The United Arab Emirates has passed resolution 500 in an effort to curb shark finning and protect endangered species. Currently a hub for the shark trade, the United Arab Emirates (the UAE) will implement the new laws on September 1, 2014.

The new laws prohibit fishermen from catching sharks within five nautical miles off shore, and within three nautical miles of the islands scattered throughout the UAE. Also, any animals protected by the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This includes three species of hammerhead sharks.

While the new laws prohibit the export of sharks caught in UAE waters, whether they are smoked, fresh, dried, salted, frozen or canned, imports are acceptable and re-export of some shark species will also be permitted.

Although it could have been more, it is a positive step,” filmmaker and conservationist Jonathan Ali Khan told The National, adding the resolution defines the issue of shark fishing and trade more clearly and is “an important move forward”.

Related: Dubai marine life at risk after devastating shark catch

Fishermen will still be able to import sharks from Oman and Yemen, which is currently common practice according to The National, but detailed paperwork, which includes a certificate or origin, the shark’s scientific name, and a health certificate, will be required before those sharks can be exported to other countries.

Additional certification issued by the Ministry of Environment and Water will be required to trade sharks protected by CITES.

This is designed to protect endangered species and prevent finning, but there is some concern over whether customs officials and other authorities will be able to identify the sharks that need protection.

“The numbers of landed sharks from UAE waters are not the main issue, it is the re-export,” Ali Khan told The National.

“Will sharks coming from Oman and other countries be slowed down because of the paperwork? That is the real question.”

Read more on animal trafficking:

Ofir is stopping poaching in Cameroon

Dubai Porsche driver walks cheetah on a leash

Live Baby Leopard Found in Suitcase En Route to Dubai

Injured Cheetah Discovered on the Streets of Abu Dhabi

Lion Cub Shot Dead in Egypt

The post Could new rules finally curb shark finning in the UAE? appeared first on Green Prophet.

The move is likely to have resounding consequences not only in Saudi but throughout the Gulf region, where it is common to see men riding in cars with cheetahs and other wild animals, or walking them on a leash – violations that until now have eluded stiff penalties. (However, Dubai’s neighbor Ajman completely banned ownership of wild animals last year.)“These animals entered the country in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,” Ahmad Boug, general director of the National Wildlife Research Center was quoted as saying in a local newspaper.

He emphasized that it is illegal to buy or trade animals that are listed under the CITES convention, and should not be held in residential areas.

One person reportedly cut the claws of one lion, which Boug said is illegal (not to mention inhumane), and an increasing number of complaints have arisen about wild animals escaping from their captors.

“The municipality and police department should prevent this kind of danger and threat to citizens, after making sure, through the Ministry of Interior, that it entered the country in a legal way,” he added.

This remarkable adherence to CITES in Saudi Arabia comes after a disappointing day in Thailand, where conservation delegations have gathered for the 16th Conference of the Parties to re-evaluate the status of various endangered animals under the convention.

“The U.S. proposal to transfer polar bear (Ursus maritimus) from Appendix II to Appendix I was rejected this morning in Committee I of CITES CoP16 by CITES member countries by a vote of 38 support, 42 against, and 46 abstentions,” CITES reports.

“Trading our planet to extinction. 600 polar bears are killed and traded each year,” wrote Ofir Drori, an award-winning Israeli activist who has headed up one of the most successful anti-poaching organizations in Central and West Africa, on his Facebook page.

“You would think that stopping the trade in this endangered species would be a world consensus. But apparently most delegates think it’s a great idea and today the proposal to protect the polar bear was shot down.”

Similarly, “Burkina Faso and Kenya announced today the withdrawal of the proposal to amend the annotation for African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in the CITES Appendices,” despite an overwhelming increase in poaching for ivory that has led to the deaths of not only thousands of elephants but also people.

“The CITES UN convention is a big disappointment to many of us,” Drori wrote.

