wait.
Madam Chairwoman, thank you for the opportunity to testify before
the Subcommittee today, and thank you for all you have done to protect
some of the world's most endangered and iconic species from extinction.
TRAFFIC will be happy to answer any questions or support the work of
the Subcommittee, as necessary.
______
Ms. Bordallo. Thank you, Mr. Allan, for your insights on
illegal wildlife trade, and for showing us some of these
confiscated products.
Mr. Bigue, I am looking forward to hearing from you next,
so you can begin.
STATEMENT OF MARCEL BIGUE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WILDAID
Mr. Bigue. Madame Chairwoman, honorable Members, thank you
for the opportunity to address you today.
I speak to you today as the Deputy Director of WildAid, a
conservation organization dedicated to ending illegal trade in
wildlife; and for the Animal Welfare Institute. I also deliver
the profound apologies of Ms. Bo Derek, a WildAid board member
who was hoping to address you today, but has been seriously
ill. I am happy to report Bo is on the road to recovery.
In the previous hearing you heard from Assistant Secretary
of State Claudia McMurray and other witnesses about the
devastating impact of the illegal wildlife trade, and how the
United States currently addresses the problem.
Initiatives include the Coalition Against Wildlife
Trafficking, the ASEAN WEN initiatives, and the State
Department naming of Bo Derek as a special envoy regarding
wildlife trafficking. I strongly urge you to push for the
continuity of these important programs now and throughout the
next Administration.
In addition, I would like to bring to your attention an
additional way that Congress might lead funding consumer
awareness programs in the U.S. Congressional laws in the field
are among the best in the world, and are largely up to the task
of enforcing anti-poaching measures. Therefore, the primary
need going forward is for adequate financing, both of their
enforcement, and to raise awareness with the general public to
reduce demand for these products.
The illegal wildlife trade thrives on three factors: need,
greed, and ignorance. The financial need of the poor and
developing nations creates the incentives to poach. This can be
addressed by not only increasing field enforcement, but by
developing alternative sources of income. The U.S. has been a
leader in these efforts, through USAID and by Congressional
support of the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act, and other
financing mechanisms through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
The greed of professional poachers, smugglers, and illegal
traders can only be addressed through law enforcement, and by
reducing demand. As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did talk
about their effective enforcement measures in their testimony,
I only want to stress the importance of their work in stemming
the illegal wildlife trade, and urge this committee to keep
them adequately funded.
But enforcement is only part of the solution. The efforts
against drug trafficking have shown that even billions spent on
enforcement alone will have little effect if demand remains
strong. As long as strong demand keeps prices high, illegal
activity will continue, no matter how many poachers are caught,
fined, or imprisoned. I understand that a number of Members of
this Committee raised the demand issue at your previous
hearing.
Last, the ignorance of consumers perpetuates this trade.
This ignorance lies in the impact their consumption has on
wildlife, the laws and the species that they protect, and in
the potential health risks linked to consumption. The illegal
wildlife trade will continue if consumers are unaware of their
impact.
When the State Department convened an inter-agency meeting
with NGO's to address this, three groups each independently
identified the greatest priority as increasing public
awareness. Yet to date, the vast majority of public and private
resources have focused on study, monitoring, and law
enforcement.
While this is important, it is only the first step in fully
eradicating the illegal wildlife trade and saving those species
threatened by it. If we ignore demand, we will fail.
As the second-largest consumer of illegal wildlife
products, the U.S. has a special duty to address this demand,
which comes not just from our economic power, but also from our
cultural diversity. While all American tourists might buy
products like coral and ivory, certain products are very
culture-specific, such as those used in traditional Chinese
medicine or exotic products valued as an affluent delicacy.
Therefore, demand-reduction efforts must address these
communities specifically, as well as the general public.
WildAid has been a leader in this field internationally,
not only in engaging a wide range of cultures by recruiting
their highest-profile celebrities as spokespeople, but also by
reaching up to one billion people a week worldwide by
leveraging millions of dollars of donated production and media
space. To date, our main focus and efforts have been in Asia.
And I would like to show the Committee the kind of materials
and programs that could be possible in the United States if
financial support was available.
The video you are seeing features some of the world's top
celebrities and Olympic gold medalists from the U.S., China,
and other countries, all delivering the message when the buying
stops, the killing can, too. Top advertising agencies have
donated their time. World-class productions have been done at
less than cost by U.S. production companies.
Because of the quality, originality, and star power, the
media space and airtime has been donated. In China alone, the
official government media has donated over $5 million of
airtime. Here in the U.S., CBS, Fox, CNN, National Geographic,
and other networks have carried some of these messages, as
well. Due to limited funding, WildAid's primary effort has been
in China, but the model could be easily replicated here.
One obvious focus point could be our primary international
airports. In China, through a partnership with Air Media,
WildAid's messages reach 93 percent of domestic air travelers
through videos on planes and in airports. Some of our airports
do carry modest displays of wildlife products, but this could
be greatly enhanced with celebrity video messaging, more
engaging presentations, and media launches.
In short, the opportunity exists for a high-profile, highly
leveraged, star-studded multi-cultural awareness program. This
public/private sector collaboration could reach tens of
millions of Americans for a few million dollars, but there are
currently no financial mechanisms for Congressional support of
such a program in the U.S.
By creating a mechanism for Congress to fund such outreach
efforts, I believe this Committee could take a lead in reducing
our nation's role in this illegal trade.
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman and honorable Members.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bigue follows:]
Statement of Marcel Bigue, Deputy Director, WildAid
Madame Chairwoman, Honorable Members thank you for the opportunity
to address you today.
I speak to you today as the Deputy Director of WildAid, a
conservation organization dedicated to ending the illegal trade in
wildlife; and for the Animal Welfare Institute. I also deliver the
profound apologies of Ms. Bo Derek, a WildAid board member who was
hoping to address you today, but has been seriously ill. I am happy to
report Bo is well on the way to recovery.
In the previous hearing you heard from Assistant Secretary of State
Claudia McMurray and other witnesses about the devastating impact of
the illegal wildlife trade and how the United States currently
addresses the problem. Initiatives include: the Coalition Against
Wildlife Trafficking, the ASEN WEN initiatives, and the State
Department naming of Bo Derek as the Special Envoy regarding wildlife
trafficking. I strongly urge you to push for the continuity of these
important programs now and throughout the next Administration. In
addition, I would like to bring to your attention an additional way
that Congress might lead: funding consumer awareness programs in the
U.S..
Congressional laws in this field are among the best in the world
and are largely up to the task of enforcing anti-poaching measures--
therefore the primary need going forward is for adequate financing both
of their enforcement and to raise awareness with the general public to
reduce demand for these products.
The illegal wildlife trade thrives on three factors: need, greed
and ignorance.
