Content uploaded by Emerson Y. Sy
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Emerson Y. Sy on Jul 21, 2021
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Wildlife from Forests to Cages: An Analysis of Wildlife Seizures in the Philippines
Abstract and Figures
The illegal wildlife trade is one of the most lucrative transnational crimes in the world. Numerous wildlife are threatened with extinction due to overexploitation for food, medicine, and as pets. Although it is difficult to quantify the illegal wildlife trade due to its mostly clandestine nature, analyzing seizure data can indicate its magnitude. Wildlife seizure records from the DENR, PCSDS, and other sources for the period 2010–2019 were collated and analyzed to identify species threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, hotspots, and trafficking routes. The 10-year seizure dataset involved 511 incidents, 283 taxa, and 44,647 wildlife individuals. Reptiles (n = 16,237 individuals) and birds (n = 6,042) were the top seized live wildlife, while pangolin scales (>2,100 kg) had the most quantity and seizure frequency among derivatives. Intervention policies on the key source, transit, and destination locations were proposed to address illegal wildlife trade in the country.
Figures - uploaded by Emerson Y. Sy
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Emerson Y. Sy
Content may be subject to copyright.
... The lead agency to implement these is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), whereas the on-the-ground operations combating IWT are carried out by the DENR Regional Offices, and through the Philippine Operations Group on Ivory and Illegal Wildlife (POGI), a multi-agency task force. Between 2010 and 2019, a total number of 511 wildlife seizures was recorded in the Philippines, with most of the species belonging to the taxonomic group of reptiles (n=16,237), followed by birds (n=6,042), whereas pangolin scales were the most frequent and quantitative largest derivative seized (>2,100 kg) (Sy, 2021). The Philippines has been active in combating wildlife crime, however, recent confiscation reports, continued violence against wildlife law enforcers, and an on-going high number of illegal wildlife sales unveil that there are still gaps that remain to be addressed (De Vera-Ruiz, 2020;DENR-BMB, 2020a;Tiburcio, 2020). ...
... Since then, the POGI group has reported significant seizures and apprehensions (De Vera-Ruiz, 2020; DENR-BMB, 2020a; Tiburcio, 2020) and the Task Force was decorated with the 2021 Asia Environmental Enforcement Award. Based on records of DENR-BMB, PCSD, and other sources, the total number of seizures between 2010-2019 amounted to 511, with a maximum of 68 confiscations in 2018 and a minimum of 34 confiscations in 2010 21 (Sy, 2021(Sy, , 2020a, personal conversation) (see Figure 7). Most of the species confiscated alive belonged to the group of reptiles (n=16,237), followed by birds (n=6,042), whereas pangolin scales were the most frequent and quantitatively largest derivative seized (>2,100 kg) (Sy, 2021). ...
... Based on records of DENR-BMB, PCSD, and other sources, the total number of seizures between 2010-2019 amounted to 511, with a maximum of 68 confiscations in 2018 and a minimum of 34 confiscations in 2010 21 (Sy, 2021(Sy, , 2020a, personal conversation) (see Figure 7). Most of the species confiscated alive belonged to the group of reptiles (n=16,237), followed by birds (n=6,042), whereas pangolin scales were the most frequent and quantitatively largest derivative seized (>2,100 kg) (Sy, 2021). Even though there have been a lot of efforts to curb IWT, enforcement activities were mainly concentrated in Palawan and in the National Capital Region (NCR). ...
The report published by the Asian Development Bank assesses past and present counter-illegal wildlife trade projects in Southeast Asia and recommends measures to be implemented in the Philippines to protect the country’s wildlife. The report was complemented by the development of a website housing an Illegal Wildlife Trade Project Map and Database in order to facilitate donor coordination, guide funding decisions, and inform project design. Learn more about these endeavours here: https://illegalwildlifetradeprojects.org/
... They are highly dependent on ever-decreasing large living trees to breed in the wild (Klop et al., 2000;Mynott et al., 2021;Reintar et al., 2022;Rode-Margono et al., 2022). In addition, hornbills in the Philippines are poached for the live bird trade as pets and zoological display animals, wild meat, and for traditional indigenous and contemporary material culture (Gonzalez, 2011;Scheffers et al., 2012;Sy, 2021;Tanalgo, 2017; Figure. 1a-c). ...
