Pangolin trafficking: Nigeria's illegal trade

Date:
November 4, 2021
Source:
University of Cambridge
Summary:
With Asian species dangerously depleted, global black markets have
turned to Africa, and Nigeria has become the continent's pangolin
trafficking 'hub'. Just Nigeria-linked pangolin seizures in the
last decade alone amount to at least 800,000 -- but possibly close
to a million -- animals, according to a new study. The findings
suggest that current global estimates for pangolin trafficking
are far too small, say researchers.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Since the first reported pangolin seizure in Nigeria in 2010, the country
has seen an explosion in the black market for the world's most trafficked mammal - - becoming Africa's hub for the criminal export of pangolin
products to East Asia.


==========================================================================
Use of pangolin scales in traditional Chinese medicines has resulted in
Asian species declining dramatically this century.

Now, a team of conservationists led by the University of Cambridge has
produced the first data-driven study quantifying Nigeria-linked seizures
of pangolin product, in order to gauge the size of this illicit trade.

Just those shipments intercepted and reported by authorities between 2010
and September 2021 amounted to 190,407 kilos of pangolin scales taken from
at least 799,343 but potentially up to almost a million dead creatures.

This figure is close to recent estimates for the entire global pangolin
trade since 2000 -- suggesting levels of trafficking are far greater
than previously thought.

Some seizures occurred in ports such as Hong Kong after leaving African
shores.

Researchers traced cargo from countries such as Cameroon and Gabon that
was destined for Asian nations including China and Cambodia -- sometimes travelling via France and Holland. All had been funnelled through Nigeria.



==========================================================================
Of the 77 seizures analysed in the new study, 26 were uncovered alongside thousands of kilos of ivory -- indicating that organised networks of
pangolin traffickers are piggybacking on long-established ivory-smuggling connections.

Despite recent improvements and some dedicated officers,
overall enforcement in Nigeria is lax and corruption endemic, say
researchers. Total prosecutions for pangolin trafficking in Nigeria
amount to just four -- all in the last year.

As such, seized shipments are likely to represent a small fraction of
the pangolin product now moved through Nigeria. The study, published in Biological Conservation, cites experts suggesting that detected wildlife seizures are anywhere from 30% to just 2% of the overall illegal trade.

"The figures in our research suggest there has been a gross
underestimation of the scale of pangolin trafficking in Nigeria and indeed Africa as a whole, which could translate into mismatched anti-trafficking policies," said lead researcher Charles Emogor from Cambridge's Department
of Zoology.

As well as a false belief in the curative power of their scales, eating pangolin meat is considered a status symbol in parts of Asia. Pangolin
bodies are illegally traded at markets across China, and some studies
have implicated sale of the animal's meat in the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.



==========================================================================
All eight pangolin species -- four African, four Asian -- are listed as threatened, with three now considered critically endangered. Researchers randomly sampled dozens of sacks impounded by customs, and estimate
that some 90% of the scales involved in Nigeria-linked trade are from white-bellied pangolins.

Among the more common African species, although still classed as
vulnerable by conservation agencies, white-bellied pangolins are
traditionally hunted and sold in local markets. Researchers now fear that international trafficking is driving the butchery of African pangolins
to dangerous new heights.

"The levels of extraction hinted at by the hundreds of thousands of
animals in seized shipments alone suggest that expanding trafficking
networks driven by demand from Asia could ultimately jeopardise the
survival of some African pangolin species," said Emogor, who is also a
Wildlife Conservation Society fellow.

Nigeria is signed up to various agreements that prohibit the hunting and commercial trade of pangolins, yet it has been involved in more reported trafficking incidents than any other African country.

Emogor and colleagues combed through the records of several domestic and international agencies as well as conducting interviews with Nigerian
customs and intelligence officers working to try and curb wildlife
trafficking.

The average mass of reported Nigeria-linked seizures increased steadily
from 2010 before jumping sharply around 2017, when Nigeria secured
its place as the nucleus of Africa's pangolin trade, according to
researchers. While the country initially acted as a conduit, by 2019
almost all shipments originated in Nigeria.

Pangolin cargo was trafficked via land and air, but the majority --
some 65% of all scales -- was shipped by sea, with maritime smuggling increasing over the years. Some seizures occurred in warehouses where
mode of transport and destination were unknown, but all those taken in
transit were likely bound for Asia.

The highest quantity of scales destined for any country or territory
was Vietnam (over 64 kg), followed by China (over 48 kg) and Hong Kong
(over 21 kg).

Two shipments uncovered this year had claws separated out from scales, suggesting traffickers are catering to shifting demands such as those
for pangolin-claw amulets in China.

The researchers call for increased law enforcement efforts and mandatory training in the detection of illegal wildlife products for Nigerian
customs officials, particularly at seaports, along with proper seizure documentation by Nigeria and surrounding nations.

"We would like to see a greater emphasis on the prosecution of
apprehended traffickers as a deterrence," added Emogor, who points out
that traffickers were rarely arrested during confiscations in Nigeria,
and of those that were, the vast majority had cases settled out of court.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Cambridge. Original
written by Fred Lewsey.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Charles A. Emogor, Daniel J. Ingram, Lauren Coad, Thomas
A. Worthington,
Andrew Dunn, Inaoyom Imong, Andrew Balmford. The scale of
Nigeria's involvement in the trans-national illegal pangolin trade:
Temporal and spatial patterns and the effectiveness of wildlife
trade regulations.

Biological Conservation, 2021; 264: 109365 DOI: 10.1016/
j.biocon.2021.109365 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211104081451.htm

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