The financial need of the poor in developing nations creates the
incentive to poach. This can be addressed by not only increasing field
enforcement, but by developing alternative sources of income. The U.S.
has been a leader in these efforts through U.S. AID and by
Congressional support of the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act and other
financing mechanisms through the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The greed of professional poachers, smugglers and illegal traders
can only be addressed through law enforcement and reducing demand. As
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will undoubtedly talk about their
effective enforcement measures in their testimony, I only want to
stress the importance of their work in stemming the illegal wildlife
trade and urge this committee to keep them adequately funded. But
enforcement is only part of the solution.
The efforts against drug trafficking have shown that even billions
spent on enforcement alone will have little effect if demand remains
strong. As long as strong demand keeps prices high, illegal activity
will continue--no matter how many poachers are caught, fined, or
imprisoned. I understand that a number of members of this Committee
raised the demand issue at your previous hearing.
Lastly, the ignorance of consumers perpetuates this trade. This
ignorance lies in the impact their consumption has on wildlife, the
laws and the species that they protect, and in the potential health
risks linked to consumption. The illegal wildlife trade will continue
if consumers are unaware of their impact.
When the State Department convened an interagency meeting with NGOs
to address this, three groups each independently identified the
greatest priority as ``increasing public awareness.'' Yet, to date, the
vast majority of public and private resources have focused on study,
monitoring, and supporting law enforcement. While this is important, it
is only the first step in fully eradicating the illegal wildlife trade
and saving those species threatened by it. If we ignore demand we will
fail.
As the second largest consumer of illegal wildlife products, the
U.S. has a special duty to address this demand, which comes not just
from our economic power, but also from our cultural diversity. While
all American tourists might buy products like coral and ivory, certain
products are very culture specific, such as those used in traditional
Chinese medicine or exotic products valued as an affluent delicacy.
Therefore, demand reduction efforts must address these communities
specifically as well as the general public.
VIDEO STARTS FROM THE CASCADES OF STARS
WildAid has been a leader in this field internationally, not only
in engaging a wide range of cultures by recruiting their highest
profile celebrities as spokespeople, but also by reaching up to 1
billion people a week world wide by leveraging millions of dollars of
donated production and media space.
To date, our main focus and efforts have been in Asia and I would
like to show the Committee the kind of materials and programs that
could be possible in the United States if financial support was
available.
The video you are seeing features some of the world's top
celebrities and Olympic gold medalists from the U.S., China and other
countries, all delivering the message ``when the buying stops, the
killing can too''.
Top advertising agencies have donated their time.
World class productions have been done at less than cost by U.S.
production companies.
Because of the quality, originality and star power, the media space
and airtime has been donated. In China alone, the official government
media has donated over five million dollars of airtime.
Here in the U.S., CBS, Fox, CNN, National Geographic and other
networks have carried some of these messages as well.
Due to limited funding, WildAid's primary effort has been in China,
but the model could be easily replicated here.
One obvious focus point could be our primary international
airports. In China, through a partnership with Air Media, WildAid
messages reach 93% of domestic air travelers through videos on planes
and in airports.
Some of our airports do carry modest displays of wildlife products,
but this could be greatly enhanced with celebrity video messaging, more
engaging presentations and media launches.
In short, the opportunity exists for a high profile, highly
leveraged, star-studded, multi-cultural awareness program.
This public private sector collaboration could reach tens of
millions of Americans for a few million dollars, but there are
currently no financial mechanisms for Congressional support of such a
program in the U.S..
By creating a mechanism for Congress to fund such outreach efforts,
I believe this Committee could take a lead in reducing our nation's
role in this illegal trade.
Thank you Madame Chairwoman and Honorable Members
______
Ms. Bordallo. I thank you, Mr. Bigue, for your innovative
work in addressing the demand for illegal wildlife products.
And now Mr. Kowalski, would you please begin?
STATEMENT OF MICHAEL KOWALSKI, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, TIFFANY & CO.
Mr. Kowalski. Madame Chairwoman, Members of the Committee,
it is a privilege to be here.
Since our company's founding in 1837, Tiffany & Company has
grown and prospered based upon one simple idea: the belief that
good design is good business. Over the past 10 years we have
come to recognize that there is a vitally important 21st
century corollary, and that an unequivocal commitment to
protecting the natural world is also undeniably good business.
There is today enormous concern among consumers about the
impact their decisions have upon the environment. And just as
good design has been at the heart of the consumer appeal of our
jewelry, so, too, does a commitment to sustainability today
reflect the evolving desires of those very same customers.
I am here today speaking, of course, as a representative of
Tiffany & Company, but more fundamentally, I believe I am here
speaking for our customers--customers who care deeply about the
preservation of the natural world; customers who instinctively
recognize that nature has been our greatest designer and
understand the imperative to protect the source of that
inspiration; customers who trust us to make certain that in
creating Tiffany jewelry, we do everything possible to leave
behind a world every bit as beautiful and complete as the one
we inherited.
So I testify today not as an executive who cares about the
environment, but rather as one who is simply responding to our
customers' expectations. We have no doubt the consumers want
jewelry that is sourced responsibly; jewelry that contains
precious metals that are mined responsibly from mines that do
not threaten wilderness, wildlife, or recreational values.
Diamonds that do not fuel armed conflict, rubies that do not
support governments that abuse human rights. And jewelry that
is inspired by the ocean's beauty, not jewelry that destroys
the very beauty it seeks to celebrate.
For the past eight years the Tiffany Foundation has
supported research focused on coral reef systems. And since
2003, Tiffany & Company has helped protect coral in the most
simple and direct way we knew how: by refusing to sell it in
our stores.
Initially we acted more on faith rather than fact, choosing
to err on the side of caution rather than commerce, when the
survival of something as precious as coral was at stake. And
today, while we remain committed, most retail jewelers, and
certainly most consumers, are still sadly unaware of the global
destruction of coral and their complicity in that destruction.
Congress can, as today's hearing demonstrates, play a vital
role in drawing attention to this unsustainable trade. We are
confident that when given the opportunity to make a responsible
choice, most consumers will do precisely that. But government
must do more to better define the threats to our marine
ecosystems, coral in particular; and in so doing, inform two
key constituencies, constituencies that can make an immediate
impact, consumers and retailers themselves.
Before Tiffany stopped the sale of coral, I could say with
near certainty that few, if any, of our customers understood
the ramifications of their purchase decisions. However, I can
also say with near certainty that once aware, few, if any, of
those customers would knowingly contribute to the destruction.
Similarly, the majority of retailers remain unaware of the
destructive role they play by continuing to sell coral. Many
naively believe that somewhere out there are forums where coral
is grown and harvested, or that it can be simply and benignly
gathered in the wild. Here research that drives understanding
and informed decision-making is critical. Eradicating ignorance
and skepticism, both genuine and willful, is essential if
retailers are to be persuaded to take a stand.