“With all the talks about the mega-crisis of elephants and rhinos poaching, governments are still talking freely about the trading ivory and greed is still in control.What else needs to happen so that CITES reintroduce the ban on ivory trade?”

While overall the CITES convention appears to be failing wildlife, it looks like Saudi Arabia has at last taken a stand against the culturally-acceptable practice of keeping wild animals as pets. That’s a good step.

Watch the CITES proceedings on a live webcast – if you like.

Image of male lion, Shutterstock

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One of the last Middle Eastern countries to get on board, Lebanon has not done well to protect the 100 or so species in the country that are supposed to be covered under CITES. But animal rights activists believe as a new signatory to the international convention, the country may now be better poised to stem the trade of illegal wildlife within its borders.

Lebanon became the 178th country to join CITES just days before the 16th conference of the parties is due to take place in Thailand. International delegations will meet in Bangkok from 3-14 March 2013 to discuss the increasingly complicated problem of protecting wildlife.

Africa’s elephants and rhinos have been getting a lot of attention in the international press recently as syndicated poaching groups grow more vigilant and organized, decimating hundreds of the last remaining populations in South Africa, Namibia and elsewhere.

But trade in unsung creatures is also problematic.

“Lebanon is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora, including over 100 CITES-listed species, such as the common jackal, common wolf, red fox, common otter, jungle cat, wild cat, dalmatian pelican, black stork, greater flamingo, Eurasian spoonbill and various species of birds of prey (eagles, falcons, hawks and owls),” the CITES Secretariat announced.

CITES trade with Lebanon consists mainly of live plants, live birds, live tortoises, raw corals, reptile skins and leather products.

Lebanon will be an official signatory to the convention on 26 May, 2013.

Jason Mier, executive director of the nongovernmental organization Animals Lebanon, was among one of the numerous activists that has tirelessly encouraged the Lebanese government to step up its efforts to protect the country’s wildlife.

“Clearly there is a problem here [in Lebanon], CITES has put out information about infractions or suspicious trade of animals through Lebanon,”  he told the paper.

“Now, Lebanon will be able to take a more active role in working with other countries to regulate trade and protect its own endangered species.”

Technically, only zoos, circuses, pet shops, and wildlife parks will be permitted to keep CITES-protected species, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Agriculture ministry will mobilize the necessary resources to enforce forthcoming legislation.

Meanwhile, other organizations have been petitioning to end a spate of senseless wildlife killing sprees as images of men posing with dozens of dead birds have made social media rounds.

:: The Daily Star

Image of Lebanese stamp, Shutterstock

The post Lebanon Joins CITES: Can we Stop Killing Everything Now? appeared first on Green Prophet.

It should come as no surprise, after seeing the video of the Ethiopian maid Alem Dechasa being beaten by her employer, that Lebanon also has a deplorable animal rights record. We recently featured the devastating massacre of thousands of endangered fruit bats in a cave, and frequently learn about other animal abuses in a country that is not a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Formerly an architect, Helena Hesayne left her career to care for Lebanon’s abused animals nearly a decade ago, CNN reports, but now fancy villa owners are trying to shut down the shelter that she help to found.

Ladies who love animals

“It started with passionate women who were feeding cats and dogs on the streets, and they met around a garbage bin and they decided to join forces and to help,” Hesayne told CNN.

They then opened Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) in 2004 and have since cared for more than 1,500 mostly domestic animals.

Of the 250 animals living in the shelter at present are a dog named Bernie, who had been covered in gasoline and set on fire when BETA rescued him, and a labrador named Carra, who was shot in the face. These are just two of the upsetting cases that the women face on a daily basis.

Another BETA pioneer and public relations expert, Sevine Zahran told CNN that the cruelty she witnesses is very difficult to share, but she tries to educate and raise awareness among the people.

A new home for BETA

Now BETA risks losing their entire operation because nearby villa owners overlooking Beirut have sued them to evacuate their premises, so they are looking for new land to house the rescued animals that have virtually nowhere else to go. But Hesayne claims that nobody wants dogs around.