... For instance, it took Talarak Foundation, a conservation organisation based on Negros Island, nearly a decade of captive breeding attempts before successfully producing the first three Visayas Wrinkled Hornbill Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni from two breeding pairs (Ward et al., 2020). Based on seizure records, Indonesian wildlife, including hornbills, have been documented to be regularly smuggled to the Philippines in the past decades (Sy, 2021;Sy et al., 2022). ...
The hornbills are a group of charismatic bird species occurring in Asia and Africa. Dubbed the “farmers of the forest”, these birds contribute to natural forest regeneration by acting as seed dispersers. The hornbill diversity in the Philippines includes 15 taxa, some of which are the most endangered in the world. Aside from habitat loss, hornbills are also threatened by hunting for wild meat, cultural objects, sport hunting, and live bird trade.
The Philippine laws protect all wildlife, and possession, trade or transportation of wildlife is highly controlled. Despite these laws and regulations, hornbills have been observed for sale in the lucrative and ever-growing online wildlife trade. TRAFFIC conducted online bird trade surveys on Facebook, the preferred platform of wildlife traders in the Philippines, for the past five years (2018–2022) to gather information on hornbills offered for sale.
This has been a relatively undocumented threat in the Philippines and will provide important insights as part of TRAFFIC’s long-term commitment to combat the illegal wildlife trade in the Philippines.
A total of 143 live hornbills representing nine taxa were offered for sale in 76 posts by 55 unique Facebook accounts between 2018– 2022. More than half of endemic hornbills in the trade were nestlings or about to fledge. The Luzon Tarictic Hornbill Penelopides manillae (73% of all individuals) was the most recorded species in the online trade. Two-thirds of traders recorded were in central Luzon (Region III, IV-A, and National Capital Region [NCR]) and likely wild-sourced hornbills within or nearby provinces. Seizure records during the same period recorded 66 hornbills seized in
24 incidents. The quantity of hornbills in trade and seizure incidents peaked in 2019 within the study period.
... Information in this data set usually highlights the poaching / trafficking incident, including the species and / or their parts seized, the seizure location, arrest details, and potentially (depending on the criminals' cooperation) information on trade routes and other actors involved. This approach to investigating IWT issues has been adopted for various research in different areas of the topic (Siriwat et al, 2018), (Sy, 2021), (Verheij, 2010). For this research, it has been adopted for the purpose of highlighting what species are victim to IWT in Nepal. ...
... One poaching incident can involve the seizure of several live animals, animal hides, or parts, of the same species. Where a seizure of a species occurred in the form of a derivative, for example, tiger teeth, it is assumed that the parts derive from one animal, unless otherwise specified, to avoid inflation of the total amount; this follows similar analytical approaches from previous literature on seizure data (Sy, 2021). If a poaching incident seizes, for example, two Leopard hides and 10 Leopard teeth, the assumed number of Leopards poached is two. ...
Final year dissertation examining the extent of the illegal wildlife trade in Nepal
... Smuggling of reptiles to the Philippines has been documented on several occasions and more frequently in recent years (Ching, 2018;CNN Philippines, 2019;Mercene, 2018;Santos, 2018;Sy, 2021;Tristiawati, 2015;Zurbano, 2018). This includes two non-native crocodilian species, Crocodylus novaeguineae and Tomistoma schlegelii, previously documented in the trade with no legal importation records and were most likely brought into the country illegally (Sy, 2015). ...
... Palawan Province is the main wildlife poaching hotspot in the country. Thousands of Palawan Hill Myna, Blue-naped Parrot, Philippine Forest Turtle, and other Palawan-endemic species have been poached and trafficked in the last few years (Sy, 2021). Although the C. porosus has a wide geographic range, the wild population in the Philippines is severely depleted (Webb et al., 2010). ...
