A group photo of the participants to the e-permitting meeting

The development and use of CITES e-permitting systems, and their role in ensuring legal, sustainable and traceable international trade in CITES-listed species, was discussed by countries in Asia at a meeting in Guangzhou, China on 9 to 11 May 2012.

The rapid advances by some countries in the Asian Region on use of new electronic trade standards, including the establishment of ‘Single Windows’¹, assisted participants in discussing joint projects on the establishment of secure-permitting systems to: reduce fraud; improve on meeting reporting obligations; enhance permit issuance and administration; and provide up-to-the-minute data to assist with CITES scientific assessments (non-detriment findings and significant trade reviews).

The meeting was jointly organized by the CITES Secretariat and the Government of China and made possible through the generous financial support of China and the European Commission.

The Asian Region also benefits from the framework provided by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) whose member countries have agreed to implement an ASEAN Single Window, which will create a simplified, standardized and integrated environment for cargo clearance in line with international best practices and norms².

Participation in the meeting by representatives from: Brazil and Namibia; the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre; the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the Chair of the CITES e-permitting working group, offered participants the opportunity to plan innovative projects. This included making use of South-South collaboration, as well as the unique expertise available in the participating countries and international organizations. Brazil, for example, has offered to make its know-how freely available to countries in the Latin American Region and in other regions that are planning to implement CITES e-permitting systems.

Ms Yin Hong, Vice Administrator of State Forestry Administration and Director General of the Endangered Species Import and Export Management Office of China stated, “China is pleased to work together with Parties to CITES, international organizations and the CITES Secretariat to push forward the development of technologies to strengthen the protection of CITES species and to better regulate trade, enhance law enforcement and make greater contributions to sustainable social and economic development. ”

In his opening remarks, Secretary-General, Mr. John E. Scanlon, noted that, “A sustainable future is being discussed in the context of the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June of this year, often known as Rio+20.  Sustainability is not achieved through one action but through the accumulation of multiple actions.  Actions such as those being taken today – namely to put into place e-permitting systems for legal, sustainable and traceable trade in CITES listed species – help build the essential foundations for environmental sustainability and sustainable development.  E-permitting systems offer us one of the tools we need to reach the future we want.”

During the meeting, a representative of the WCO announced the successful conclusion of an initiative to include standards of the CITES e-permitting toolkit with the new version of the WCO Data Model, scheduled for release in October 2012. In his announcement, Mr Sybrand Bootsma, WCO Technical Officer, declared, “The joint achievement by the CITES Secretariat and the WCO will make it easier for CITES Parties to develop e-permitting systems that are fully harmonized with international standards and to Single Windows.  It also paves the way for other multilateral environmental agreements to make use of the framework provided by the WCO data model.”

Participants in the meeting also focused on the positive impacts of CITES e-permitting systems on the provision of up-to-the-minute data for scientific findings and reviewing levels of trade. During these discussions, Mr Mathias Löertscher, Chair of the Working Group on CITES E-permitting and Head of the CITES Management Authority of Switzerland, stated, “CITES e-permitting systems will strengthen the science base of the Convention by providing the scientific community with data that can be used to better monitor CITES-listed species in the wild and can be combined with other datasets for the development of more relevant biodiversity indicators.”

The meeting concluded by recommending a number of bilateral and regional projects, which will assist Parties to plan and develop e-permitting systems, benefiting from lessons learned. Recommendations were also made to begin discussions on a project between Brazil, Namibia and China on using new e-permitting technologies to ensure legal, sustainable and traceable trade.

1. A Single Window is defined as a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and documents with a single entry point to fulfil all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements. If information is electronic, then individual data elements should only be submitted once (Recommendation and Guidelines on establishing a Single Window to enhance the efficient exchange of information between trade and government (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitationand Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), Recommendation No. 33).

2. Agreement to Establish and Implement the ASEAN Single Window, Kuala Lumpur, 9 December 2005 (http://www.aseansec.org/18005.htm)

http://weibo.com/actasiaforanimals

Our deepest THANK YOU to  

“ACTAsia for Animals“ 

PETITION

with Love,

Care for Chinese Animals

Oceana, WildAid, NRDC, Defenders of Wildlife, Shark Savers, Born Free USA, COARE, Shark Research Institute

Photo credit: Humane Society of the United States

A coalition of animal welfare, environmental and conservation organizations joined City Council Member Margaret Chin, D-Lower  Manhattan and other city and state legislators for a rally on City Hall steps to announce her resolution in support of the state legislation to end New York’s contribution to the dire collapse of shark populations worldwide.