More specifically, we are hopeful that red coral will be
listed under CITES Appendix 2. We urge the adoption of the
Coral Reef Conservation Amendment Act to provide for a study of
the full impact of the trade in coral, as well as improved
monitoring enforcement.
More information is desperately needed. And with that
information, the effort to inform retailers and consumers about
this destructive trade can be greatly strengthened.
We also urge funding of the Deep Sea Coral Research and
Technology program, and the effort to locate coral populations
and develop approaches to their conservation.
In conclusion, I hope the light this hearing can shed on
the many threats to coral will cause both consumers to demand
and retailers to wholeheartedly support a stop to this trade.
As a jeweler, it strikes me that perhaps the greatest tragedy
here is the insignificance of coral for the jewelry industry as
a whole. And unlike gemstones or pearls or precious metals,
which are vitally important to the jewelry industry, but can be
produced responsibly, there is no such benign possibility for
coral jewelry.
To destroy our vital coral resources for something as
insignificant as coral jewelry defies both scientific and
economic logic, and simple common sense. We do believe that
some things are simply too precious to wear. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Kowalski follows:]
Statement of Michael J. Kowalski, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Tiffany & Co.
Since our company's founding in 1837, Tiffany has grown and
prospered based upon one simple idea--the belief that ``good design is
good business.'' Over the past 10 years, we have come to recognize that
there is a vitally important 21st corollary, and that an unequivocal
commitment to sustainability and protecting the natural world is also,
undeniably, good business. There is today an enormous and fast growing
concern among consumers about the impact their consumption decisions
have upon the environment. And just as good design has been at the
heart of the consumer appeal of Tiffany jewelry, so too does our
commitment to sustainability today reflect the evolving desires of
those very same consumers.
I am here today speaking of course as a representative of Tiffany &
Co. But more fundamentally, I am here speaking for our customers:
customers who care deeply about the preservation of the natural world;
customers who instinctively recognize that nature has been Tiffany's
greatest designer and understand the imperative to protect the source
of that inspiration; customers who trust us to make certain that in
creating Tiffany jewelry we do everything possible to leave behind a
world every bit as beautiful and complete as the one we inherited.
So I testify here today not as an executive who cares about the
environment, but rather as an executive who is simply responding to our
customers' expectations. We have no doubt that consumers want jewelry
that is sourced responsibly. Jewelry that contains precious metals that
are mined responsibly; from mines that do not threaten wilderness or
recreational values. Diamonds that do not fuel armed conflict. Rubies
that do not support governments that abuse human rights. And jewelry
that is inspired by the ocean's beauty, not jewelry that destroys the
very beauty it seeks to celebrate.
For the past eight years, the Tiffany Foundation has supported
research focused on coral reef systems. And since 2003, Tiffany & Co.
has helped protect coral in the most simple and direct way we could, by
prohibiting its sale in our stores. To be frank, back then we acted
more on faith than on fact, choosing to err on the side of caution
rather than commerce when the survival of something as precious as
coral was at stake. And today, while we remain committed, most retail
jewelers, and certainly most consumers, are still sadly unaware of the
global destruction of coral, and their complicity in that destruction.
Congress can, as today's hearing demonstrates, play a vital role in
drawing attention to the unsustainable trade in coral. We are confident
that when given the opportunity to make a responsible choice, the
majority of consumers will do precisely that. But government must do
much more to better define the threats to our marine ecosystems, and
coral in particular, and in so doing inform two key decision making
constituencies that can make an immediate impact: consumers and
retailers.
Before Tiffany stopped the sale of coral, I can say with near
certainty that few if any of our customers understood the ramifications
of their purchase decisions. However, I can also say with near
certainty that once aware, few if any customers would knowingly
contribute to the problem.
Similarly, the majority of retailers remain unaware of the
destructive role they play by continuing to sell coral. Many of these
retailers naively believe that somewhere, out there, are farms where
coral is grown and harvested. Or that it can be simply and benignly
gathered in the wild. Here research that drives understanding and
informed decision making is critical. Eradicating ignorance and
skepticism--both genuine and willful--is essential if retailers are to
be persuaded to take a stand.
More specifically, we are hopeful that Red Coral (Corallium), the
most widely traded and valuable species, will be listed under CITES
Appendix II. We urge adoption of the Coral Reef Conservation Amendments
Act to provide for a study of the full impact of the trade in coral
products--economic, social and environmental--as well as improved
monitoring and enforcement. More information is desperately needed, and
with that information the effort to inform retailers and consumers
about this destructive trade can be greatly strengthened. We also urge
funding of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, and the
effort to locate coral populations and develop approaches to their
conservation.
In conclusion, I hope the light this hearing can shed on the many
threats to coral will cause both consumers to demand, and retailers to
wholeheartedly support, a stop to this trade. As a jeweler, it strikes
me that perhaps the greatest tragedy here is the insignificance of
coral for the jewelry industry as a whole. And unlike gemstones,
pearls, or precious metals, which are vitally important to the industry
but can be produced responsibly, there is no such benign possibility
for coral jewelry. To destroy our vital coral resources for something
as insignificant as coral jewelry defies both scientific and economic
logic, and simple common sense. Some things are indeed ``too precious
to wear.''
______
Ms. Bordallo. All right, thank you very much, Mr. Kowalski,
for these important facts. And also to commend your company for
what they are doing to protect the coral reefs.
Mr. Sebunya, you are the final witness to be heard from.
STATEMENT OF KADDU SEBUNYA, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM DESIGN, AFRICAN
WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
Mr. Sebunya. Madame Chairwoman and Members of the
Committee, I am Kaddu Sebunya, Director of Technical Design at
African Wildlife Foundation. Founded in 1961, the African
Wildlife Foundation is the leading African international
conservation organization focused solely on the African
Continent.
I want to thank you for holding this hearing on what we
believe is one of the most important conservation challenges we
face today. That is the connection between conservation of
biodiversity and the economic aspirations of the people. In our
case, Africans.
Our view is that wildlife conservation and development are
interlinked, and that truly sustainable wildlife conservation
must provide for the needs of local people.
The underlying theme for this hearing is on consumer demand
for illegal wildlife in the U.S. But I am going to focus my
statement on the supply side, because in order to address
consumption factor in the U.S., we need to look at the market
elements, as well as the very nature of the resource base, the
supply side.
Wildlife resource at the base is usually a low unit value,
is a common resource freely accessible, is difficult to assess,
and encourages free-rider behavior. In most of Africa, it is
either without any owner, or is state property and separated
from the local community.
