Support to Strengthen Wildlife Law Enforcement

Jan. 8, 2021 – The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), represented by the Department of Forest Inspection (DoFI) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Wide Fund for Nature in Laos (WWF-Laos. The MoU was signed by Mr. Somphone Keohavong, Director General of DoFI and Mr. Loris Palentini, Country Director of WWF-Laos.

The MoU has provisions to ensure that agencies and official in the Lao-Wildlife Enforcement Network (Lao-WEN) and Provincial-Wildlife Enforcement Network (P-WEN) taskforce have the capacity necessary to support investigations, and enable intelligence led enforcement actions that deliver effective Provincial, National and International wildlife enforcement outcomes in Laos.

The new MoU represents a long-term commitment by WWF to support the Government of Lao PDR’s efforts to implement Prime Minister Order No.5 (PMO5) and meet its international obligation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). WWF aims to do this by supporting WEN agencies to strictly enforce wildlife laws, stop the establishment of illegal wildlife farms and investigate and prosecute those found trading prohibited wildlife. PMO5 is a landmark order supported by the important legal changes enacted under the Criminal Procedure Law and the New Penal Code.

Key objectives of the MoU include: the formation of a Lao-WEN led rapid response interagency task force with highly trained officials to quickly and effectively investigate wildlife crime; provide advanced training for relevant law enforcement agencies in investigation and prosecution,  including intelligence analysis capacity and how to combat the ever-growing online trade in wildlife; conducting financial investigations related to organized crime networks; and building strong wildlife crime cases that can be taken to court and prosecuted.

(Read more about this new phase of the project HERE)

On December 9, 2020, Souphanouvong University in cooperation with the Department of Forest Inspection (DoFI) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and WWF-Laos organized a training workshop on Green Investment and Responsible Tourism to Refuse Illegal Wildlife Products -- Specialized Workshop for Chinese Investors and Tour Guides in Laos to enhance awareness about the importance of saving wildlife. At a workshop, Chinese investors in Luang Prabang province were made aware of green investments and the importance of not dealing with illegal wildlife products.

​26 representatives from the Chinese investment and tourism companies with more than 30 tour guides participated in the workshop together with joined commitment statement on responsible tourism and green investment to refuse illegal wildlife products in Laos.

(Read more about this training workshop HERE)

While humans have historically used wildlife for food, medicine, or clothing, the illegal wildlife trade is threatening the survival of wild animal populations and endangering people. Criminal syndicates that engage in the illegal wildlife trade threaten national and public safety, while the diseases spread from wild animals to humans through the trade endanger our health, our economies, and our way of life. 

Everyone has an obligation to protect ourselves and wild animals by rejecting the illegal wildlife trade. Today, we as individuals that engage in and represent many different sectors in Laos, jointly commit to promote and pursue: sustainable business practices; responsible tourism; strict compliance with domestic and international laws and regulations; reject illegal wildlife and their products, and adopt a “zero-tolerance” policy towards the trade in endangered species! 

(Read more about the commitment statement HERE)

In 2018, the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) issued the Buenos Aires Declaration at the Buenos Aires Summit, stating that it would adopt a zero-tolerance approach to illegal wildlife trade, raise conservation awareness of customer staff, and tourists, who will hence actively promote sustainable tourism; meanwhile, companies that have made efforts in sustainable tourism are integrated into the same category to encourage more sustainable practices and increase the recognition of these practices by the entire tourism industry and cooperate with government and tourists to jointly affirm the progress made in this regard.
 
The illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest illegal trade in the world, second only to drugs, arms, and human smuggling, with annual transactions of more than 23 billion U.S. dollars. It is a low-risk, high-profit, organized crime, and demand in Asia is its main driving force. According to statistics from relevant departments, in the smuggling channels, those carried via passengers account for as much as 50%.
 
Laos is located in the Greater Mekong Basin. Its long borders with China, Vietnam, Thailand, and other countries give Laos a prominent geographical advantage in the black chain of illegal wildlife trade. According to the data collection and investigation of wildlife trade in the border areas between China and Laos, the top four wildlife species with the highest frequency of illegal wildlife trade in China and Laos are pangolin, bears, tigers, and elephants.
 
WWF and TRAFFIC jointly launched a sustainable tourism guide to enhance the sustainable tourism awareness of Chinese outbound tourists, advocate sustainable consumption, resolutely resist illegal wildlife trade and smuggling activities, and advocate reducing plastic and food waste. We hereby express our thanks to the British Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) for their strong support for this manual.

On 15 Mar 2019, WWF-Laos and the Department of Forest Inspection (DoFI) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly implement a project that aim to support and strengthen wildlife law enforcement in Laos and cross-border cooperation with neighbouring countries.

The overall objective of this project is to reduce illegal wildlife trade in key markets and retail hubs in Laos by expanding capacity to detect, discourage, and disrupt organised criminal networks, and prosecute those members involved in illegal wildlife crime.