Resolution 1311 calls upon the New York legislature to enact and the Governor to sign A.7707a/S.6431, which would prohibit the possession, sale, offer for sale, trade, or distribution of shark fins. If enacted, New York will join four Pacific states – California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington – and the U.S. territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands in similar actions to provide critical protection to sharks and preserve the health of the world’s ocean ecosystems. The bipartisan state legislation has the broad sponsorship support of 58 legislators and is championed by Assembly Members Alan Maisel, D-Brooklyn, Grace Meng, D-Flushing, and Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan and Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-Buffalo.

“I am proud to sponsor this resolution in support of a ban on the sale and distribution of shark fins,” said Council Member Margaret Chin, D- Lower Manhattan. “As we all know, in our country the main consumers of shark fin are Asian American communities. Shark fin soup may be a time honored tradition for a small group of people but it has no place in today’s society. Let’s call this trade what it is: illicit, inhumane and unnecessary. I stand here today to say that I will not support an industry that thrives off cruelty.”

“We must to put an end to the shark fin trade before it is too late,” said Council Member Daniel Dromm, D-Queens. “The practice is both cruel and reckless, and the effects on our ecosystem have been devastating. We cannot continue to allow people to make large profits at the expense of endangering our marine life. I commend Council Member Margaret Chin for her leadership in drawing attention to this pressing issue and I urge my colleagues in government to support this resolution.”

“It is my great pleasure to join with Councilwoman Chin at today’s rally to announce her resolution supporting the legislation that Senator Mark Grisanti and I have introduced,” said Assemblymember Alan Maisel, D-Brooklyn. “We must once and for all stop all activities associated with the barbaric practice of shark finning and make New York State a leader in the protection of threatened species that are an important element of our marine ecosystem.”

“Shark finning’ is an irresponsible practice that kills millions of sharks every year. Unless we act now, global shark populations will be greatly affected for many years to come, said Assemblywoman Grace Meng, D-Flushing. “As a legislator I will continue to support legislation and efforts that will protect sharks and the overall health of oceanic ecosystems.”

“New York must not be complicit in the practice of shark finning, which has led to the extinction of shark populations around the world and wreaks havoc on our entire oceanic system,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, D-Manhattan. “By adopting this bill, which I am proud to co-sponsor, New York will join other states, including the entire West Coast, in banning the possession and sale of shark fins. New York will no longer be a refuge for those looking to make a profit from the illicit trade of shark fins.”

Statements from each participating organization are included below:

Patrick Kwan, New York state director for The Humane Society of the United States, said: “New York should not be a haven for the cruel, wasteful and unsustainable trade in shark fin. The Empire State has long taken action to protect other threatened and endangered species such as tigers, elephants and bears, now it’s time we start protecting sharks and stop contributing to this cruelty and help end the inhumane and ecologically devastating practice of shark finning worldwide.”

Amanda Keledjian, a marine scientist for Oceana said: “Eating shark fin soup is driving an unsustainable and cruel demand for the slaughter of our sharks.  These incredible animals are critical to maintaining balance within our oceans, and their depletion puts jobs and coastal health at risk.  These finning bans are an important first step in promoting shark conservation and raising awareness about the many threats these creatures face.”

Iris Ho, wildlife campaigns manager of  Humane Society International, said: “Tens of millions of sharks are killed every year to meet global demand for shark fins. Many have their fins sliced off and are then tossed back into the ocean to suffer a painful death. We applaud the humane leadership of Council Member Margaret Chin for championing this historic effort to end cruelty and protect shark populations and ocean ecosystems.”

Peter Knights, executive director of  WildAid, said: “These are ecosystems that have evolved over millions and millions of years. As soon as you start to take out an important part of it, it’s like a brick wall, you take out bricks and eventually it’s going to collapse.”

Sarah Chasis, oceans initiative director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “Worldwide, shark populations are in steep decline, threatening a cascade of devastation down the ocean food chain. We know that shark-finning is a significant cause of this decline and we know how to stop it. New York’s shark legislation will eliminate our state’s contribution to the demand that drives the practice of finning.”

Alejandra Goyenechea, international counsel for Defenders of Wildlife, said: “Finning is decimating the world’s shark populations at an alarming rate and now New York has a chance to join the worldwide movement dedicated to halting this practice and ensuring this species’ survival. This is truly an example of ‘Think globally, act locally’.”

