•Back in the day (colonization of NA)
– Mostly pelts, antlers, and horns
– For guns, traps, pots and pans, and other necessities necessities populations

• Exploitation went on for many years
• Only after many wildlife numbers decreased dramatically did the gov’t step in
• Began with setting aside land for National preserves
– Created many different laws pertaining to wildlife

• 1 st major law: Lacy Act (1900)
- regulates interstate and international trade of wildlife and wildlife parts (dead or alive)
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1916)
- protects migratory bird species in Canada,
Mexico, and the US

• Duck Stamp Act (1934)
- to supplement and support Migratory Bird
Act
- Funds from duck stamp set aside to buy land for wildlife sanctuaries (mostly wetland habitats)

• Endangered Species Act (1973)
- Purpose:
- To conserve habitats that endangered species depend on
- To create programs to conserve endangered/threatened species
- To uphold other treaties/conventions

• Policy:
– To conserve endangered/threatened species to uphold this act
– Cooperation between state and federal authorities for conservation
– Prohibition of exporting or importing any endangered/threatened species native to any country

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (1975)
• Global treaty focusing on protection of plant and animal species form unregulated international trade

• Three phases
– Protects threatened species from international trade
– Regulates trade in non-threatened species but may become threatened if trade goes on
– Gives countries options of species to list if already protected within boundaries

• Main importers: South East Asia, Europe, and US
• Main exporters: South America, US, and
Africa

internationally and intranationally and intranationally
– Biggest problematic country
-biggest problematic country

• Rural problems
– Not a lot of money
– Know that wildlife parts = big money
– Used to and still hunt for subsistence
– Sell/trade parts for food, salt, guns, etc.
– Belief of success in next hunt if have skulls

• City problems
– Too much money
– Want traditional medicines
– Want to be like western peoples (US)
--Trophies etc.

• Main mammals poached in SE Asia:
– Tigers
– Tibetan antelope and gazelle
– Giant panda
– Rhinos
– Tapirs
– Musk deer
– Various monkeys

Brain: laziness and pimples
Hair: when burnt chases away centipedes
Skin: treat mental illness
Whiskers: toothaches
Bones: arthritis, strengthen muscles
Stomach: calm upset stomach
Tail: various skin diseases

-- skins sold for
$100,000 US
Tapir:
-- skin used to remove boils and keep away infections

Tibetan antelope:
-fashionable hides
-- called Shahtoosh
-- In 1992, $2750 /lb
-- 20000 killed annually (1999 )
-exported to Italy,
France
Sumatran Rhino:
-- horn: relieves headaches and fevers

Musk deer:
-- musk gland used
-- to treat malaria,
Gibbons and macaques:
--skins made into shoulder bags convulsions
-- treatment for
-- perfume to malaria
Germany, France
-- $ 45,000 /kg

• A college in San Francisco started promoting alternative ingredients for traditional medicines
• Actually pay people to work in national preserves
• Give people salt to safeguard wildlife

• Declined in exporting 1980’s – 1990’s
• Recent increase due to lifted ban on ivory
• Main problems:
-- civil war
-- hunting (subsistence)
-- lack of funding

• Main mammals effected in Africa
– Elephants
– Black and White Rhinoceros
– Gorillas and other primates
– Cheetahs and other big cats

•Hunted for ivory jewelry piano keys carvings
•Hunted for meat

Hunted for : horns
- medicinal value
- dagger handles meat trade

Hunted for: meat hands and other body parts young ones capture for zoos and private collections

• Hides used for trade
• Meat used to sell to other tribes
• Killed for predation on cattle

Solutions:
• Burning stacks of horns to curb hunting
• Cutting of rhino horns before they get big accidental deaths

More Solutions:
• Hippo teeth and warthog tusks for ivory
• DNA tracking of ivory
– New tests help differentiate elephant ivory from mammoth ivory (which is legal)
– Tests also locate approximate location of kill

• Recent member to illegal trade family
• Mostly trade for money
• Lack of education about endangered species

• Brazil
– Mostly bird smuggling: parrots, etc.
• Venezuela:
– Mostly bird smuggling
– Few mammals being smuggled
– Just hides and other parts: ocelot skins

• Problems:
– Increase of population size
– Decrease value of money
– Had to increase exporting something
– Rise in unemployment = need for cheep food
= native species

CAPYBARA:
• Hide used for leather products
• Considered a delicacy
OCELOT:
• Pelts used in fur industry
• Trapped for house cats

• Another major problem:
– Drug lords getting in on trade
– Good, quick money
– Stuffing drugs and other paraphernalia into mounted species

Solutions:
-- Find other products to export (oil, minerals, etc.)
-- help their economy
-- increase value of their money
-- employ more people

• World’s largest importing/exporting region in the world.
• Trade is about 20 billion dollars worldwide, second only to narcotics.
• Discovery by European nations 300 years ago.
• Historically fur- Highest value commercially in the world.

• High demand for live animals and exotic leathers.
• Largest wildlife consuming country in world.
• Center of commerce for worlds animals and plants.
• Canada and Mexico play similar roles but on a smaller scale.

• Two types usually
• Legal
• Illegal
• Majority of trade is illegal
• Many rules/regulations restricting trade.
• Some categories subject to restrictions are:
• Mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, insect, crustaceans, etc.
• Also any products manufactured from wildlife like feathers, skins, and eggs.

• Designated ports for entry.
• Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
San Francisco, and Seattle.
• Must have containers marked and labeled to show name of shipper and consignee and number and kind of contents.

• One third of world’s wildlife is in danger of extinction because of illegal trade.
• Profit is high, risk of getting caught is low.
• Animals worth more dead than alive.
• The more endangered, the more valuable.

• Worth more than $5 billion per year in the
U.S.
• Most people involved are also involved with organized crimes like drugs and prostitution.
• Supplies are diminishing. Heading to
Canada for supplies.

• Many Canadian animals are in high demand.
• National Parks are supermarket for major trophy heads.
• Animals are grown protected, now they are major target for poachers.

• High price getters
• Bighorn, Elk, Moose, Deer, Goats, and
Bears.
• Also Fetuses, antlers and velvet, deer hooves, predatory bird feathers, gall bladders, teeth, paws, and claws of bears.
• Bears are one of main targets.

• Mainly targeted for gall bladder.
• Trade is similar to heroin, only scarcer.
• Valued part- bile
• Traditional medicines to treat burns, fever, stomach ulcers, heart disease, cancer, gall bladder problems, and hemorrhoids.

• Flight from Toronto to
New Delhi crashed June
22, 1985.
• Two suitcases with gall bladders from 1,000 black bears was lost.
• 70 pounds
• $1 million in gall bladders
• Bear paws are also taken.

• California population is decreasing.
• Biggest factor said to be poaching due to value of gall bladders.
• Most go to China

• Thought to slow use of animal parts from endangered species for aphrodisiacs.
• Slowed trade in harp seals genitals
• Claimed to be reason for market drying up.
• 10 years ago- $65 a piece. 8 years later- $6
• Found viagra had very little impact.
• Decline underway before 1998.

• 92,000 killed last year in newfoundland.
• 282,000 in 1998
• Reduced numbers caused by poor ice and oversaturated market.
• Now hunting/trade on rebound in Canada
• 214,000 this year already.
• $27 a piece. Up from $8.50 a year ago
• Set a legal quota on number to be taken.