Activities to achieve this include targeted skills development, awareness campaigns, information-sharing, and enhancing regional cooperation between law enforcement agencies in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

The project will facilitate the establishment of trust and working relationships across national and border agencies.

Support is being provided for advanced investigation trainings, and bilateral meetings to increase law enforcement response capacity and trans-boundary cooperation in addressing illegal wildlife trade in central and northern Lao PDR.

This project is also designed to support law enforcement actions that reflect the severity of wildlife crimes, and to create a penalty environment which discourages participation as the consequences are sever for poachers, traders and buyers.

There are four priority provinces supported under this project: Vientiane Capital, Oudomxay, Luang Namtha and Bokeo. Rapid responses to active wildlife crime or emerging criminal activities will also be supported if necessary in other provinces.

WWF is pleased to support the Government of Lao PDR in implementing actions that reduce the sale and availability of illegal wildlife and wildlife products.

WWF’s anti-wildlife crime programme for the Greater Mekong Region is also empowering local officials and communities in neighbouring countries to report and disrupt wildlife poaching and illegal wildlife trading markets which are contributing to loss of biodiversity and threaten local populations of endangered species.

One of the main activities of Fighting Wildlife Trafficking in the Golden Triangle Project is to support in building capacity of civilian law enforcement authorities to prevent and investigate wildlife trafficking at the provincial level and across borders. To achieve this, WWF recently organized the first Training of Trainers (ToT) course for law enforcement officers of Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, in the Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai province, Thailand. 

Conducted by WWF-Greater Mekong and TRAFFIC, the ToT was attended with more than 30 law enforcement officers of the three countries and spent a week from 26-30 Aug 2019 in the Golden Triangle learning critical skills for training teams to combat illegal wildlife trade and strengthen cross border cooperation to prevent illegal wildlife trafficking.

The goal of this programme is to teach officers how to effectively train their teams, integrating behavior change elements, new knowledge and skills and improving their morale, work ethics and practices by developing local training capacity and ensuring that trained officers are able to pass on skills and knowledge in their offices, the project will sustain skills and knowledge within the Golden Triangle areas where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand jointly share borders.

(More from the PDF file on the right side)

The Lao PDR has recently been receiving a lot of attention by the international community with regard to the issue of illegal wildlife trade. The Lao PDR has been identified by many observers as a transit country for the illegal trade of wildlife products coming from Africa and ultimately destined for China and Vietnam. Recent reports have also identified that the Lao PDR is becoming a consuming country for items such as ivory, rhinoceros horns and tiger products, predominantly purchased by tourists coming from neighboring Thailand, China and Vietnam. Most recently, in July 2016, the CITES secretariat made a visit to the Lao PDR and subsequently published a report highlighting the most urgent actions to be taken by the Lao PDR to comply with its international obligations under CITES.  

At the CITES COP 17 in Johannesburg, September 2016, the Lao PDR announced its intention to discuss ways of phasing out its tiger and bear farms. This announcement was very much welcomed by all conservation parties, including WWF. This activity comes in direct support of this dynamic approach led by the Government of Laos and seeks to support the Government’s initiatives to stop illegal wildlife trade in the country.

 

The overall goal of the Activity is to support the Government of Laos to address illegal wildlife trade in key markets and trade hubs in the country. The Activity also aims to support awareness and information-sharing, strengthen law enforcement, and enhance international cooperation for key government agencies in Lao PDR

This activity is also to provide support for Lao PDR Government agencies, through the Department of Forest Inspection (DoFI) as lead agency of Lao-WEN, to participate in relevant regional and international meetings on illegal wildlife trade.

The Hanoi Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade is held in Ha Noi, which endorsed prioritized actions in promoting the international community to combatting illegal wildlife trade of fauna and flora.

 

The Conference, chaired by Dr. Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam, and attended by H.E Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Vice State President of Viet Nam,; H.E Sonxay Siphandone, Deputy Prime Minister of Lao PDR; the Duke of Cambridge and H.E Yury Fedotov, Under- Secretary-General of the United Nations; world leaders from 47 nations and heads of 07 international and UN agencies, commit to help save iconic species from the brink of extinction by implementing collaborative measures to combat illegal wildlife trade.

(Click on the photo to view more information of the conferecne and attached PDF file for the press release) 

An alarming increase in snares in Southeast Asian forests is pushing many species such as leopards, tigers and saola to the brink of extinction and could lead to “empty forest syndrome,” say leading conservation scientists who are calling for concerted regional action against poaching and the possession of snares.
 

 

Writing in the prestigious international journal SCIENCE, the authors point to an alarming increase in unsustainable hunting both inside and outside protected areas – driven largely by cheaply made homemade wire snares that kill or maim any animal that encounters them.

The authors note that patrols cannot keep up with the pace of snares set by poachers and call for laws that penalize snare possession and the materials used for their construction.