Michael Skoletsky, executive director of Shark Savers, said: “Sharks are critically important to a healthy marine environment and divers like me have grown to appreciate sharks as being intelligent and graceful animals. New York should not participate in the deadly shark fin trade that is primarily responsible for devastating shark populations throughout the world.”

Tracy Coppola, program associate for Born Free USA, said: “Born Free USA strongly believes that one cannot effectively protect sharks without eliminating the market for shark fins. Sharks face many threats in today’s oceans, but the practice of ‘shark finning’ is by far the cruelest of all. It is time for New York to speak out against this unspeakably cruel practice.”

Christopher Chin, executive director of The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, andEducation, said: “Sharks are vital for healthy ocean ecosystems, but their populations have declined dramatically the last few decades as a result of human greed and lack of understanding. Animals at the top of the food chain, such as sharks, have few natural predators, so they are slow to mature and have very few young. As a result, they are extremely sensitive to fishing pressures, and are slow to recover from overfishing.”

Marie Levine, executive director of the Shark Research Institute, said: “Much of the shark fin trade uses fins hacked off living sharks. If we found dogs and horses with their legs severed, bleeding and dying, the public outrage would be deafening. The difference is that finning takes place at sea, out of sight. Because the trade is largely unregulated and unmonitored, and finning often takes place beyond national and state jurisdiction, the most effective method to bring an end to this brutal practice is through legislation such as this.”

Facts:

• The fins from up to 73 million sharks are used to make shark fin soup each year.
• Conservation enforcement and finning bans in the U.S. alone are not enough to conserve sharks. A ban on shark fin products, such as A.7707a/S.6431 proposes, is the most effective way to eliminate the demand for shark fins and to eradicate shark finning around the world.
• Shark fin is often the most expensive item on restaurant menus and typically served simply as a symbol of status. It has no nutritional value and is the main driver of the multi-billion dollar international shark fin trade. The dish is highly controversial because of the manner in which shark fins are harvested and the precarious status of many shark populations.
• In 2011, President Obama signed the Shark Conservation Act to strengthen the federal law against shark finning at sea and require that sharks be landed with their fins still attached.

Petition Sponsored by: Hong Kong Dog Rescue

Mr John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General, presenting a Certificate of
Cmmendation to Ms Yin Hong, Vice Aministrator of State Forestry
Administration

The Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Mr John E. Scanlon, has today awarded a Certificate of Commendation to the National Inter-Agency CITES Enforcement Collaboration Group (NICECG) of China in recognition of two nationwide wildlife law enforcement operations carried out earlier this year. Over 100,000 enforcement officers were mobilised in this effective offensive against wildlife crime.

During the Forest Police Operation, organized by the State Forestry Administration, more than 700 cases of illegal wildlife trade were uncovered; 7,155 illegal wildlife stalls and shops as well as 628 illegal online wildlife shops were shut down; 520 websites believed to offer for sale illegal wildlife were closely monitored; enforcement action was taken against 1,031 wildlife dealers involved in illegal activities; 13 wildlife-related criminal networks were dismantled and approximately 130,000 wild animals; 2,000 wildlife products and 147 wild animal skins were conficated.

During the Customs Authorities Operation, organized by the General Administration of Customs, 13 suspects were arrested; 1,366.3 kg of ivory, 337,400 kg of red sandal wood; and approximately 30,000 kg of yew timber and 876 horns of saiga antelope were seized.

These two major operations were carried out under the auspices of NICECG, which was established in December 2011 in order to facilitate the collection and exchange of intelligence, enhance capacity building, and coordinate joint enforcement activities. NICECG comprises the State Forestry Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Customs, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Administration of Industry and Commerce. The CITES Management Authority of China, hosted by the State Forestry Administration, is the coordinating body of NICECG.

The CITES Secretary-General, Mr John E Scanlon, presented the Certficate of Commendation to the Chair of NICECG and Vice Minister of the State Forestry Administration, Ms Yin Hong, at the opening ceremony of a meeting hosted by China on the Development of CITES E-Permitting Systems, which is being held in Guangzhou and attended by participants from 14 CITES member States. Mr Scanlon declared: “The sheer scale, extent of coordination, and level of success of these intelligence-driven operations exemplify the coordinated enforcement effort that is required at the national and sub-national levels to combat wildlife crime successfully. We commend the Chinese Government for this excellent initiative, which echoes the coordinated enforcement approach that we are promoting through the International Consortium on Combatting Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).”