The ongoing utilization of online platforms to trade wildlife in the Philippines appears to be increasing in the last two decades. An online survey on 20 Facebook groups specializing in the trade of live reptiles was conducted from July 2016 to December 2018 to elucidate the dynamics of live crocodilian trade in the Philippines. A total of 71 unique posts representing three crocodilian species and a minimum of 164 individuals were posted by 50 traders in Facebook groups during the study period. The Spectacled Caiman Caiman crocodilus was the most traded species with 126 individuals or 77% of the total quantity. The Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus and the critically endangered Philippine Crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis were also documented. While all C. crocodilus individuals offered for sale were most likely imported legally or captive-bred in the Philippines, some C. porosus and C. mindorensis offered for sale may be sourced illegally from the wild.
... In a recent study, 451 tarantula and 350 scorpion species were documented for sale on the Internet (Marshall et al., 2022). In the Philippines, a wildlife seizure analysis from 2010-2019 identified arachnids as the most seized invertebrates with 2,994 tarantulas from 38 taxa and 992 scorpions from four taxa (Sy, 2021). ...
Tarantulas and scorpions are diverse groups of arachnids. The international trade of live arachnids as pets is widespread, with undescribed or newly described species being particularly sought-after by enthusiasts due to their novelty and perceived rarity. Previous studies on wildlife trade in the Philippines have focused on vertebrates (e.g. reptiles, birds, mammals). This study was conducted to provide baseline data on trade dynamics of arachnids. We surveyed five Facebook groups specializing in the trade of live arachnids in 2020 and 2022 which documented more than 16,000 individuals representing 135 and 25 species of tarantulas and scorpions, respectively. Price per individual tarantula ranged from PHP 20 (USD 0.38) for a commonly traded species to PHP2 0,000 (USD382) for an undescribed species. Legality in sourcing and trade is a concern. Non-native arachnids are smuggled regularly by post into the country, while native species are poached and illegally shipped domestically and internationally to supply the pet trade. The Philippine wildlife authorities and Facebook are urged to collaboratively address the ongoing illegal live arachnid trade.
... We extracted seizure data for M. nigra in the Philippines for 2010-2019 from Sy (2021), which provided a current account of the illegal wildlife trade in the Philippines through an analysis of seizure data. The data in Sy (2021) were a collation of datasets from relevant government agencies, published literature, open-source news and social media. ...
The Black Crested Macaque Macaca nigra (Desmarest) is a Critically Endangered species endemic to Indonesia. Populations are in decline due to habitat loss and hunting for the wild meat and exotic pet trade. International trade data involving this species is lacking, though anecdotal information suggests it is being smuggled to the Philippines. To verify this, we conducted online and physical market surveys of publicly accessible wildlife facilities in the Philippines and analysed seizure data for M. nigra in Indonesia and the Philippines from 2010 to 2019. This study reveals insights into illegal trade in M. nigra, which is enabled by laundering illegally sourced animals through zoos and wildlife breeding facilities. Surveys of publicly accessible wildlife facilities in the Philippines confirmed the presence of at least 36 individuals in the country, and an additional 12 were exported from the Philippines to China in 2014-2015. The acquisition of this species by wildlife facilities such as zoos in the Philippines is a concern, as there are no records of legal export to the Philippines. We also documented evidence of smuggling of at least 30 M. nigra individuals to the Philippines through seizure analysis. These findings warrant further research and investigation by authorities to determine the origins of M. nigra in captive wildlife facilities to assess whether they were legally acquired and to prevent the laundering of illegally acquired wildlife.
... A drop in seahorse seizure incidents recorded from 2020-2021 compared to 2017-2019 may be due to a combination of various factorsundetected smuggling activities, insufficient enforcement efforts, reduced poaching activities, and/or artifact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. While seizure data can provide critical trafficking information, it is only an indicative on wildlife trafficking and law enforcement efforts (Sy et al. 2020;Sy 2021). As such, it should be interpreted with caution due to imperfect detection rates, variable enforcement efforts, and incomplete reporting. ...