Therefore, the bushmeat problem could as well be resulting
from unmanaged common resource being unsustainably tapped
because of inadequate governance and policy frameworks.
Tackling the main direct threats of wildlife conservation
in Africa--that is, habitat loss, sustainable use--and the
underlying drivers of threats--poverty, land ownership, weak
land use planning, weak civil societies--requires the
acknowledgment of the support for the linkages between wildlife
conservation and local development goals and needs. And at the
policy and governance level, many of the underlying causes of
sustainable use of wildlife are the same as those underlying
poverty: weak governance, war, famine, low incomes, savings,
and unfair global terms of trade.
With support from the U.S. Government through USAID, the
U.S. Forest Department, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
we are working on these kinds of issues across Africa.
For example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, our
priority response has been efforts to address local poverty
through strengthening agriculture, and thereby reducing
wildlife product dependence. We are also addressing ownership
and right to uses.
We are engaged in dozens of conservation community
enterprises across Africa that offer alternatives to bushmeat
trade, representing investments of several million dollars
collectively. These projects promote tourism, sustainable
community hunting grounds, fisheries management, livestock and
other sustainable agricultural conservation. These projects
also strengthen local societies and government systems.
In conclusion, Madame Chairwoman, we know Africa's wildlife
and wildlands add much in the world, and are one of the
Continent's most significant sources of future competitive
advantage in the global marketplace. Where wildlife exists, we
should encourage African nations to conserve, expand, and add
varied user resources by positioning themselves as crucial part
of the development and sustainable growth strategies.
We believe in the protection of wildlife in protected
areas, but encourage careful monitoring and sustainable use of
natural resources outside of protected areas. We see the price
for all sustainable use as central to wildlife conservation
efforts.
Madame Chairwoman, the long-term challenge to wildlife
conservation and bushmeat is how to make wildlife a renewable
resource. With a clear economic and development advantage,
conserving and managing it, rather than a resource that is
mined steadily to extinction, and completely prohibited from
sustainable use.
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman and honorable Members.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Sebunya follows:]
Statement of Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya, Director of Program Design,
African Wildlife Foundation
Madame Chairwoman and members of the subcommittee, I am Kaddu Kiwe
Sebunya, Director of Technical Design at African Wildlife Foundation
(AWF).
Founded in 1961, the African Wildlife Foundation is the leading
African and international conservation organization focused solely on
the African continent with a 45-year track record of facilitating
practical, field-based solutions to global and local sustainable
natural resource management and wildlife conservation challenges in
Africa.
I want to thank you for holding this hearing on what African
Wildlife Foundation believes is one of the most important conservation
challenges we face today--the connection between the conservation of
biodiversity and the economic aspirations of the people, in our case
Africans. Our view is that wildlife conservation and development are
inter-linked, and that truly sustainable wildlife conservation must
provide for the needs of local people.
The underlying theme for this hearing is on ``consumer demand of
illegal wildlife in USA,'' but I am going to focus my statement on the
``supply side'' because we have long understood that the illegal
wildlife trade cannot flourish in a vacuum. Before I do that, though, I
want to emphasize that African Wildlife Foundation is actively working
to stop the illegal bushmeat trade, most notably through its support of
USFWS--Bushmeat MENTOR program that is developing a network for
bushmeat information sharing throughout East Africa. We are also deeply
involved in enterprise programs that make harvesting endangered
wildlife a more costly option than conserving it.
To address the consumption factors driving the illegal bushmeat
trade, or the ``supply side,'' we need to look at the market elements
as well as at the very nature of the resource. Wildlife resource at the
base is usually of a low unit value, is a common resource freely
accessible, is difficult to assess, and encourages free-rider behavior.
In most of Africa, it is either without any owner or is state property
and alienated from local communities. Therefore, the bushmeat problem
could as well be resulting from an unmanaged common resource being
unsustainably tapped because of inadequate governance and policy
frameworks.
In Africa, we have long-recognized that the encouragement of
sustainable use, rather than prohibition, is the most practical
umbrella policy with regards to wildlife conservation. Trade bans are a
blunt and limited intervention strategy. Though, that said, where use
for commercial gain is a critical threat for specific species, notably
for elephant and rhino in Africa, global trade restrictions have been a
useful component of wildlife conservation strategies.
Tackling the main direct threats to wildlife conservation in Africa
(habitat loss, unsustainable use) and the underlying drivers of these
threats (poverty, climate change, tenure issues, weak land use
planning, subsidies for agriculture, weak civil society organizations
and governance issues) requires recognition of and support for the
linkages between wildlife conservation and local development goals and
needs. At the policy or governance level, many of the underlying causes
of the unsustainable use of wildlife are the same as those underlying
poverty--weak local governance, war, famine, low incomes and savings,
unfair global terms of trade, etc.
African rural people, moving from a subsistence lifestyle to a cash
economy, have relatively few options; unsustainable or consumptive use
of wildlife resources is often a matter of survival. They often lack
the education and skills to easily find alternative employment and
cannot switch to different livelihoods or food sources.
1. Our program efforts
The long-term challenge to wildlife conservation is how to make
wildlife a ``renewable'' resource, with a clear economic and
development advantages to conserving and managing it, rather than a
resource that is ``mined'' steadily to extinction. To achieve this, all
stakeholders must work together to put in place a complementary suite
of policy, planning and implementation tools, to ensure that
conservation and development linkages are optimized.
One of the issues where the debate about trade instruments has
arisen concerns the harvesting of ``wild meat'' or ``bushmeat''. The
bushmeat trade in West and Central Africa has been a particular focal
point for concern over the past decade, not least because of its
perceived threat to African great apes, namely chimpanzees, bonobos and
gorillas. Research demonstrates that the bushmeat trade does threaten
these species, particularly where hunting is conducted in protected
areas and timber concessions. However, the bulk of bushmeat hunting is
of non-endangered species and is done by very poor people--this
therefore constitutes a clear argument against using any form of
blanket ban on bushmeat harvesting as a conservation mechanism. A
blanket ban is likely to punish the very poor without addressing the
underlying issues that have allowed the bushmeat trade to thrive--that
is, lack of natural resource management planning and the need to give
wildlife conservation in and of itself economic value.
The effectiveness of alternative policy and management options to
extinguish the illegal bushmeat trade continues to be a focal point for
conservation stakeholders across West and Central Africa. African
Wildlife Foundation with support from the U.S. government through
USAID, USFD, and USFWS is working on these issues in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Priority responses include (i) efforts to address
local poverty through strengthening agriculture and thereby reducing
forest product dependency; (ii) efforts to address tenure and rights
issues, firstly through effective local land use planning, and
subsequently through regulation and licensing of local bushmeat trade
and consumption; (iii) pilot projects addressing community forest
management as a means of strengthening forest management overall and
implementing new national forest policy and regulations.
