New recruits to Guangxi Forest Police receive training to counter wildlife trafficking
Laibin Guangxi, China, 26th November 2014—More than 120 Forest Police officers were trained on aspects of wildlife crime and how to counteract it during a workshop on Combatting illegal wildlife trade and CITES implementation held in Laibin, Guangxi province earlier this month.
The meeting was organized by Guangxi Provincial Inter-agency CITES Enforcement Coordination Group (PICE-CG), in co-operation with TRAFFIC and other non-governmental organizations. Participants included frontline Forest Police officers, particularly new recruits who overall comprise more than 5% of the Forest Police force in Guangxi Province.
The first day of the workshop was chaired by Xiao Yu, Programme Manager for TRAFFIC, during which officials from Guangxi PICE-CG Forest Conservation Department spoke about relevant wildlife administrative laws and regulations, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) while the Director of Criminal Investigation with Guangxi Forest Police spoke about criminal investigation methods, the legal process and how to obtain and present evidence. Experts from Guangxi University spoke about identification of rosewood and other endangered plant products.
Other topics covered during the two-day meeting included a presentation by TRAFFIC on the current situation regarding illegal wildlife trade in physical and online markets, how to care for confiscated raptors (birds of prey), and a presentation by the Director of the State Forestry Administration’s Wildlife Criminal Evidence Identification Center on identification of wild animals and their associated products in trade.
Since 2011 three major enforcement actions to combat illegal wildlife trade have taken place in Guangxi. In January 2013, with support from Guangxi PICE-CG, TRAFFIC and others, Guangxi Forest Police confiscated 14 rhino horns, 1 Tiger fur and several ivory products. The rhino horn seizure is the largest to date in mainland China.
“More than 50% of all illegal wildlife product seizures made by provincial enforcement agencies in Guangxi have been made by the Forest Police, which is why regular training of the agency is key to determining the success or failure of enforcement actions in the region,” said Mr Yan Jiang, Director of the Nanning branch office of China’s CITES Management Authority.
Zhou Fei, Head of TRAFFIC’s Programme in China said: “Guangxi’s location on the border between China and Viet Nam makes it a hotspot for illegal wildlife trade. According to TRAFFIC’s market surveys, much illegal wildlife and derived products are smuggled into Guangxi then transported onwards to other provinces. Increased capacity within the Forest Police can greatly deter wildlife smuggling to and beyond the region.”
TRAFFIC has been helping build the capacity of enforcement departments in Guangxi province through consolidating information gathering methods and improving crime detection, for example through the use of detector dogs.
TRAFFIC’s capacity building work in Guangxi Province is generously supported by WWF Germany and CEPF.