Seahorses Hippocampus spp. are a unique group of fish characterized by their unusual morphology and male pregnancy. The current 48 seahorse species occur mainly in shallow seawaters globally, of which 10 species occur in the Philippines. Estimated annual seahorse collection in the Philippines for the traditional medicine trade was 4,000,000 individuals and up to 1,000,000 individuals for the live aquarium trade prior to 2004. Due to the significant international trade threatening the survival of seahorses in the wild, the genus Hippocampus was listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Appendix II in 2004. Although seahorses are protected nationally under the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 and Wildlife Act of 2001, large-scale illegal collection in the wild continues. It was estimated that 1.7 million seahorse individuals were collected in the Philippines per year after 2004. Open-source seizure data were collated and official seizure records from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed to provide a status review on seahorse trade dynamics and analyze Philippine law enforcement efforts. Nineteen seizure incidents involving approximately 658 kg of dried seahorses (approximately 280,318 individuals) were recorded in the study period. In addition, 181 kg of dried pipefishes and sea dragons were recorded. While seizures occurred across eight islands, 13 incidents (68%) were documented in the central Philippines (Visayas and Palawan). Preliminary analysis of the seizure data suggests the following: 1) a significant portion (95−100%) of the illegal seahorse trade is not detected by law enforcement activities; 2) National Capital Region and Cebu are important exit points for international trade, and 3) pipefishes and sea dragons may be targeted as an alternative to seahorses.
... Apo, Mindanao Island, influence subsistence hunting, thus threatening deer abundance (Tanalgo 2017). Sy (2021) also reported that the deer is illegally traded on transnational platforms, including its skull, antler, and meat. ...
The Philippine Brown Deer (Rusa marianna Desmarest, 1822) is an endangered species endemic to the Philippines. Deforestation, habitat loss, and subsistence hunting continue to cause its rapidly declining population. To increase knowledge on deer’s conservation and population status in Mindanao, the researchers assessed its abundance and distribution within the Obu Manuvu Ancestral Domain (OMAD) in Mindanao Island, Philippines. Five hundred four-camera trap days were conducted from June to August 2016, followed by 500 days from January to March 2020. Camera trapping was used to detect deer presence and calculate its relative abundance index (RAI). A total of ten cameras were installed in areas with preliminary evidence of deer presence, such as trails, dens, and fecal pellets, and were distributed at 250m minimum distance intervals. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were also undertaken to document indigenous ecological knowledge. A total of four independent detections were documented in 2016 (RAI=0.79), while another four independent sequences were recorded in 2020 (RAI=0.80). Overall, the deer has a low population status and broad distribution across primary and secondary forests at an elevation of 1518 to 1709 m.a.s.l. Meanwhile, the deer was declared a cultural keystone species with several ethnozoological uses. They are important to the life, history, and culture of the Obu Manuvu indigenous community. However, hunting and habitat loss remained the leading anthropogenic threats against the deer despite local conservation efforts. Thus, there is a need to sustain and strengthen conservation efforts through the stringent implementation of wildlife monitoring and enforcement of culture-based protection policies.
The Philippine or Palawan Forest Turtle Siebenrockiella leytensis is the only endemic turtle known to occur in the Philippines. It was assessed as Critically Endangered in 2000 and has been considered as one of the world's top 25 most endangered turtles since 2003. The species is accorded protection nationally by the Wildlife Protection and Conservation Act of 2001 and its international commercial trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). However, the publication of its rediscovery in 2004 triggered unrelenting poaching and trafficking for the pet trade nationally and internationally. With the aim of quantifying the extent of poaching and to provide insight on the trade dynamics, we analyzed seizure records from 2004-2018 and conducted physical and online market surveys in 2017-2018. Twenty-three (23) seizure incidents involving 4,723 Philippine Forest Turtles were recorded in the last 15 years. Based on an online survey, we estimated that an additional 1,200 Philippine Forest Turtles were smuggled and illegally sold in China in 2015. The majority of the 74 live individuals exported legally from the Philippines were likely sourced illegally from the wild and declared fraudulently as captive bred by exporters to obtain CITES permits. While habitat loss or degradation is a major threat, the illegal pet trade remains the most important factor threatening the survival of the Philippine Forest Turtles in the wild.