We are engaged in dozens of conservation enterprises with
communities, representing investments of several million dollars
collectively. These trade and investment projects promote conservation
tourism, culture-based tourism, sustainable community hunting grounds,
fisheries management, livestock and other sustainable agriculture
ventures, traditional handicrafts creation and distribution, and non-
timber forest products. These projects also strengthen local civil
societies and governance systems; benefits investment and management,
and address land tenure and gender equity.
Our enterprise programs are a key intervention strategy in support
of sustainable wildlife use. Enabling communities to participate, and
often own, commercially successful businesses with clear conservation
logic is a strategy that warrants further support. For example with
support from the U.S. Government and private individuals, African
Wildlife Foundation has recently facilitated new community-owned luxury
gorilla tourism facilities in Uganda and Rwanda, enabled the resumption
of river trade in agricultural commodities in Democratic Republic of
Congo, and created an innovative revolving debt facility for livestock
value enhancement in pastoralist areas of northern Kenya. These
programs address many rural communities' simple but highly
consequential dilemma: finding a creative way to benefit from the
presence of wildlife. Our conservation enterprise strategy strives to
help communities and governments undertake business ventures that
support both livelihoods and wildlife conservation.
2. Our efforts in USA
While we do not have field programs in USA, we place a high
priority on partnerships as a means of delivering wildlife conservation
and thereby bridging policy stances in the U.S. and Africa.
African Wildlife Foundation is currently supporting the USFWS--
Bushmeat MENTOR program that is developing a network for bushmeat
information sharing throughout East Africa, which will be enormously
helpful in gathering together scattered information on wildlife
populations, threats and solutions to the bushmeat crisis. There has
been a high level of commitment and investment in the training and
support of the eight African fellows. Our technical staff has been
involved in training the fellows, from leading sessions on programming
conservation and development, to conceptual modeling, management and
monitoring programs.
In collaboration with U.S. Department of the Interior, we have
supported national parks and other protected-area authorities in
Tanzania, to improve conservation management (including planning, law
enforcement, and monitoring trans-boundary cooperation). Partnering
with the U.S. Forestry Department, we support Democratic Republic of
Congo government and individual landowners and communities to make land
use plans in order to secure wildlife movement corridors, habitat
linkages, dry season refuges, wildlife dispersal areas, plus
enterprises development--critical alternatives to the bushmeat trade.
Through our membership with the U.S. based Bushmeat Crisis Task
Force we have learned from their research that U.S. government agencies
have a difficult time in addressing bushmeat that enters the U.S. every
month. While there are laws that address wildlife importation and laws
that address meat import, there is only one law that specifically
mentions bushmeat, and that law targets live African rodents and
primates, not dead ones smoked for their meat. Another challenge is the
overlapping jurisdictions by numerous U.S. government agencies having
shared authority over bushmeat shipped in commercial containers. In
addition, the U.S. government does not have a bushmeat information
management and analysis system that could provide central location for
storing and retrieving information for coordinating its efforts to
address the bushmeat problem within U.S. borders.
USA should focus not only on the illegal bushmeat trade but also on
the risk of the introduction of emerging infectious diseases through
bushmeat--Monkeypox, SARS, Ebola, etc. We do not know much about the
disease incidence for different species or bushmeat preparations
(smoked, fresh, etc.) because in the U.S. confiscated bushmeat is
routinely destroyed rather than tested for disease or contaminants.
There is a great need for additional resources not only to detect
illegal bushmeat but also to test it so that the government can more
strategically address the risks involved and share their findings with
African governments and institutions.
3. Conclusion
Africa's wildlife and wild lands are unmatched in the world and are
one of the continent's most significant sources of future ``competitive
advantages'' in the global marketplace. Where wildlife exists, African
Wildlife Foundation encourages African nations to conserve, expand and
add value to those resources and to position them as a critical part of
development and growth strategies for the future of the continent,
reflected in national strategies for poverty alleviation and for the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
African Wildlife Foundation believes in the protection of resources
within formally designated national parks, but encourages carefully
monitored and sustainable use of natural resources outside these more
restricted areas to ensure that human needs and aspirations are
satisfied while maintaining ecosystem viability. Understanding that
ecosystem function and biodiversity resources cannot be conserved
through protected area systems alone, but requires sustainable
management at scale, we see the principle of sustainable use as central
to conservation efforts.
African Wildlife Foundation respects the principle that the owners
and users of land and wildlife resources must be given the primary
stake in their management and in the benefits generated. African
Wildlife Foundation supports strong, secure, tenure arrangements for
local communities living with wildlife on their land, and effective
national policy and legal frameworks that protect tenure and rights.
African Wildlife Foundation has a particular interest in developing and
applying models that give local communities a large and defining
financial stake in the resources they conserve and in promoting public
and private investments in enabling and replicating these models.
The challenge has been to encourage appropriate and sustainable
development opportunities throughout the communities living in
scientifically identified wildlife landscapes, to ensure that they have
the opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty without
jeopardizing conservation goals. In African Wildlife Foundation's view,
it is both practical and important that wildlife conservation work
maintains a focus on improving livelihoods, and we aim to do this while
maintaining close monitoring of resulting benefits and costs to the
environment.
African Wildlife foundation firmly believes that Africans are ideal
stewards of Africa's natural resources. To that end, we invest heavily
in the training and education of Africans to help them take the lead in
managing and benefiting from their own natural heritage.
______
Ms. Bordallo. Thank you very much, Mr. Sebunya, for your
very informative testimony.
And now we will have questions to the witnesses. I would
like to begin first with Mr. Perez, Fish and Wildlife.
I would like to talk a little bit more about your buyer-
beware program. How much funding did the Fish and Wildlife
Service receive for the buyer-beware brochures?
Mr. Perez. Madame Chairwoman, I don't have the exact figure
to the extent that we collaborated with World Wildlife and
TRAFFIC USA. I expect--excuse me?
Ms. Bordallo. Do any of your, do you have some members of
the Department with you that could answer that?
Mr. Perez. No, ma'am. That is an amount that we will have
to get with you. But ultimately, the way the cooperative effort
went forth is really just sharing the information, and sharing
ultimately what was, what was probably provided--and I can say
that because we have had these collaborative efforts before--is
that the printing is typically--yes, that is correct, those
items there--is picked up by World Wildlife Fund.
And I would ask Mr. Allan if he can elaborate perhaps on
their contribution.
Ms. Bordallo. All right. I am going to----
Mr. Perez. And I will be happy to get the dollar figures
for you.
Ms. Bordallo. I am going to get to Mr. Allan, but, further
on this. How many of the brochures does the Fish and Wildlife
print annually?
