Frontline enforcement officials from Yunnan receive CITES training
Xishaungbanna, Yunnan Province, China, August 2016—In co-operation with TRAFFIC, a training session for frontline Yunnan border enforcement officials on CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulations was held last month in Xishuangbanna.
More than 80 officials from the Forest Police, Inspection and Quarantine Department, Border Police and Customs attended the one-day event.
Zheng Zhong, Director of the Yunnan branch of China’s CITES Management Authority (MA), described the input from experts as “very useful and very helpful”, noting that as Yunnan is a border province, there was a heavy workload for the region’s enforcement departments in combating wildlife smuggling and illegal trade.
Presentations were given by experts from China’s CITES MA on the Convention and species identification, while Wang Chao, Director of Xishuangbanna Forest Police Bureau, shared information on his Bureau’s efforts in combating wildlife trafficking in Xishuangbanna and Yunnan Province.
TRAFFIC’s Xiao Yu spoke about TRAFFIC’s work on deterring illegal wildlife trade in China and shared some techniques and skills on how to detect wildlife crimes.
Frontline enforcement officials discussed some challenges they face, such as the difficulties around prosecuting local Vietnamese smugglers.
Delegates agreed on the need to record cross-border crimes, and that awareness raising among local residents should be increased with the aim of dissuading them from smuggling wildlife products. Border departments expressed a desire to receive future assistance in developing public outreach and communications, as part of long-term solutions for curbing wildlife trafficking.
TRAFFIC has worked with Yunnan CITES MA and enforcement departments in combating wildlife crimes for many years
Zhou Fei, Head of TRAFFIC’s China Office
“As China is a major market for wildlife products, many illegal wildlife products are smuggled here from Southeast Asian countries through Yunnan province every year: TRAFFIC will continue to support the implementation of CITES and national laws and regulations in Yunnan to prevent this happening.”
The work of facilitating China's enforcement departments to implement CITES legislation is kindly supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).