At the acceptance of the Certificate of Commendation, Ms Yin Hong, stated: “The Government of China attaches great importance to the protection of the ecological system, and has always given high priority to the protection of biological diversity and wildlife law enforcement. China is committed to work with the international community to enhance the implementation and enforcement of CITES.”

Although China has been conducting nationwide wildlife enforcement actions for many years, the new operations coordinated by NICECG, have clearly given new impetus to CITES implementation. NICECG is also serving as a model at the provincial level, with five CITES enforcement inter-agency groups being set up.

Dr Meng Xianlin, Executive Director-General of the CITES Management Authority of China, said: “We see the Certificate of Commendation from the CITES Secretary-General as a very positive recognition of the law enforcement efforts made by China in the implementation of CITES, one for which we are extremely grateful. This is an invaluable encouragement to all the wildlife law enforcement officers across China. NICECG will spare no efforts to bring its power into full play in order to gather concerted efforts of all relevant authorities in combating illegal activities in wildlife and to curb illegal wildlife trade effectively. ”

CITES implementation has also recently been brought to the fore at the highest political level. In the joint statement issued after the fourth round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held from 3 to 4 May in Beijing, article 47 states that: “We decide to jointly support the wildlife law enforcement efforts and to combat the smuggling of endangered and protected species. China and the United States will attend the Special Investigation Group Meeting held from 20 to 21 June 2012 in Nanning, China, led by ASEAN-WEN. At the meeting, wildlife investigators and forensic experts will identify and recommend improved enforcement and inspection efforts.”

News to share:

Good news: suspension of Foie Gras operations in China.

After national and international protests, the Directors of Creek Project Investments have announced a suspension of the development of their intended biggest Foie Gras plant in Mainland China, until the completion of a full review with input from animal welfare and environmental experts to address any issues.

Please see the good news below, and great appreciation for all of your support to stop this cruel Foie Gras business in China! Please keep giving pressures to The Government of UK and Greek Project Investments for giving up this cruel investment completely to avoiding not only the suffering of animals but also the damage of human’s heath and food wasting. 

Thank you !

_______________________________

Creek Project Investments PLC’s Directors announced a suspension of current operations in their Foie Gras operation, pending a full review of issues concerning animal welfare

Related news:

Stop world’s largest foie gras farming in China by UK based

Go to Change.org to stop the world’s biggest foie gras project

Photos: courtesy of 4.20 Kunming Dog Rescue 

The donations towards  dog rescue or other cat rescues can be made via the link as below, many thanks on behalf of the animal rescuers and animals in China!: http://www.antifursociety.org/DONATE.html Use this link to donate – there’s a button special for the Chinese animals. Please spread the word.

As ever, thank you so much for your support !!

Care for Chinese Animals.

_____________________-

PAST NEWS:

April 20th 500 caged dogs rescued in Kunming China

http://careforchineseanimals.net/2012/04/22/april-20th-500-caged-dogs-rescued-in-kunming-china/

News to share:

GLOBAL APPEAL TO STOP ‘IRISH’ RACE HORSE EXPORTS TO ‘CHINA’- BAD IDEA!

Irish Plan to develop Horse racing and send Irish race Horses to China-please protest asap- worldwide response needed now from everyone! Every protest counts from around the world.

Please see these two articles here:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/101697

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Export-of-Irish-horses-and-equine-knowledge-to-China-could-bring-in-over-52-million-147727255.html

Please therefore write to:

Irish Prime Minister
Enda Kenny
taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie

Simon Coveney
Irish Department of Agriculture
simon.coveney@agriculture.gov.ie

keep all correspondence polite 

PETITION:

https://www.change.org/petitions/irish-prime-minister-enda-kenny-global-appeal-to-stop-irish-race-horse-exports-to-china

________

Urge China to introduce an Animal Protection Law

Animal suffering in China is huge and growing. At the same time, there is no legislation to protect them whatsoever, which leaves local animal welfare groups stand empty-handed in their battle against cruelty in China. China has only some laws protecting endangered species of wild animals, but no protection for other animals within the country.

In a land with no laws, anything is possible, and when anything is possible, every horror imaginable occurs.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/Urge-China-to-introduce-an-Animal-Protection-Law/

_____________________________________________

4.20 Kunming Dog Rescue – 4.20 昆明救狗

http://news.sina.com.cn/s/2012-04-21/075524307389.shtml

On the night of April the 19^th, an urgent message via Weibo (Chinese Twitter) said that there was a truck filled with caged dogs coming towards the Fumin-Kunming Highway. Hundreds of loving citizens came to the toll station on the highway within half an hour in an effort to stop the truck, which has to pass through there. The volunteers called local police and at 11pm the truck, with 505 dogs in 156 cages, was stopped at the toll station on the highway of Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province, southwest of China.