Mr. Perez. I believe the printing is done by the World
Wildlife Fund, in coordination with them. There is----
Ms. Bordallo. Well then, I had better get with Mr. Allan,
then. Does anybody know the answer to that? Yes, Mr. Allan?
Mr. Allan. Thank you, Madame Chairwoman. I believe the last
print run of just the leaflet that you have in your hand there
with the toucan on the front was around 30,000 leaflets. Those
were distributed and used very rapidly. There is a need for
more of these materials, absolutely.
Ms. Bordallo. What was the funding amount on this?
Mr. Allan. The funding for the print runs of just leaflets
in themselves is relatively small. I mean, it is less than
probably $10,000. But that really isn't enough. We are only
scratching the surface with such a small number of leaflets.
And a more broad campaign would be appropriate if funding were
available, such as displays within airports and ports, posters,
web-based materials as well, that were much more perhaps
interactive and engaging. Those things cost a lot more, but
they would be far more wide-reaching and more effective in
getting the message across.
Ms. Bordallo. The next question then is along the same
line. With 8.5 million people leaving on cruises from U.S.
ports annually, and even more traveling abroad on planes, is
that a sufficient number? You said it wasn't sufficient, and
where else are these distributed?
Mr. Allan. No, that absolutely isn't a sufficient number,
and we really do need more. And they should----
Ms. Bordallo. Where do you distribute these?
Mr. Allan. These are distributed through ports and
airports, and throughout the U.S.
Ms. Bordallo. Schools?
Mr. Allan. Not so much schools, no. It is mainly for
travelers, so they are aware of what they are to avoid buying
when they are traveling. But there is much more of a need for a
broader program.
The school's sort of engagement happens much more through
Suitcase for Survival, which goes to zoos and other
institutions. And it is more of an educational pack. There is
an educational tool kit as well that World Wildlife Fund
produces that is aimed much more at schools.
Ms. Bordallo. I guess what we are looking at here is more
funds, right? To be able to provide and print more of these
brochures.
You have no idea, Mr. Perez, what money the budget is for
this at the present time?
Mr. Perez. I can get that number to the extent that we
committed funds to have that printed. But I would say, Madame
Chairwoman, that ultimately I would expect that the bulk of the
printing and the actual costs, other than in-kind support from
our office, is probably borne by TRAFFIC.
Ms. Bordallo. Back to Mr. Allan now. You said that the
campaign could be modernized. Could you explain what you mean
by that?
Mr. Allan. Thank you, Madame Chairwoman. Yes, I think that
there probably is a need to go beyond just the casual leaflet,
that the people don't necessarily have the time to look at when
they are in a rush to get on a plane or onto a cruise ship. I
think there are other ways that we can do this.
And if you look at the other leaflet you may have there
called the Caribbean Buyer Beware, that actually was perhaps a
little book that was more proactive, in that once you disembark
in a port in the Caribbean, you actually see those posters and
leaflets available once you are there, when you have much more
leisure time to peruse. And those are also held in things like
local museums and other places in those countries.
So there is sort of a two-pronged approach here of getting
the information out, not just within the U.S., but also in the,
if you are talking about tourists, within those key tourist
areas abroad, where U.S. tourists particularly frequent.
So for example, in the Dominican Republic, in the example I
talked about earlier with the real major problem of hawksbill
turtle shell being very widely available. There is a move to
try and develop some initiatives with the Dominican Republic
Government and organizations like the U.S. State Department and
NOAA are also working with us, looking at how we can raise
awareness in those ports. So that when the cruise ship
passengers actually disembark, they are actually made aware
very clearly, both on the cruise ships and when they are in the
ports, about what the problems are of buying those products.
Ms. Bordallo. Well, all of these ideas are good. But I do
think that, you know, we have to put more funding into this. We
have to get this information out. I think Mr. Kowalski
mentioned the fact that a lot of this is just people are naive;
they don't know about it. They are not told. And I think if
they are, and more information is put out there, that we would
have less of a problem.
I wanted to ask you, Mr. Perez or Mr. Allan, can you talk a
little more about the Suitcase for Survival? I see all the
items here. But you know, a lot of this doesn't pertain to the
territories. We have other things, like sea turtles,
tortoiseshell, all of these. Would you have some kind of a
survival kit just designed for the territories? I mean, we
don't see lions and leopards and things like that. So I am just
wondering, is there something specifically for, I think you
mentioned the Caribbean? Somebody mentioned that in your
statement.
Mr. Perez. I will be happy to elaborate a bit more.
Suitcase for Survival has been one of our, one of our really
significant efforts that we try to utilize. We have a warehouse
in Commerce City, Colorado, that is full of much more than the
kind of items you are seeing in front of you, including the
types of items that are found out in the Pacific Rim.
To the extent that the Suitcase for Survival has a pretty
significant training curriculum that is actually put together
in concert with supporting organizations, plus the Fish and
Wildlife Service, to be accurate in the instruction of the
course, the items themselves are basically treated on a case-
by-case basis for a single schoolteacher from a particular
independent school district, or a school district anywhere, be
that in Guam or in Los Angeles, can actually kind of give us
information to the extent that they want to focus on a
particular type of species.
So we don't, we wouldn't necessarily send something that is
a spotted cat to a place that they really have no interest in
wanting to focus on that. But while we have some items that are
common to the Suitcase for Survival, it is basically a bundling
of a lot of these types of things.
We have the flexibility on the individual request to do
exactly what you are saying. It is focus on the species that
are more prevalent in the area, or more problematic.
Ms. Bordallo. My next question is, are you aware, has
anything ever been sent to Guam or American Samoa or Virgin
Islands?
Mr. Perez. To the extent that I have a specific private-
sector request, I am not sure. But our office in Guam, and I
can get that, certainly get that answer, because we catalog
every suitcase that we sent out and where it goes. We have that
data available. I don't have it with me, but we do provide this
material in the suitcase, and information to all our offices
that are there.
So our Wildlife Inspection Office in Guam would have one if
somebody locally wanted to borrow that.
Ms. Bordallo. Well, I wish to make a request: To see that
this is sent immediately to Guam, and certainly the brochures
and anything else, any information.
Now, I do know that tortoiseshell jewelry, sea turtles,
these are on the endangered list and illegal. But I haven't
heard much else. And I think that we have to begin with the
schools, and of course anybody else. So I can hope that you
will contact my office here in D.C., and we will be able to
send one of these survival kits to--and not just Guam. I am
speaking on behalf of all the territories. I kind of have a
feeling that maybe this hasn't been done. So hopefully we will
get that accomplished.
My next question is for Mr. Allan. You are on the hot seat
today, Mr. Allan. Are you aware of any research on the
effectiveness of different educational messages in curbing the
demand for wildlife products?