Like Egypt, Lebanon has never been celebrated for its protection of either domestic or wild animals. In 2010 we featured a distressing story of circus animals that were horribly abused. A lion cub was so badly neglected its paws were infected, while tigers and other cats were kept in paralyzing cages.

But lack of protective legislation makes it virtually impossible to take the country to task. BETA has been lobbying government to improve their laws, but their voices have been drowned out by other “priorities.”

Animals Lebanon has closed down three zoos in the past and are campaigning hard to get the country to join CITES. They are currently cooperating with World Animal Health Organization and the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture to draft and enact national animal welfare legislation.

A recent photo campaign launched by Fashion Beirut is another sign that the country is becoming better attuned to animal rights. The group’s mantra is: “best friends are not meant to be abused.”

:: CNN

More on Animal Rights in the Middle East:

Thousands of Endangered Fruit Bats Gunned Down in Lebanon

Abuse of Circus Animals in Lebanon Challenges Lack of Legal Framework

Fashion Beirut’s New Photo Campaign Says Animal Abuse is Wrong

The post Owners of Fancy Lebanese Villas Sue to Close Down BETA Animal Shelter appeared first on Green Prophet.

Every year in Namibia, 86,000 Cape Fur Seal pups are butchered to death and only one man has the contract to turn their fur into so-called fashionable apparel. We had pictures of what’s going on but Google banned the page for it being too graphic.

The Turkish and Australian based company Hatem Yavuz named after the owner Hatem Yavuz controls roughly 60 percent of the world’s seal market and processes 130,000 seal pelts every year in his Istanbul factory. Yavuz also has a hand in the Canadian seal market and claims to be proud of what he does. In an interview that spurred a flurry of hate mail, Yavuz told 7 News in Australia that “it’s a job. If I don’t do it, someone else is going to do it.” He is called the King of Seal Killers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3SchbHFkI[/youtube]

Illegal Seal Killing

Green Prophet recently caught up with Pat Dickens, founder of the Seals of Nam, a non-profit organization that has been campaigning to end Namibia’s annual seal cull on the Cape Cross Seal Reserve. A popular tourist attraction, every year between July and November the sands of the reserve are stained pink from the blood of seal pups as young as seven months old.

Men with clubs and picks enter the seal colony early in the morning. The traumatized animals squeal and run away, often regurgitating their mother’s milk in terror. Their skulls are crushed and their throats slit. Several reports show that blows to their head often only render the animals unconscious.

These remains are cleaned up before tourists show up in what is a heavily regulated area.

Dickens has gone through all of the appropriate channels to appeal to the Namibian government to cancel its contract with Yavuz, which is valid until 2019, as it stands in direct contravention to the Animal Protection Act of 1962 that makes it unlawful to “overload, overdrive, override, ill-treat, neglect, infuriate, torture or maim or cruelly beat, kick, goad or terrify any animal.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nWfFqowjQg[/youtube]

Boycott

He appealed to the Namibian ombudsman Adv. John Walters, which speech has since been followed up with a series of delay tactics. Several animal rights organizations have become involved and Jane Goodall and other celebrities have made public statements against this terrible practice.

Meanwhile, the Humane Society released a report which shows that the so-called seal-culling industry, which only employs 81 people in Namibia, benefits the Namibian economy 300 times less than live seals and eco-tourism would.

Since The Seals of Nam have not made progress “the nice way”, they have elevated the stakes of their campaign.

The activist organization recently sent a formal appeal to the world’s largest tourism fair taking place in early March, ITB Berlin, to bar Namibia’s attendance, and a series of other public protests will take place throughout the world in order to increase awareness of what has become the world’s largest seal harvest.

They have also called for a boycott of all major industries that contribute to Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) including Namibia Breweries, De Beers, and Namibia Air.

