Alison Stuart

Sensitization, awareness and training of law enforcers in fighting against illegal and sustainable trade in endangered wildlife (Flora & Fauna) species in Malawi

LocationCountryCategoriesDate
southern, central and northern regionsMalawiAfrica, Hunting, People22 Nov 2007

Illegal trade on endangered wildlife species in Malawi is rampant and this project aims at training law enforcers on how they can curb this malpractice in order to save the desperate species.

Recent research carried out in Malawi has revealed that international and domestic illegal trade in endangered wildlife species (e.g., elephant ivory, rhino tusks, skin of tigers, cheetahs, spotted cats, shell of land turtles, Python spp, King cobra, birds, reptiles, tortoises and primates, Aloe spp., barks of Prunus africana, Serena repends, Juniperus procera, Dalbergia melanoxylon, Combretum imberbe and many other endangered species) is increasingly growing at an alarming rate. This is due to the high demand of the species at the international and domestic market for food, medicine, decorations, ornaments, cosmetics, fuel and construction materials. This has led to extinction of many important wildlife species and other critically endangered wildlife species in the country. The research has established that these endangered wildlife species are being illegally traded because of general lack of basic knowledge and skills in wildlife identification, effective monitoring, confiscation, prosecution of illegal traders, repatriation of the confiscated wildlife species and lack of basic knowledge on local and international laws which protect these endangered wildlife species.

To address this rampant problem, the project intends to sensitize, educate and train all law enforcers and representatives of stakeholders in the country in effective identification of all endangered species, monitoring, confiscating smuggled species, cracking down, and making arrests all illegal traders and create a database of all endangered wildlife species which will help the law enforcers to accurately identify any endangered species that they can encounter during their work.

For more information contact stuart.a.3@hotmail.com

Project Update: January 2008

Dr Alison Stuart and his project team conducted awareness campaigns from 15-23rd December 2007 on endangered wildlife species of Malawi and the impact of the trade on these species. The target groups of people were law enforcers in the departments of traffic police, immigration and aviation. Other people targeted were officials from the departments of National Parks and Wildlife, Forestry, Fisheries, representatives from NGOs and CBOs involved in wildlife conservation (Fig. 1).

The participants to the meetings were sensitized on endangered wildlife species of flora and fauna of Malawi. They were further informed that some species are protected against trade by national and international laws and treaties. They are thus, not allowed to be traded in anyway unless if they are for scientific study (Fig. 2). The participants informed the project team that they are ready to work with them to combat this illegal trade in the country.

Project Update: March 2008

One of the endangered wildlife bird species_Toco Toucan_ showed to trained law enforcement officers.

I am pleased to report that from 4th to 19th February 2008, the project team trained a total of 80 law enforcement officers. There were 32 female officers and 48 male officers that were trained in local and international laws which protect endangered wildlife species from illegal trade. The training programme was undertaken in all the three (North, centre and south) regions of the country.

The officers were taught the National Parks and Wildlife Act, the Forestry Act, Fisheries Act, Environmental Management Act, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and other Treaties which protect endangered wildlife species from trade. Further, they were also taught a list of Malawi’s endangered wildlife species which is under CITES (Fig.2). The officers were informed that it is their duty to arrest and prosecute any person found in possession or to trade any endangered wildlife species. I am thus, pleased to report that this training programme has yield tangible results as on 3rd March 2008, the Immigration Officers at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe arrested two Malawians who were in possession of a carton of full of ivory which they wanted to smuggle it to Germany for sale.

Project Update: May 2008

Figure 3 Dr Stuart (Left) helping some participants to use reference materials and identification keys for identifying endangered wildlife species.

From 14th-18th April 2008, the project team trained 97 law enforcers and 16 telephone and internet operators unique skills and basic knowledge used in identification of endangered wildlife (fauna & flora) species and their products which are smuggled from Malawi to other countries for trade. Of the 113 people trained in all the three regions of the country, 48% were females.

During the training workshop, participants were introduced to key flagship and endangered wildlife species that occur in the country and methods used for identification of these endangered wildlife species which include use of:
Malawi Red Data List Pictorial Guides;
Identification keys which is a bit complex for amateurs;
Common knowledge and professional judgement about species in question; and
IUCN reference materials, e.g. books (Fig. 3) and online publications.

I am pleased to report that at the end of the workshop, over 80% of the participants were able to use one or two of the methods effectively for identification a given endangered wildlife species.


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