ISLAMABAD: Smuggling of wildlife, particularly of turtles and tortoises, has escalated significantly in recent years and is “a matter of grave concern” for the government.

“It might seem a soft crime but its financial and environmental implications are huge,” Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan told a meeting of the Wild Flora and Fauna Management Authority on Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) here on Wednesday.

While the smugglers’ prime motive is economic, ranging from small scale local income generation to major profit-oriented businesses such as marine fisheries and logging, he stressed that “saving and protecting wildlife species, mainly turtles, is imperative for avoiding imbalance in the ecosystems.”

Turtles live in water all the time and tortoises spend most of their time on land.

Senator Mushahidullah asked provincial wildlife officials to control smuggling of wildlife species, particularly the endangered ones, by effectively applying the relevant laws.

Minister says it harms economy and climate

“There is a dire need to create awareness of the species’ importance, and to revise fines upwards and to make more stringent laws to discourage smuggling of turtles,” he said.

Some 12 agenda items were discussed at the meeting, including progress on drafting of rules for the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Act (TCWFF) 2012, listing of new species for CITES, ban on the export of parrots/parakeets, reptiles and mammals; community-based trophy hunting; a review of wildlife import and export fee schedule and registration free for wildlife traders and trophy hunting outfitters, import of big cats by private sector, smuggling of freshwater turtles and other species from Pakistan and efforts of Sindh wildlife department and others to stop it.

But draft rules for the TCWFF Act 2012, prepared by the International Union for Conservation Network-Pakistan, was the priority agenda item at the meeting.

Sindh wildlife conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar noted that the uniformity in the forest laws of all the provinces does not exist in their wildlife laws and said same uniformity is needed for effective coordination in checking the wildlife smuggling.

His suggestion was welcomed and the climate ministry’s secretary Arif Ahmed Khan agreed to call a joint meeting of the provinces for the purpose.

Any sale or exchange of wild animal and plant resources by people amounts to trading in wildlife, according to Inspector General of Forest Syed Mahmood Nasir in the ministry.

“This can involve live animals and plants or a diverse range of products needed or prized by humans, including skins, medicinal ingredients, timber, fish and other food products. Most wildlife trade is probably within national borders, but there is a large volume of wildlife in trade internationally,” he told the meeting.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2015

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