Pakistan Wildlife Conservation News

Link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=143263

Trade blighted by restrictions on animal export
Sunday, October 26, 2008
By Asadullah

Karachi

Ban on the export of live animals and birds has neither been protecting endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) nor helping traders earn foreign exchange for the country, the industry sources said.

Animal traders believe that the No Objection Certificate (NOC) process has become more stringent now. This is because the government slapped a condition of acquiring the NOCs for importing both CITES and non-CITES species from the National Council for Conservation of Wildlife (NCCW), six months ago.

The Birds and Animals Business Association of Pakistan (BABAP) thinks that the government should allow the export of all non-CITES permissible species without having the NOC condition attached to the shipment by the NCCW. Chairman of BABAP, Muhammad Salim Ahmed argued that the NCCW must issue CITES re-export permits to the exporters applying with the evidence that the species in question were lawfully brought and bred in accordance with the CITES rules and regulations.

Though the CITES protects over 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants against over exploitation, several wildlife species which are being traded are not endangered. �The CITES is there to ensure the sustainability of wildlife trade and safeguard the resources for the future,� Dr Zaheer Ahmed explained.

Import of even non-CITES animals is too centralised. It is not a provincial matter in Sindh as the traders are required to acquire the NOCs from the NCCW being run under the Environment Ministry in Islamabad.

The animal traders� association believed that almost 90 per cent of animal importers are Karachi-based but they don�t have a NCCW camp office in Sindh to consult with when they want to import certain animals after placing orders with a foreign firm for further procedural pursuits.

�After getting our request processed from provincial wildlife department, we have to rush to Islamabad for the final NOC from the NCCW,� Abdul Raheem, a local animal importer, told The News. �This is a time and money consuming process to get the NOC on time for the already booked shipment.� Traders alleged that they are discouraged in the name of conservation whereas diplomatic cover is being provided to the foreign hunters of the local animal and migratory bird species. Even the WWF-Pakistan has acknowledged this practice in parts of Punjab and Sindh.

�This is all too contradictory. Wildlife trade should be open while adhering to the international commitments,� said Muhammad Salim. �Avian influenza in local poultry has been cited as the only reason for the ban on export of animals but that livestock should not be the NCCW�s headache.�

There are 23 animal farms in Sindh alone. As the NCCW does not allow the export of birds and animals, many of these farms are on the verge of an imminent closure simply because they can�t meet the expenses incurred on animal breeding and their upkeep for a longer period of time.

Traders claimed that the Ministry of Environment is running the affairs without having a thorough policy on trade in wildlife. This is evident from a tripartite communication between a trader and Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) and the NCCW.

When Raheem International sought import permits of four cheetahs or Aciononyx jubatus from South Africa in July this year, the SWD reply was: �� NCCW� has advised this office that cases of big cats should not be recommended for import into Pakistan. As such your application for the import of four cheetahs� cannot be entertained.�

Interestingly in response to the trader�s query, the NCCW has mentioned in its communiqu� an undecided position regarding the import of large cats. �It is stated that the policy about the import of big cats will be communicated to the SWD as soon as the matter is decided.�

�South Africa used to be a bird and animal importing country but now it has been transformed into an equally balanced exporting country,� said Abdul Raheem, who owns a private zoo and farm under section 10 of rule number 13 of the Wildlife Act. �It�s because their government allows not only captive breeding but subsequent export of the locally-bred animals of foreign origin,� Raheem maintained. �Animal export together with import can minimise the trade deficit in this sector alone.�

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