For example, is it more effective to teach the public about
the regulations guiding the trade, the penalties they could
face if they participate in the trade, or the dangers the trade
poses to threatened wildlife species?
Mr. Allan. Thank you, it is a pleasure to be in the hot
seat.
I just would like to say that there has been a number of
initiatives aimed at looking at consumers, in terms of
educating consumers, particularly in traditional Chinese
medicine. And those have happened in traditional Chinese
medicine communities around the world, including analyses that
happened in some of the major communities within the U.S. And
those analyses have been very effective in targeting the right
messaging to the consumers to dissuade them from using
endangered species within traditional Chinese medicine. Those
messages have now to target really what makes people buy those
endangered species.
And really, it was working with the industry itself that
added the most weight to that, by getting the experts in
traditional Chinese medicine to actually put out the message
that you don't need to use endangered species.
So within trade there is a number of elements. And
obviously we have an amazing advocate here for protecting
corals from Tiffany's as well, Mr. Kowalski. So through the
trade, there is a very strong message that can be given out.
Through schools and education of others, I think that is
obviously critically important to get people while they are
young, and to build up an ethic within those people about the
need to protect endangered species, and our environment
generally. And I am happy to say that I think a lot of
initiatives nowadays are really focusing in on the environment.
In terms of doing analysis on that, we have not in recent
years done analysis on the effectiveness of educational
programs on schoolchildren. However, I do think there are a
number of ways that we could really be a bit more
technologically savvy in terms of outreach to others like that,
through, you know, doing things like podcasts, so people can
download them for their iPods, and getting movies on websites,
and interactive features in games. Some of those things are
happening.
Our colleague from WildAid featured a number of really
great stuff that they are doing in terms of the visual and the
video media. He may be able to add something to that. But I
have not been involved, TRAFFIC has not been involved with
currently looking at educating schoolchildren, no.
Ms. Bordallo. Would any of the other witnesses like to add
to that?
Mr. Bigue. Just to add a bit. Essentially what we have seen
as the primary medium, you know, we have taken a page off what
our corporations use, in terms of using celebrities and star
power to influence people to purchase things. So what we try to
do is use that star power to dissuade people from purchasing
different products.
And we have had surveys carried out in Hong Kong, Taiwan,
and Thailand. And we have seen that consumption has been
reduced. The problem is that these evaluation studies are so
expensive, that it is just beyond our budget capacity.
Ms. Bordallo. And yes, Mr. Kowalski.
Mr. Kowalski. And I think, you know, I would emphasize, as
I tried to do in my remarks, the power of retailers, the power
of wholesalers, the power of intermediaries to assume for
issues of sustainability, the same role that we assume across
the spectrum of efforts to market to consumers.
You know, we present jewelry to consumers, and we make the
proposition please buy it because we believe it is beautiful.
We also say please buy it because we believe it is sustainable,
or it is not threatened.
I think sometimes consumer education is a very, very
difficult task. And I think there is a latent resource here.
Retailers, in a vast majority of cases, want to anticipate
consumers' needs. They want to be on the forefront, and they
would like to see threats on the horizon.
So I think to the extent that we are, of course, dealing
with limited resources, to the extent efforts can be focused
against the retail industry that cares, who is in fact in the
business of anticipating consumer needs, that may be a more
efficient way that we haven't sufficiently taken advantage of.
That would be my jewelry experience, and I know that is very
limited.
Ms. Bordallo. Very good. And I applaud your company again
for----
Mr. Kowalski. Thank you.
Ms. Bordallo.--the work they are doing in this effort.
Mr. Sebunya, do you have a comment?
Mr. Sebunya. I will just add to that. Again, bring the
stories from the source of these products. Going out then, the
program we are involved in with the Fisheries Service in East
Africa, where we are researching and assisting the impact of
this trade to the local communities. And taking those stories
and bringing them here to the consumers I think brings the
emotions and attachments, and the reality of the impacts to
this trade, not only to the wildlife, but also to the
beneficial result of the resources in the consumer base.
Ms. Bordallo. I thank you very much for your comments. Now
I have a couple of questions for Mr. Bigue. And I would like to
excuse our Ranking Member; he went down on the Floor to do a
one-minute on energy. So hopefully he will be back.
Mr. Bigue, why do you think actors, production companies,
and stations are so willing to participate in WildAid's
campaign? And what amount of funding do you think would be
needed to make an impact in the United States?
Mr. Bigue. Thank you, Madame Chairwoman. I would say that
they participate in the campaigns because they basically
believe in the cause. And I believe once you get a few key
people on board, like Jackie Chan or Yao Ming, it is much
easier to recruit more celebrities. And at this point in time
we have over 80 wildlife Ambassadors at this point in time.
With respect to your, the second part of your question, in
terms of the costs of the campaign, correct?
Ms. Bordallo. Funding, what amount of funding do you think
would be needed.
Mr. Bigue. What we estimate is roughly about $3 million.
Because we are able to leverage the media and get pro-bono
productions done, it essentially lowers the cost quite a bit.
So we think we can confidently, you know, put together a large
national campaign for about $3 million.
Ms. Bordallo. And all your funding comes from private
contributions, is that correct?
Mr. Bigue. Foundations and individuals.
Ms. Bordallo. Foundations, grants.
Mr. Bigue. And some U.S. Government. We have received a
couple----
Ms. Bordallo. Oh, you do have some.
Mr. Bigue. We have received two grants from the State
Department, one for filming a PSA with Harrison Ford, and then
we just recently received another grant to film a PSA with Jane
Goodall. And that is just, that is actually going to be filmed
in New York this Friday.
Ms. Bordallo. Oh, very good. What locations or places would
be the most effective to place public service announcements, in
your opinion?
Mr. Bigue. Well, besides television, that works? It would
be international airports. Because there are your key
travelers, the people who have discretional income. That is
your, that is our key target. That is where we focused our
campaigns in Asia, specifically in China, and we think that
would definitely be the point, the focal point as well in the
United States.
Ms. Bordallo. All right. Mr. Kowalski, I have a few for
you. You mentioned the power that you have as a retailer to
control consumer demand. In your testimony you mentioned that
you think most retail jewelers and most consumers are sadly
unaware of the global destruction of coral, and their
complicity in that destruction.
Do you think other jewelers would follow your approach if
they were aware? And if so, do you have ideas about how that
awareness could be increased?
Mr. Kowalski. Absolutely. I think part of the issue, of
course, is clarity and credibility. Jewelers, as you obviously
would know, are not naturalists. And when the debate becomes
complex, I think there is a reluctance to take risks. And given
the lack of clarity around certain of these issues, I think
there is a natural conservatism and reluctance to act.