Both the caged dogs and the volunteers were made to wait over night at the police station for officers from various local governments to arrive. During this time volunteers tried their best to provide water and food for the poor dogs who were all squeezed into the cages, and even with their best efforts many dogs were injured and some even died.  The next morning police officers finally allowed the volunteers to take the cages down from the trucks as their situation was worsening. The loving volunteers worked hard to keep all dogs fed and as healthy as possible, as well as providing shade and protecting them from the hot sun.

There were many breeds of dogs that were kidnapped including Husky and Samoyed, with many wearing leads and wearing clothes, clear indications that these dogs were stolen from their families by these evil people. Many dogs were very weak and sick from the terrible ordeal.

The driver of the truck had no legal paper work with him, and the dogs were supposed to be released by the Animal Quarantine Office. However, the local AQ officer had phoned the AQ office in Xichang, Sichuan Province, where the truck had originally come from, and declared the certificate that they had over there legal. This caused the officers to allow any healthy dogs to go back to the driver. It is ridiculous that such a thing was allowed based on no evidence that there is even a real certificate. Even with a legal certificate the poor dogs should never be allowed to go back to the dog napper.  By this time it was getting dark, and the police forced volunteers out of the police station. The poor dogs were caged again and reloaded up to the truck to prepare to go. To stop this injustice from happening the volunteers refused to leave and waited outside the front gate of the police station and sent out a message for more people to come via Weibo. Dog lovers from inside and outside of China called the local government and the police station repeatedly to protest their decision.

Volunteers had their cars block the front gate of the police station in order to stop the truck and dogs leaving, and many volunteers and dog lovers arrived to block the front gate and tell them to release the dogs. It is wonderful to see so many loving people go to such efforts to rescue these dogs!

Finally a sum of 60000 RMB (around $10000 USD) was paid by a loving person who does not wish to be named, and the dogs were finally released to a local animal rescue group. This happened on the midnight of April the 20^th, and the tired volunteers were happy to see the dogs finally being freed from their cages.  On the morning of April the 21^st more volunteers and local vets came to treat injured dogs and ensure their safety. Many citizens in Kunming wish to adopt dogs and it was great to already see some dogs being given a nice home. The Kunming Yixin Stray Animal Rescue group had around four hundred dogs in their shelter before the 20/04 rescue, and endeavoured to make more space for the rescued dogs to stay in. Hopefully with support from more loving people from China as well as elsewhere in the world, the rescued dogs will recover soon and be returned to be family members again.

Though it is unfortunate that such a large sum of money had to be paid to the evil dog nappers to get the dogs to be released, it is still great to hear these dogs will now be safe and sound. The 4.20 Kunming dog rescue is sure to make the history books of animal protection in China.

Photos of SOS#4.20 Kunming Dog Rescue: http://news.qq.com/a/20120422/000226.htm#p=1

Links of Kunming Yixin Stray Animal Rescue group

http://www.weibo.com/u/2150153312 ;  http://shop65133568.taobao.com/

Link of SOS#4.20 Dog rescue

Briefly translated by Joy Gao

~~~

The donations towards  dog rescue or other cat rescues can be made via the link as below, many thanks on behalf of the animal rescuers and animals in China!: http://www.antifursociety.org/DONATE.html Use this link to donate – there’s a button special for the Chinese animals. Please spread the word.

~~~

April  22^nd 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

156 cages with 505 dogs down loaded at the local police station on 20^th of April

Feeding dogs water and food while waiting at police station

13 year old famous Child Star Zhao Dan and her brother with their Dad were there after school for rescue dogs.  In her weibo, she was asking all her friend of the directors, the movie stars and her friend to help to save dogs. She is real hope of China!

http://www.weibo.com/zhaodan1997

A girl pet a caged dog while waiting

Donations collecting for saving dogs

The dogs were being reloaded to the truck by truck driver which made the volunteers heartbroken in the afternoon 20^th April.

“The WSJ’s Deborah Kan speaks to Managing Editor of the Chinese WSJ, Li Yuan, on what China’s blogging about — tainted gel caps and a northern city’s ban on big dogs.”