Threats to Pangolins & Pangolin Conservation

[Klipspringer]

THE AFRICAN TRADE IN PANGOLINS

97 tons of pangolin scales intercepted in Africa in 2019 destined for Asia The greatest volume ever recorded.

The largest source of pangolin scales over the past four years was from Nigeria, responsible for around 70% of all scales.

Destination countries were primarily Asia, China being the most favoured followed by Singapore and then Vietnam.

[Lisbeth]

36 too many!

The general numbers are scary

[Klipspringer]

Trade in South Africa for Traditional Medicine

Professor Raymond Jansen was interviewed by Alexis Kriel in the lead-up to COP17 in October 2016. Here some pieces:

The trade in South Africa isn't so much for the Asian market. It is for traditional medicine.
I've had a student working on a project for 3 years now, going to all the regional areas where pangolins still occur in South Africa and interviewing 11 tribal communities – different tribes – the SiSwati, the Ndebele, the IsiZulu, and chatting to sangomas and elders – asking "have you seen this animal; do you hold it in high regard; what do you use it for?" They all know it. But they hadn't seen them for a while. I think their numbers are going down. When they do see it, they harvest it. That's for traditional medicine. One pangolin can exchange for up to 12 cattle. So, we are looking at a valuable animal here. Scales aren't so expensive yet. But they are going to become very expensive when they become rare. And they are used to cure anything from nosebleeds, menstrual cramps.

What was important from this study is that we understood that the blood and fat is also very important to the sangomas and the elders. We thought it was just scales that they grind up into powder and wipe into their wounds, but it's not.
They use the blood and the fat for the mixture that they smear into the kraal; as well as onto their animals and their houses to ward off evil. So, the trade in fresh produce is high and it's big.

The other important aspect that came out of this is that the trade in the large markets in big cities is limited, but the trade between rural people out there is big, and that is where the trade is. So, previously, we would do all these studies in the traditional muti markets, and go and catalogue, catalogue, catalogue – but that's not where the trade is. The trade is out there. In the far rural hills. Not so much for money, but for gifts. Cattle, sheep, chickens, goats…. whatever.

The traditional healers out there are not commercial traditional healers. They are held in high regard within the rank of the tribal rural communities. And they are not given so much money; they are given gifts and status. To have a pangolin is big, strong muti because it can cure a multitude of ailments – specially warding off evil.

Traditional medicine will always be around, considering that 80% of South Africa's population consults traditional healers, rather than Western doctors. So, there are in the region of around 22 000 traditional healers in South Africa. And they're growing.
But there is a huge difference between a rural traditional healer and a city commercial traditional healer. The city commercial traditional healers simply go on a course and become a traditional healer. The rural traditional healers get trained as an apprentice for up to 10, 15 years. So, in the city it's for money, in the villages it's for spirituality. The guys here (Pretoria), do they really firmly believe in it? Probably not. Do they want to make money from it? Probably yes.
In the rural communities, they strongly believe in their medicine and a lot of it works – particularly plant material. I have my severe doubts about animal material. Using animal material is mainly to cure spiritual ailments. So, you will take a herbal remedy from a plant and it probably will work, but you take an animal remedy, it is not to cure an ailment, it is to cure some or other spiritual cause. So, it's a belief system. There's a big difference – like the guy who was caught robbing a bank with a scale in his pocket, thinking that he would become bullet proof, and he believed it. Traditional healing and traditional medicine will always have a part to play in Africa.

The bush meat trade in South Africa is not a huge source of protein. In Central and West Africa 80% of your protein is bush meat. In rural areas in this country, hunting with dogs and snares is maybe 10 – 15% but it is not nearly as big.
It's easy to go and shop in the tropical forests of Ghana, so they rely heavily on protein from bush meat. And that's where Ebola came from. So, this is the problem we're facing.
But in South Africa, I think that harvesting for traditional medicine is much higher than harvesting for bush meat. It's relatively easy to go and buy
commercial meat here and it's still reasonably affordable - if you look at bones and soup mixes. It's easier to go and get cheap meat from your local butchery. In many cases, here, bush meat is more expensive.
Traditional medicine – in South Africa – is probably the single biggest threat for pangolins…..besides electric fences.

I don't think that the trade in South Africa is increasing; I think it has been high all the time. It's only now that our magistrates and our customs and ports authorities and police stations are learning about pangolins.

I think there are very close links between increased figures and the awareness we've created around it. Remember that the same syndicates
transport the same products. Thereǯs been a renewed interest in rhino and ivory and the pangolin scales are going along with that – as part of the same shipments. I think it's more a matter of awareness around pangolin poaching than that there's been a sudden increase.

https://africanpangolin.org/wp-content/ ... Jansen.pdf

[Lisbeth]

The city commercial traditional healers simply go on a course and become a traditional healer.

If only they would leave out the animals and only use plants, which has sense. But ancient superstitions are difficult to extirpate

[Klipspringer]

Another part of the interview, and the most worrying to me: the sustainable use mantra that sends the message that it is a valuable animal and that it is socially acceptable to use it. The omnipresent promotion of use of animal products will just increase demand!