The Tokay Gecko Gekko gecko is traded internationally in the millions annually for use in traditional medicines and to a lesser extent, for the pet trade. The vast majority of Tokay Geckos are collected in the wild and apparent captive-bred individuals may be in fact wild-caught as well. A get-rich-quick scheme involving the trade of Tokay Gecko across Southeast Asia began in 2009. Foreign buyers were purportedly willing to pay PHP1,000,000-500,000,000 (USD20,000- 10,000,000) for Tokay Geckos weighing 300-1,000g per individual to cure human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS), impotence, and cancer. Seizure data between 2010 and 2012 from seven islands in the Philippines documented 24 cases involving 2,092 Tokay Gecko individuals. A proposal to list the Tokay Gecko in the CITES Appendix II was submitted by the Philippines, European Union, India, and the United States to monitor, regulate, and assist in preventing illegal and unsustainable trade and was eventually accepted by the Parties during the 18th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP18) in August 2019. We strongly recommend CITES Parties make full and effective use of CITES in preventing over-exploitation of the Tokay Gecko.
Southeast Asia, perhaps more than any other region, encapsulates the full range of global challenges facing the management of biodiversity and trade in wildlife. Political and socio-economic disparities are large. Rapid development of infrastructure—often backed by foreign investments—and land conversion continues to challenge the region’s biodiversity hotspots. Levels of poaching, trafficking and consumption of wildlife products in Southeast Asia are persistent, if not increasing. The region’s endemic species and local populations of more widely distributed taxa remain under severe threat from hunting and illegal trade. This is particularly acute for many of the region’s terrestrial fauna. The 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) function as source, consumer and as entrepôts for wildlife coming from within the region as well as the rest of the world—for trade that is both legal and illegal, with many inadequacies and loopholes concerning regulation, law enforcement and overall levels of sustainability. This globally connected trade feeds a demand for wild animals, parts and products for use as trophies and trinkets (or luxury goods), traditional medicine (TM) ingredients (including formal prescriptions and informal ‘health tonics’), and the multi-billion-dollar live animal trade.
To contextualise this issue for the Southeast Asian region, we undertook an assessment to profile the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade implicating the region, focusing on some of the most traded taxonomic groups of terrestrial fauna. The overall analysis illustrates the main problems facing the region in two priority aspects: 1) where trade is prohibited and illegal, and 2) where legal trade is permitted but conducted in either an illegal and /or unsustainable manner (including where trade regulations are not robust enough, ambiguous or poorly regulated and enforced, which allows illegal trade to occur). This assessment presents an overview of the trade dynamics and broadly contextualises common patterns, challenges and potential solutions to overcome these threats. Country profiles for the 10 ASEAN countries have been generated, summarising pressing local circumstances that enable illegal and unsustainable trade. The country profiles further propose a range of solutions to counter these challenges to reduce the prevalence of illegal trade coming to or through the Southeast Asian region.
New record of Kaloula pulchra, Eleutherodactylus planirostris and Hoplobatrachus rugulosus on Leyte Island, Philippines
Illegal trade in wildlife in Indonesia is rampant, and includes many little-known species, such as the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus Ailurops ursinus. Too often the trade in less charismatic species goes unnoticed, with many being pushed towards extinction. Sadly, few, if any, effective interventions are put in place to prevent further declines. The demand for the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus appears to be small but growing both nationally and internationally and increasingly, carried out on online platforms, making enforcement of existing policies difficult. Legal protection for Sulawesi Bear Cuscus in Indonesia is inadequate, obstructing effective enforcement efforts. Furthermore, the species is not listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), making international control impossible. Here we examine the trade in Indonesia’s bear cuscus species and make recommendations for more effective prevention of illegal trade at national and international levels.
