By Saumya Verma, IBC Professional at Manupatra & Ex-Law Officer Canara Bank.
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Image Courtesy: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) |
Poaching and smuggling of body parts of wildlife is an environmental offence. If this is not stopped, the wildlife species will get endangered and ultimately extinct. Tiger is one of the best examples, which shows how poaching of tigers has resulted in the endangerment of Asiatic species and led towards their extinction. The present article deals with defining poaching of wildlife, especially tigers, poaching stats, the international convention for safeguarding wild fauna against poaching, the impact of poaching and the way forward.
Ecosystems and biodiversity are not only threatened by deforestation and pollution but from the illegal trade of wildlife also. Wildlife hunting and poaching is an environmental offence. Just like humans, drugs and arms, the tigers are also trafficked. According to the wildlife trade monitoring network the trafficking of wild animals like tigers run the business of dollars. As wildlife is getting hunted and poached to run dollars of business in the world, it is increasing the endangerment of wildlife species, which in turn is proving to be detrimental to the environment and ecological balance. Asia is known for its rich fauna. “The Golden Triangle” is a location in South East Asia which involves countries like Thailand, Myanmar, PDR and China to make illegal trade of animals. It has been observed that the world tiger population has degraded and has now reduced to half (Morgan et.al, 2021). A seizure of 2,359 tiger parts worldwide between 2000 and 2018 has been reported. Among all, China has been reported to be the largest consumer of endangered tiger body parts and bye products.
It has been reported that a more significant amount of Chinese traditional medicines is dependent on the tiger’s body parts. Tiger teeth, claws and skin are widely used as a part of fashion and fads, home decor and jewellery. Tiger body is also used in making cosmetics. Tiger skins have a solid value and long history in traditional Buddhist monasteries, they use the tiger's vital parts as a good luck charm and as medicine. Nowadays contemporary Asian celebrities who have worn the skins are also using tiger skins and the tooth to set a fashion trend and treat it as provocative status symbols.
According to reports, tigers are being bred in captivity in China to meet the people’s demands. The smuggling of tiger parts is causing great concern among policymakers and administrators as to how to stop the continuance of it and save the endangered tiger species. It is not only the exploitation of the tiger species, but it threatens the survival of other animal species too.
In India, due to its porous borders and its being insufficiently staffed, poaching activities are frequently observed. In 2003, the Environmental Investigation Agency reported that a consignment containing tiger skin and leopard skin was intercepted at the Indo-Tibetan border. In Kanpur in the year 2004, reports were of seizure of 456 leopard and tiger claws and so on.
The illegal wildlife trade has been prohibited under international conventions e.g., the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which provides the legal basis for parties to the convention to regulate the trade of wild animals. It is required that the international community should have a universally accepted definition of illegal wildlife trade and interpretation to address the illegal wildlife trade more effectively.
Wildlife poaching has grave repercussions as it negatively affects the ecosystems, health and prosperity of indigenous communities. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the effects of poaching can be devastating and pervasive, as cited in the outbreak of SARS in Hongkong which was spread due to the consumption of poached meat available in black markets. It is important to note that the explosion of deadly diseases like Ebola in Africa was due to poaching and the consumption of primates. Monkeypox, Heartwater disease and the NIPAH virus are the other diseases/pathogens which were caused due to poached meat.
In economic terms, the endangerment and extinction due to poaching can have consequences in low business through tourism. If Africa loses its iconic species, it will lead to substantial financial loss to African Tourism which is currently serving around 8 million people. As far as ecosystem and biodiversity is concerned, it would affect the delicate balance between different types of fauna and their local habitat. For instance, in Mozambique, poaching has led to the extinction of wild rhinoceros. According to most reports, the number of wild rhinos left in Africa hovers around 22-25,000 –a reduction of around 97% over the last century. Tiger is considered to be keystone species which if becomes extinct due to poaching and hunting then the whole ecological system will collapse.
Awareness about the current topic is critical if we want to stop poaching, it is the right of the animals to live free in their natural habitats. In Asia, there are still millions of illiterate people who don’t understand what would be the consequences of hunting and black-marketing wildlife body parts. It is important for people to come together and get involved to know about wildlife protection laws, be alert about the commission of wildlife offences and report the same to the public authorities. The mythological and mystical significance of the therapeutic usage of tigers’ body parts and other animals’ body parts has remained one of the reasons why illiterate people go hunting and poaching. However, at this juncture, what is most important for people to be aware of is the ecological equilibrium which is the wild animals which are killed and hunted downplay a pivotal role in maintaining a balance of nature.
Nations need to aggravate the punishments for the poaching and smuggling of wildlife body parts for illegal gains so that there is deterrence among people. In that way, people will think twice before committing the offence of poaching. Another one is the anti-corruption measures which need to be taken to make people hesitant to take bribes for allowing poaching incidents. For instance, in the Blackbuck poaching case, the defendant was convicted under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. We require more such rulings to deter people from wildlife hunting and smuggling in their parts. The judicial system needs to be fortified to be able to give verdicts which could play a deterrent for the individuals and groups which are indulged in this grievous crime.
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