However, I think with the leadership of a few people in the
industry and the support of industry organizations like the
Jewelers of America, which has a very active ethical
initiatives committee, I do believe that, that jewelers are
willing to act. And quite frankly, I am hoping that the
reporting and the news surrounding this hearing will help those
of us in the industry who are trying to get the rest of our
fellow retailers to act, will be strengthened. So that this is
a source of, I think just doing what we are doing here today
will provide a great impetus.
Ms. Bordallo. Has Tiffany ever gone beyond their own retail
stores to try and engage other jewelers or other----
Mr. Kowalski. Yes, we have. We have tried to use the power
of leadership. Obviously we are not a large company, but we are
modestly a legendary company, and we certainly try to use the
power of the brand to encourage others to follow our lead in
certain areas, like our decision not to sell rubies many, many
years ago. Our efforts on behalf of U.S. mining reform.
And again, I think there is, with appropriate
understanding, a great willingness on the part of retailers
trying to understand and correctly anticipate the needs of
their customers, that supporting these efforts makes long-term
business sense. And I think that is the key argument that we
have made, that this makes--it is not about doing good, it is
not about being an environmentalist; it is about satisfying
your customers' needs. And that makes good strategic business
sense.
Ms. Bordallo. You also mentioned that few customers
understand or understood the ramifications of their purchase
decisions, but that once aware, few would knowingly contribute
to the problem. I think you have captured the problem with not
just coral, but the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade
generally.
Beyond your decision to stop selling jewelry with coral,
how does Tiffany support public education about the need for
coral reef conservation?
Mr. Kowalski. Most of that effort would, would be the work
conducted by the Tiffany Foundation. The Tiffany Foundation is
supporting the Too Precious to Wear campaign, which is an
effort led to----
Ms. Bordallo. Too Precious to Wear?
Mr. Kowalski. Too Precious to Wear, excuse me, Too Precious
to Wear.
Ms. Bordallo. It is a good motto.
Mr. Kowalski. Yes, indeed, it is. And that, quite frankly,
is directed at fashion leadership in the United States, the
belief that fashion editors and other strong influencers can be
made to understand the threats that we are talking about here
today. That they will do their part in leading public opinion.
And then there are several other organizations within the
foundation.
I should point out obviously the Tiffany Foundation is
separate and apart from Tiffany & Company. So those decisions
are made in----
Ms. Bordallo. We figured that. Coming from the private
sector, do you think there are things the government could do
in partnership with private industry to further this effort? I
mean, what could we do at this point in time?
Mr. Kowalski. You know, I think certainly all the efforts
that have been spoken about today in terms of public education
are critical. I would simply suggest or submit, as I mentioned
a while ago, Madame Chairwoman, that if we focused some of that
effort against retailers themselves, against a more limited
audience that in fact is in the position to make critical
decisions on behalf of their customers or on behalf of their
constituents, that that might simply offer a more cost-
effective approach, rather than the daunting task of public
education, especially across such a wide range of threats that
we are asking consumers to be aware, we ask a lot of consumers
in terms of being aware of a variety of things.
And I think it is the role of the retailer to act as a
filter, and to help suggest to the consumer, to the customer,
we really think this is important and we will act accordingly
on your behalf.
Ms. Bordallo. Very good. I appreciate your support for the
Coral Reef Conservation Act amendments that passed the House.
And you know that it is pending in the Senate.
As you mentioned, the bill provides for a study of the
impact of the trade in coral and improved monitoring and
enforcement. How do you think this information could be used to
better inform--well, I guess you did answer that--consumers and
retailers, pretty much?
Mr. Kowalski. Yes. And again, I would put an emphasis on
using that information on a personal level. On an industry
level, we would use that to inform retailers. And I think that
would be a very effective use of that information.
Ms. Bordallo. OK. And I have a question here for Mr.
Sebunya.
Would ending the demand for bushmeat in the United States
through consumer education alleviate the pressure on
biodiversity levels in East Africa?
Mr. Sebunya. Thank you. It would, definitely. But I think
there is more to that, though. I think the biggest problem from
the Africa side is the management of this wildlife, more than
even the consumption, because of the health problems associated
with that.
So I would like to see the ban of bushmeat trade in the
U.S. But I would also like to see encouraged the investigation
of the health aspect of that. And also supporting governments
in Africa in channeling that information to the people involved
in that trade, but also supporting us to offer alternatives to
the people who are benefitting from this trade. Not necessarily
so in the consumption side, but offering alternative for their
incomes, and while supporting the management of the productive
areas. Those are, I believe, the key issues.
But the direct access, yes, that would be a big part of the
support.
Ms. Bordallo. Another question I have. You mentioned your
organization's support for locally owned tourism facilities in
Africa aimed at facilitating sustainable wildlife use.
Do you find it worthwhile to educate tourists and the
communities you work in on the importance of conservation to
maintain that tourist industry?
Mr. Sebunya. Yes, Madame Chair. A big part of our program
is products we produce, is ecotourism products, which a big
part of that is education of the tourists, on the behaviors,
their behaviors while they are on these sites. But also it
involves what they purchase at site. It also involves the
cultural aspect of that.
But also they come back with a package of information they
share back home here. But also in that regard, we partner with
the national zoos in the U.S. to educate people, not only
tourists, but educate the schools who come through about the
tourist products. We offer balance of the behaviors of tourists
outside, and their footprints as far as wildlife is concerned.
Ms. Bordallo. Thank you, thank you very much. Back to Mr.
Perez.
In your written testimony you mentioned working with the
Federal Express and the United Parcel Service to improve
compliance with wildlife trade laws. After your work with those
companies, how are they improving their efforts at monitoring
the malls and other, or the mail and other shipments?
Mr. Perez. The most significant thing that we have done
with the two parcel-post hubs of the U.S., one of them is a
major port for UPS and also for FedEx, is actually we have
staff there. So the biggest contribution they have made is to
actually accommodate staff, our staff. Our wildlife inspectors
in fact are stationed and assigned in working with them.
And to the extent that we have full access to just about
everything that comes through their facilities, that is the
most significant thing that they have done. They have opened
their doors, and we actually have staff that are working there,
with office space that is provided by them, also.
Ms. Bordallo. All right. Would any of the witnesses like to
make any concluding comments on this very important issue
before we adjourn?
[No response.]
Ms. Bordallo. I guess we have asked them all. I want to
thank all of the witnesses for their participation in the
hearing today. And Members of the Subcommittee may have some
additional questions for the witnesses. I am sure--Mr. Brown
was not able to get back with us, but I am sure he does have
some questions.
We will ask you to respond to these in writing, if you
should receive any questions. And the hearing record will be
held open for 10 days for these responses.
If there is no further business before the Subcommittee,
the Chairwoman again thanks the Members of the Subcommittee,
and particularly our very excellent group of witnesses this
morning for their testimony.
The Subcommittee now stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:10 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]