TRAFFIC Southeast Asia

Indonesia is home to one species of pangolin, the Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica, which can be found from Sumatra, Java and adjacent islands to Kalimantan. While little is known about the population of pangolins in Indonesia, it is likely that current trade and hunting levels are unsustainable. There is evidence of professional and industrial-scale hunting for the purposes of commercial international trade. This report provides an insight into the illegal trade of pangolins involving Indonesia by analysing seizure data between 2010 and 2015.

Pangolins are currently the most heavily trafficked wild mammals in the world. In this report, the illegal pangolin trade from 2010–2015 was investigated, focusing on the global trade routes used to traffic pangolins and their derivatives.

Illegal trade and the trafficking of Tiger Panthera tigris, as well as their parts, products and derivatives, and the poaching which supplies it, is the most immediate threat to the survival of wild tigers. This briefing document highlights top-line findings from the detailed analysis over the 16 years, including key occurrences and patterns over the period assessed. Key recommendations are provided for consideration by actors at national, regional and international levels.

With 48 threatened bird species, and the highest number of breeding endemic bird species (11) in mainland Southeast Asia, Viet Nam is a global conservation priority. Many of these threatened species are hunted unsustainably for wildlife trade. Very little is known about the current true scale of the trade in Viet Nam as the most recent research was conducted in 2008. To fill this knowledge gap, and to support bird conservation efforts in the region, TRAFFIC undertook a full inventory of the bird markets across the country’s two main cities—Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

Singapore is known to play a major role in the global trade and consumption in shark and ray parts, though a country-specific analysis has not been conducted recently. Based on this, TRAFFIC and WWF undertook an exercise to understand the scale of this trade involving Singapore, and the role it plays. This assessment describes the characteristics of shark product trade through Singapore over a ten-year period, from 2005 to 2014 as well as the current regulatory systems in place.

Malaysia is the world’s paramount illicit ivory transit country. To better understand this trade dynamic, TRAFFIC assessed information from ivory seizures -- made either by Malaysian authorities, or outside the country but with Malaysia identified as part of the trade chain -- from a period of over 11 years (from January 2003 to May 2014).

Singapore has a long history of involvement in the bird trade. To understand further the bird trade industry in Singapore, TRAFFIC undertook a rapid assessment of the open bird trade in Singapore’s pet shops. Surveys of 39 pet shops, listed by AVA as licensed to sell birds, were conducted over four days in November and December 2015. A full inventory of the species and volumes in trade was documented, excluding domesticated species. This report provides a snapshot of the current composition and availability of openly traded birds in Singapore’s AVA-licensed bird selling pet shops.

This report illustrates the large scale of the bird trade documented through a complete inventory of five major markets in eastern and central Java (Bratang, Kupang, Turi (Surabaya); Malang and Yogyakarta) and follows on from a similar inventory carried out in Jakarta in 2014, which documented a total of 19,036 birds.

This report investigates the species, numbers and sources of apes held in zoos and wildlife attractions in Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand and responds to concerns over the global high demand for apes, especially juveniles, for display in zoos and wildlife facilities, and the illegal removal of these apes from the wild.

The aim of this study was to gain insights into the import-export relationships between Indonesia and the Netherlands by studying the trade in live animals from 2003 to 2013. The true dynamics of the trade between both countries are relatively poorly understood. This report allows a better understanding of the role of the Netherlands as an importing country, and Indonesia as an exporter of live animal species by providing an overview of trade dynamics. The results can be used to guide future policy and regulatory interventions and highlight issues of concern.