Abstract
We report on illegal international trade in Indian Star Tortoises (Geochelone elegans), with a particular focus on India and Thailand.Within India, this species has received protection as a Schedule IV list species of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 for over 40 years. This study documents the illegal trade of 55,000 individuals poached from just one ‘trade hub’ in India. Although domestic demand persists, these individuals appear to have been primarily sourced to satiate international demand for pets in other Asian countries (e.g. Thailand and China). Since 1975, this species has been included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that regulates all commercial trade. However, an analysis of the CITES trade records relating to Thailand imports (between 2004 and 2013) found large discrepancies indicating potential illegal activity which question the legitimacy of its founding captive stock. Given its role as a major hub of illegal trade activity, both as a consumer and a country of transit, we support calls for Thailand to prohibit private ownership by extending its domestic legislation to also cover non-indigenous tortoise species. In consideration of conservation and animal welfare concerns, we also call for more field research to determine the impacts of illegal trade on wild populations, an updated assessment of its conservation status, increased cooperation between national enforcement agencies, and the implementation of targeted human behaviour change initiatives to help reduce consumer demand for this species.
Highlights
The illegal trade in wildlife is a big and burgeoning business, with global profits estimated to be worth between $8 – $10 billion US dollars each year (Lawson and Vines 2014)
We found Kazakhstan to be most frequently cited as the country of origin (70%) Lebanon (20%) and Kyrgyzstan (10%) are cited with Indian Star Tortoises passing through Thailand for an indefinite period of time (Suppl. material 1)
The Indian Star Tortoise was last formally assessed for the IUCN Red List fifteen years ago when it was classified as Lower Risk/Least Concern
Summary
The illegal trade in wildlife is a big and burgeoning business, with global profits estimated to be worth between $8 – $10 billion US dollars each year (Lawson and Vines 2014) It can have severe negative impacts on wild populations, leading to biodiversity loss, the introduction of invasive species, and disease (Bush et al 2014). A recent global analysis of reptile trade indicates an apparent shift away from illegally wild-caught to legal captive-bred sources over recent decades (Robinson et al 2015) Despite this trend, INTERPOL seized thousands of live reptiles and products worth more than 28 million US dollars following a global reptile enforcement operation ‘RAMP’ in 2010 (INTERPOL 2010). Some reptile groups ( freshwater turtles and tortoises) are facing disproportionately high extractions and proportionately high extinction risks, with consumer demand for use as food, curios, ceremonies, and pets being a major threat to their survival (Robinson et al 2015)
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