The South African government, at the moment, has made it very clear that they support traditional medicine in this country very strongly. There is a council of traditional medicine practitioners, that sit (as a council) in parliament.
Traditional healers get awarded a certificate of compliance, and they can practice legal trade. That, basically means, we haven't got a lot of say. If a pangolin is found in a muti market - too late. If it's found being transported, we have a say.
So, once theyǯre in any type of traditional medicine market or in possession of a traditional healer, it is authenticated, we have no say. We can't touch them. And if it has been prescribed to patients, so be it. But, if it's being moved, without permits, we have all the say. That is where it is. We have no say in traditional practice.
You will not be able to convict a traditional healer. Forget it. Don't even go there. It is not going to happen. But harvesting, and movement - yes…we've got a huge case.

We do get a lot of mortalities every year, road kills, electric fences…I do believe that we can make limited trade available to them.
If it is extinct, it is gone from their culture. That is HUGE. When they hear that, they get very upset. That's the message to get across. It's not that we're banning them from the culture – it's very important that the message is correct "we want to make it available to your culture, but please don't go and harvest live animals." We will make them available as a limited resource.

We get dead ones all the time – we've got a bank of them. So, we can say "okay, we're giving you, as an individual – sign for it, here's your CITES permit, here's your trading permit, here's your personal permit – 5 scales, net weight: 800grams". Then he will prescribe a little bit of powder from one scale. You must understand, these things aren't used up quickly…one trader can have a skin for 5 – 10 years…he takes a bit of scale, grinds it up, says"okay, that's for my muti".

This National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act requires all wildlife traders to be registered and to apply for possession permits related to endangered species with restricted trade (TOPs species)

[Richprins]

Sustainable use does not in any form apply to wild endangered animals!

[Klipspringer]

Sustainable use does not in any form apply to wild endangered animals!

It is a misconception that domestic use and trade in specimens of TOPS species (pangolin is such a species) is frobidden, it is only regulated and requires a department issued possession and trade permit. SA law and policy has attempted to recognise and promote the sustainable use of wildlife in traditional healing and muthi and regulate it.
The National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act requires all wildlife traders to be registered and to apply for possession permits related to endangered species with restricted trade. As a result the state should have an enforcement plan but obviously has none.
Pangolin, vulture, lion bones are still on sale at the Faraday market and other trading spots or in the rural villages.

What kind of protection does the SA law provide for TOPS species?
NEMBA provisions
- The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, publish a list of TOPS species
- A person may not carry out a restricted activity involving a specimen of a listed threatened or protected species (TOPS) without a permit.
- A person may not import, export or re-export, or introduce from the sea, a specimen of a species listed in terms of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) without a permit.
- The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, prohibit an activity that may negatively impact on the survival of a listed TOPS.
- The Minister may, by Notice in the Gazette, exempt a person or a category of persons from the restrictions contained in sections 57(1) and 57(1A).
- The Minister may make regulations relating to the facilitation of the implementation and enforcement
NEMBA definitions of restricted activity: This generally involves activities that have a direct impact on listed species, such as hunting, catching or killing; gathering or collecting; picking parts of, chopping off, cutting, uprooting or destroying; importing into or exporting from the Republic; having in possession or exercising physical control over; growing, breeding or propagating; conveying, moving or translocating; selling, buying, receiving or donating, or any other prescribed activity involving a specimen of a listed threatened or protected species.


And how is this enforced and is there any punitive action in place to force authorities to take action when offences were reported? It does not help that there are all these regulations and laws in place if it is not enforced because of bribery, favouritism, lack of interest or whatever the case might be.

And more important: Do you get a permit to trade or use TOPS species? That's a question I can not answer for pangolins. But when it comes to protected plant species, it is obviously possible to get permits, you just need to show proof of legal acquisition which is often a letter of consent by the landowner or chief where the specimens are collected. And I don't really understand the system, how can a landwoner or chief issue a letter of consent and "allow" to collect TOPS-listed species? How can there be any legal acquisition? Had the landowner a permit for collection in the first place? One of the mysteries in regulated trade in SA?


IMO it is a contradiction in itself to promote the use of wildlife (esp for magical and status purposes) because it is a growing economic factor and rooted in traditions and any attempt to not only regulate but enforce the law and control the formal and informal industry. But that is my opinion and it is shaped by non-African traditions.

My point here is actually - and it started with the media articles blaming Asian tradition for the possible increase in Pangolin poaching in South Africa - that the sustainable use policy may create more problems than solutions when it comes to endangered species.

[Richprins]

I think most of the legal trade permits have to do with "farmed" animals, or in other words those raised privately?

Regarding traditional plants, the initial harvesters often protect their source plants so as to use them sustainably, so to speak, but it is a hit-and-miss affair legally...

The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, prohibit an activity that may negatively impact on the survival of a listed TOPS.

This is the bottom line.

[Lisbeth]

It seems to be a very tangled matter

[Klipspringer]

I think most of the legal trade permits have to do with "farmed" animals, or in other words those raised privately?

Farmed animals are a different category, you need to register a commercial breeding operation and then you can trade, I think.
For instance the private rhino farmers are not registered as CPOs hence these rhino are regarded wild animals and require CITES permits for trade.
I had a look at the CITEs trade database and found that SA has exportes lots of rhino (all wild), several to zoos and some for reintroduction to eSwatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe etc

SA used to be involved in trade of pangolin products before trade was banned in 2016. A major importer was USA, wonder what kind of demand they have there

Anyway, pangolins can not be farmed and all claims of captive bred pangolin products in Asia and West Africa are fake.