Global News - July 2008

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Wildlife poaching in Cambodia and Vietnam 'is still a major problem'

Wed 02 July 2008 14:00 UK — Asia,Big Cats

Reports have suggested that the illegal wildlife trade in Cambodia and Vietnam is severely threatening the area's biodiversity.

Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring network jointly funded by the IUCN, produced research that showed that a significant number of people in both Cambodia and Vietnam still rely on traditional medicine, fuelling a demand for rare and illegal animal products.

The report said that the relaxation of international trade barriers; the impact of free market economies; and complex national government policies had all contributed to a situation where trade in these animal products - including entire tiger skeletons - had soared in the region.

"Some of the trade is illegal and threatening endangered species. In Vietnam, we estimate between five and ten tiger skeletons are sold annually to be used in traditional medicine," explained Crawford Allan, Traffic's director in North America.

"With each skeleton fetching approximately $20,000, there is a strong incentive to poach and trade tigers that we must address from the grassroots up."

The reports noted that 71 of the animals traded and used for medicinal purposes in Vietnam are currently on the IUCN Red List of globally threatened species.

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