BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE IN MALAYSIA

1. Presented by: Rt Hon. Tan Sri Richard Malanjum Chief Judge of Sabah & Sarawak BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE IN MALAYSIA

2. Malaysia is ranked 12th in terms of biodiversity richness. • Malaysia’s forested area covers more than half of its total land area or about 60% or 19.52 mil. ha • Malaysia is a tropical country that houses various types of ecosystems and biodiversity: i. forests biodiversity; ii. mountain biodiversity; iii. inland waters biodiversity; iv. marine and coastal biodiversity; and v. agricultural biodiversity. OvERVIEW OF MALAYSIA’S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

3. Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (FDPM); • Forestry Department Sabah; • Forest Department of Sarawak; • Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM); • Department of Wildlife and National Park; • Department of Marine Parks Malaysia; • Sabah Biodiversity Centre; • Sarawak Biodiversity Centre. Biodiversity management related agencies in malaysia:

4. National Forestry Policy 1978 (Revised 1992) • National Policy on Biological Diversity 1998 • Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 • CITES Act, 2008 • Biosafety Act,2007 • National Forestry Act 1984 • Sabah Forestry Enactment • Forests Ordinance Sarawak List of policies, laws and regulations

5. SUMMARY OF OvERALL BIODIVERSITY RICHNESS

6. Land use changes especially for agriculture, housing demand and plantation; • Unsustainable development projects; • Natural disaster (tsunami and forest fire); • Theft of native plants such as wild and rare orchids by foreigners; and • Poaching and illegal wildlife trade (by local and foreigners). THREATS TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY and primary cause OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS

7. 15 strategies and 87 actions (NPBD 1998): i. Conservation and sustainable use; and ii. Fair and equitable sharing of benefits from utilization of biodiversity. • NPBD 1998 is now being updated due to the global Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. • To transform Malaysia into a world centre of excellence in conservation, research and utilization of tropical biological diversity in the year 2020. • To conserve Malaysia’s biological diversity and to ensure that its components are utilised in a sustainable manner for the continued progress and socio-economic development of the nation. MALAYSIA’S NATIONAL POLICY ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (NPBD)

8. The 26 Million Tree Planting; • Tree Planting Programme along coastlines area; • Centre Forest Spine; • Heart of Borneo; • Coral Triangle Initiatives (CTI); • National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP); • Providing sanctuaries for endangered animals; and • Facilitating the continuation of habitats of animals such as the elephant corridors in Sabah Conservations programmes in malaysia

9. Recent initiatives for Conservation of biodiversity

10. Recent initiatives for Conservation of biodiversity

11. Convention on biological diversity (CBD); • RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands; • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC); and • United Nations Forum on Forest (UNFF) International Environmental treaties and conventions to which Malaysia is a party:

12. Malaysia is known as a wildlife smuggling hub and transit point • Lack of skills and expertise in species identification • Communication between enforcement agencies • Investigation and prosecution • Power to compound offences Issues on Wildlife Poaching and Illegal Trade

13. Malaysia a Hub For Wildlife Smuggling

14. Wildlife Smuggling Species • For Pets Grey Parrot Madagascar Tortoise

15. Wildlife Smuggling Items • Collection/ “luxury item” Made from Ivory

16. Wildlife Smuggling Species • Exotic food Frozen Pangolins

17. Wildlife Trafficking In Southeast Asia 22 Nov. 2011 – Seizure in Thailand of 50 rare pangolins from Malaysia en route to China, via Laos 17 Nov. 2011 – Seizure in Malaysia of approx. 700 protected animals (monitor lizards, snakes, tortoises) Source: UNODC

18. Wildlife Trafficking • TIGER: • ORIGIN: • Sumatra • Cambodia • TRANSIT: • Malaysia • Thailand • Laos • Vietnam • DESTINATION: • Primarily China Via land / sea Via land / sea Via air Source: TRAFFIC

19. Wildlife Trafficking PANGOLINS ORIGIN : Indonesia Malaysia Cambodia TRANSIT : Singapore Kuala Lumpur Bangkok Hanoi Penang DESTINATION : Domestic International - China Via land / sea Via land / sea Via air Source: TRAFFIC

20. Wildlife Trafficking Frozen/Wild pangolin, turtle, monitor lizard and snake : ORIGIN : Malaysia Borneo Sumatra TRANSIT: Penang Kuala Lumpur Johor DESTINATION : Primarily China Via land / sea Via sea Via air From Philippines From Borneo Source: TRAFFIC

21. Wildlife Trafficking PARROT/OTHER EXOTIC BIRDS: ORIGIN : Sumatra/Medan Papua Irian EXIT: Belawan and TanjungBalai in Medan, Kuala Tungkal in Jambi, Batam and Riau. ENTRANCE: Penang, Malacca, Johor Via land / sea Via sea Johor From Palembang /Papua / Irian Source: TRAFFIC

22. Wildlife Trafficking Via land BULBUL/OTHER BIRDS: ORIGIN : Thailand Malaysia DESTINATION : Malaysia Indonesia Via sea Johor

23. Wildlife Trafficking TURTLES/TORTOISE ORIGIN: Indonesia Czech Republic India Madagascar Zambia and Chennai TRANSIT/ DESTINATION : SE Asia Japan China / Hong Kong Malaysia Source: TRAFFIC

24. Wildlife Black Market Source: Havocscope (Global Black Market Information)

25. Smuggling Cases Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus) Monitor Lizard (Varanussalvator

26. Smuggling Cases Seizure 7,093 head of Monitor lizards (Varanusbengalensis)

27. Smuggling Cases Smuggling birds using PVC

28. Smuggling Cases Seizure of Tiger, Tiger Part and Ivory

29. Number of Cases Recorded [Act 76 (Before 2011), Act 716 and Act 686]

30. Curbing The Illegal Wildlife Trade

31. Curbing The Illegal Wildlife Trade

32. Curbing The Illegal Wildlife Trade

33. Future Plans (Short Term)

34. Future Plans (Long Term)

35. Thank you