The illegal wildlife trade is a major threat to an increasingly long list of species, and nowhere is this threat greater than in Southeast Asia. The demand for live animals from Southeast Asian countries for the exotic pet trade threatens a wide variety of species, including some already on the brink of extinction. Here we report on seizures made of the Critically Endangered western long-beaked echidna Zaglossus bruijnii, which took place in the Philippines in 2014. The animals originated from Indonesia where they are totally protected by law. Indonesia, however, remains a major source of illegally acquired wildlife for the international trade and it is imperative that actions is taken, nationally and internationally, to reduce current levels of illegal trade and ultimately to ensure species like the western long-beaked echidna are no longer threatened.
Journal of Indonesian Natural History Vol 5 No 1/2: 22-26
This book provides a comprehensive, global exploration of the scale, scope, threats, and drivers of wildlife trafficking from a criminological perspective. Building on the first edition, it takes into account the significant changes in the international context surrounding these issues since 2013. It provides new examples, updated statistics, and discusses the potential changes arising as a result of COVID-19 and the IPBES 2019 report. It also discusses the shift in trafficking ‘hotspots’ and the recent projects that have challenged responses to wildlife trafficking. It undertakes a distinctive exploration of who the victims and offenders of wildlife trafficking are as well as analysing the stakeholders who are involved in collaborative efforts to end this devastating green crime. It unpacks the security implications of wildlife trade and trafficking and possible responses and ways to combat it. It provides useful and timely information for social and environmental/life scientists, law enforcement, NGOs, and policy makers.
Tanya Wyatt is Professor of Criminology at Northumbria University, UK. Her research focuses on green crimes, such as wildlife trafficking and animal welfare, and these crimes' intersection with organized crime, corporate crime, and corruption.
Six alien frogs have been introduced in the Philippines: chronologically, Hylarana erythraea, Rhinella marina, Lithobates catesbeianus, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus, Kaloula pulchra, and Eleutherodactylus planirostris. Here, we collected and synthesized historical and geographical data to reconstruct their history of invasion and to update their current invasion status and distribution in the Philippines. Four pathway categories (falling in 8 subcategories) have facilitated their introduction: (1) intentional ‘release’ for biological control and hunting in the wild; (2) ‘escape’ from farms; (3) ‘contamination’ of agricultural commodities, fish stocks, and ornamental plants/nursery materials; and (4) ‘stowaway’ on container/bulk and (hitchhiker on) ship/boat – of which the last two were important in most recent introductions. Their spatio-temporal pattern of distribution showed a stratified-diffusion process of spread involving primarily leading-edge and long-distance dispersal. The pathways that facilitated their secondary (post-introduction) long-distance dispersal were either the same as those of their introduction or shifted over time. Estimation of rate of spread showed that H. erythraea, R. marina, H. rugulosus, and K. pulchra have not reached spatial saturation and are conditioning to spread, with the latter spreading fastest. The status of Lithobates catesbeianus, whether it successfully established or not, is undetermined. Meanwhile, the other alien frogs are now considered fully invasive species, of which R. marina is the most widespread, whereas E. planirostris is the least distributed. Our study provides science-based information that can help guide the development and implementation of pathway-specific measures to prevent and control future and current invasions by alien frogs.
In this book the author examines the illegal wildlife trade from multiple perspectives: the historical context, the impact on the environment, the scope of the problem internationally, the sociocultural demand for illegal products, the legal efforts to combat it, and several case studies from inside the trade. The illegal wildlife trade has become a global criminal enterprise, following in the footsteps of drugs and weapons. Beyond the environmental impact, financial profits from the illegal wildlife trade often fund organized crime groups and violent gangs that threaten public safety and security in myriad ways.
This innovative volume covers several key questions surrounding the wildlife trade: why is there a demand for illegal wildlife products, which actors are involved in the trade, how is the business organized, and what are the harmful consequences. The author performed ethnographic fieldwork in three key markets: Russia, Morocco, and China, and has constructed a detailed picture of how the wildlife trade operates in these areas.
Conversations with informants directly involved in the illegal business ensure unique insights into this lively black market. In the course of his journey the author follows the route of the illegal wildlife trade from poor poaching areas to rich business districts where corrupt officials, legally registered companies, wildlife farms and sophisticated criminal organizations all have a share. A fascinating look inside the world of poachers, smugglers and traders.