GOLDEN TRIANGLE is a global hub for trade in some of the world’s most endangered wildlife species. Perfectly situated where Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and China come together, the area is home to large casinos, shopping malls and local markets that attract tourists from around the region, especially China. It has become a haven for gambling, prostitution and illicit trade in many goods, including wildlife. WWF has identified ten of the most widely traded endangered species that can be found in the markets of the Golden Triangle -- species that could go extinct if this trade persists.

1. WWF Commends Laos’ Decision to Dismantle Tiger Farms

(KPL News) The intention by the Government of Laos to phase out its tiger farms -- announced at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP17) in Johannesburg, South Africa -- is a major step in fighting the illegal wildlife trade, WWF said.    

Read more here
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2. Laos promises to phase out tiger farms: Conservation groups
 

(Laotian Times) JOHANNESBURG — Laos has promised to phase out farms that breed endangered tigers for their body parts, a positive step from a country believed to be a major hub of wildlife trafficking in Asia, conservation groups said Friday. 

Read more here
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3. Laos to phase out controversial tiger farms 
 

(Xinhua) Lao government will phase out tiger farms, Lao state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times reported Wednesday.

 

According to the report, a Lao official confirmed there are indeed some tiger farms in the country following recent international media reports about the controversial practice.

 

"Tigers are being bred by people on their own land," the official said.

Read more here
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4. WWF hails Laos’ decision to dismantle tiger farms as major step in fighting illegal wildlife trade
 

WWF-Laos joined the Fourteenth Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wildlife Fauna and Flora and Wildlife Enforcement.
(20-22 Mar 2018, Luangprabang Province). 
 

During the 3 days meeting, WWF-Laos displayed the exhibition on Wildlife Law Enforcement and Capacity Building Activities that we provided some support to the government of Lao through the Department of Forest Inspection (DoFI).

WWF-Laos is invited to represent at the meeting and also to be part of the booths set-up to display the recent activities and achievements of our support in strengthening wildlife law enforcement.

Participants from the ASEAN Countries and representatives from the hosted country (Laos) and other invited guests more than 80 people joined the meeting and also visited the exhibition.

Laos Government law enforcement officers have shut down illegal wildlife trade in four shops at Don Sao Market in the notorious Golden Triangle, confiscating almost 400 items during surprise raids on July 27. The illegal items, consisting of 9 different types such as bracelets, necklaces, horns, teeth, bracelets, pendants and bangles --many from endangered species -- were taken for identification and the Chinese shop owners were ordered to no longer sell illegal wildlife items or reproductions of wildlife parts. 

 

The two hour-long seizure by the Provincial Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (P-WEN) of Bokeo Province and Department of Forest Inspection (DoFI) took place at four Chinese owned shops inside the Special Economic Zone. This area is well known as a hub of illegal wildlife trade and occurs inside the Golden Triangle, where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand intersect and many markets sell endangered species and their parts such as tigers, elephants, pangolin and bears. The trade takes place in shops, markets, restaurants and casinos.

Read more here

 

Lao Government law enforcement officers have closed 5 shops, confiscating more than 32 illegal wildlife parts. Three of the shops were in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) and the other 2 were in markets within the Don Sao and Ton Phueng district.
 
This is part of the ongoing decision of Lao government to inspect the illegal market in golden triangle special economic zone, Bokeo province, Lao PDR, and follows action in July 2018. This area is well known as a hub of illegal wildlife trade inside the Golden Triangle Zones(GTZ) where Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and China intersect.
 
During the surprised raids on 13 December 2018, the authorities seized elephant skin, tiger penis and bone, wildlife teeth, porcupine stomach, gaur bladder and many more, weighing approximately 10 kg total. Officials found 22 jars of Lao whisky mixed with tiger bones, herbs, deer horn and pangolin openly displayed for sale.
 
This action involved 50 officers, divided into 5 teams, from the Provincial Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (P-WEN) of Bokeo Province; including Police, Army, Courts, Customs and Public Prosecution together with Department of Forest Inspection (DoFI).
 
The two hour-long seizure by the Province took place at five Chinese owned shops in and around the GTZ, three of which were in Chinatown next to the local Casino.
 
Most of the items found were the from endangered species including elephant, bear, tiger and pangolin. All seizure items are now being securely kept at the POFI in Bokeo Province until the Provincial Governor and DoFI decide what action to take next.
 
All five Chinese shops owners were ordered to no longer sell illegal wildlife items or reproductions of wildlife parts. Additionally, the shops now have a sign, a warning from authorities and a Chinese language PMO-05.

WWF-Laos recently led the in-country coordination of a multi-agency review of the efficacy of using financial investigation to identify and disrupt wildlife crimes. Together with WWF International, TRAFFIC, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Department of Forest Inspection (DOFI), WWF-Laos worked on piloting this new capacity-building exercise, the results of which are published on the RUSI website. A Lao translation is also available HERE.

The aim of the exercise was to demonstrate to Lao officials involved in the investigation of wildlife crimes the importance and effectiveness of using financial investigation as a supplementary approach when investigating wildlife cases.

(read more HERE)