HONG KONG: Ivory Valued At US$9 Million, From Malaysia Disguised As Fish Seized In Hong Kong

Just when we've thought that Malaysian officials have managed to successfully roll back international ivory-smuggling syndicates using the country as a transit point, here comes a reminder that ivory smugglers remain relentless and continue to use the country for their nefarious activities.

Customs officials in Hong Kong discovered a shocking 7,200kg of ivory tusks, which had originated in Malaysia.

Valued at around US$9 million, it's the largest haul of contraband ivory seized in Hong Kong in three decades.

The shipment of tusks from African elephants had been labelled as "fish" and sent to the Chinese territory from Malaysia.

The elephant tusks were stored in boxes hidden under frozen fish. The 1,000 boxes were half-empty when we found them with frozen fish put around the ivory, a customs official said.

Local authorities have arrested the owner of a Hong Kong trading company and two of his employees. The trio are facing hefty fines and up to nine years in prison for violating Hong Kong laws that prohibit trade in endangered animals and their parts.

According to the conservationist group WildAid, as many as 720 elephants were killed for their tusks in this one shipment alone.

Let's reflect on that for a moment: hundreds of more elephants are dead just because people continue to prize items fashioned from their tusks.

These tusks represent the lives of hundreds of elephants, said Margaret Kinnaird, head of WWF’s global Wildlife Practice.

In the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, for instance, almost 90 per cent of elephants have disappeared due to poaching in the last 40 years with only about 15,000 remaining.

WWF has called on authorities from Africa to Asia to crack down harder on international syndicates trafficking in ivory.

The tusks' likely final destination was mainland China, the world's largest market for ivory.

Encouragingly, China has promised to end all illegal trade in ivory by the end of this year, but eradicating all trafficking in contraband ivory in China and elsewhere will be a daunting task given that poachers and traffickers routinely take advantage of a lack of law enforcement and outright corruption in developing nations from Africa to Asia.

Hong Kong itself has long served as a convenient gateway for smugglers into China.

Everything from shark fins to pangolin scales is regularly smuggled into the Chinese territory from elsewhere in the region, including Malaysia.

Hong Kong ranks as the 5th largest hub of contraband ivory in the world, and between 2000 and 2013, a massive 33,000kg of elephant tusks were seized in the territory.

This latest seizure is almost one-tenth of the recorded ivory stock (77,000 kg) in Hong Kong, WWF notes.



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CHINA: Air China Cargo Bans Shark Fin Transportation

Air China Cargo has become the first mainland carrier to ban the transport of shark fin, dealing another blow to the international trade.

The carrier, which is part of Air China and responsible for cargo shipment on freight planes and the airline’s commercial aircraft, did not specify when the policy change would take effect.

Some 36 airlines have now joined the ban globally.

In a statement posted on its website on Friday, the cargo company said it was committed to playing a bigger role in global sustainability.

“We understand the community’s desire to promote responsible and sustainable marine sourcing practices, and this remains important to Air China Cargo’s overall sustainable development goals,” the statement read.

“Therefore, on the issue of shark fin, we reiterate our ‘No Shark Fin’ carriage policy.”

[Pressure has been growing on carriers to impose the ban on the trade, even though shark’s fin soup is a popular traditional Chinese dish. Photo: Sam Tsang]

Last year, budget carrier HK Express became the first local carrier to implement a ban, followed in recent months by Cathay Pacific and Dragonair.

Other major airlines observing the ban include British Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and American Airlines.

Also in July, mainland China’s biggest shipping and ­logistics company, China Ocean Shipping Company (Cosco Shipping), pledged a total ban on shark fin transportation.

The shipping giant is the fourth-largest container operator in the world with a 7.7 per cent market share.

Alex Hofford, a wildlife activist from conservation group WildAid, said Air China’s action to save sharks would be far-reaching.

“Scientists estimate that fins from up to 73 million sharks a year are used for shark’s fin soup, with much of the trade in shark fin destined for China,” he said.

“Air China’s ‘No Shark Fin’ commitment is therefore hugely significant because, despite government efforts, China [including Hong Kong] is a country where significant demand for shark’s fin soup still exists.

“It’s a bold move and this is likely to have a huge and lasting impact on shark populations and marine ecosystems worldwide,” he added.

Hofford said full enforcement of the ban by airlines and shipping lines was vital to ensure its effectiveness in protecting shark populations.

He urged vigilance against deliberate mislabelling of shark fin cargo to stop people from circumventing the ban.

Focus has now turned to mainland China’s other major airlines, especially one of the biggest global carriers by revenue – China Southern Airlines. The company is based in Guangzhou, an area singled out as a major shark fin trading hub, WildAid said.

According to the group, research suggested that Chinese consumption of shark fin fell by 50 to 70 per cent in recent years.