Dickens, who quit a lucrative corporate career, sold his bike, and cashed in his pension to protect Namibia’s seals from the likes of Yavuz, told Green Prophet that the Wildlife Defense Society (WDS Namibia) recently announced their official support of the boycott, despite the enormous fiscal ramifications it could have for their own country.

Bloody Money from seals

But the odds are stacked against the seals since the King of Seal Killers makes a lucrative living from his business. One seal fur coat sells for Aus $30,000 – “enough to buy a car,” he boasted in an interview with 7 News.

And in March, 2011, Yavuz said in a written email that he would sell his fur interests for Euros $27 million according to Seal Alert SA. The tycoon is currently embroiled in a sex scandal with the wife of Turkish billionaire Yurdal Sert’i.

Yavuz is from Turkey but Cape Fur Seals are listed as a UN-CITES Endangered Appendix II species and the United States, Mexico, the European Union, and Russia have subsequently banned all seal products in protest.

More Animal Rights Abuses from the Middle East:
7 of the Saddest Wildlife Stories from the Middle East
1 Million Migrating Songbirds Killed for a Pickled Dish in Cyprus
Kuwaiti Kills Wolf and Then Shows Off

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Residents of the United Arab Emirates are frequently caught with illegally-procured wild animals, including an injured cheetah found limping along a road in Abu Dhabi, but Saker Falcons receive first class protection mostly thanks to programs initiated years ago by the late President and avid falconer Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Zayed organized the 1st International Conference on Falconry and Nature Conservation in Abu Dhabi in late 1976, and then in 1995, he started the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Program, which prepares trained falcons to re-enter the wild. Falconry protection has been so successful in the UAE that even John Scanlon, the secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), praised the UAE’s efforts at the recent Eye on Earth Summit, according to The National. 

Falcon passports

Although CITES recognizes that there are “instances [of] high-value species being traded illegally,” Scanlon told The National, it is also true that several valuable efforts are underway to create legitimate trade and protect wild populations.

Not only are Saker falcons in the United Arab Emirates required to have passports which demonstrate that they have been legally obtained, but the country cooperates with other countries that have wild falcon populations – such as Mongolia – to encourage legal trade and transparency.

According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s website, falconry used to be practiced to supplement the Bedouin diet, but is currently practiced mainly for sport. He adds that Sheikh Zayed initiated the falcon release program out of concern that falcons would otherwise become excessively domesticated.

Falcon hospitals

There are now numerous falcon hospitals scattered throughout Abu Dhabi and Dubai that are devoted to ensuring that previously-owned falcons are properly fed and healthy enough to survive once released back in the wild. According to a Wikipedia entry, the UAE spends nearly $30 million each year on preserving their Saker Falcons populations.

There are also two breeding farms in the the United Arab Emirates.

It just goes to show that a country’s collective will to protect a valued endangered species can result in real efforts to do so. Despite hiccups and occasional illegal transactions, we are hopeful that the Saker Falcon conservation success will be applied to other important species in the region.

:: The National

image via wikicommons

The post Prized UAE Falcons Have Hospitals and Passports appeared first on Green Prophet.

Fantapants is a “postaholic member” of a reptile forum in the United Kingdom. In January 2008, when gold star member Jay Kickboxer asked where he could buy an Egyptian Tortoise for his “missus” who likes “small things,” Fantapants answered, “they are rarer than rockin horse poo smeared on to chicken lips.”

He then posted a link to Dean Clackett’s 2006 online advertisement which offered “Egyptian Tortoises (testudo kleinmanni) – North Africa’s smallest tortoise – for only £1,100 (or $1,718 using today’s exchange rate.) Meanwhile, the tortoises, which don’t grow much larger than an orange and once plied North Africa’s harsh Scrub forest and desert en masse, are rarely found in the wild. 

Almasry Alyoum recently documented the Egyptian Tortoises’ threatened existence in their home country and in Libya, where 99 percent of the world’s illegally traded Egyptian Tortoises are now sourced.

After a 1994 survey conducted by Sherif Baha el-Din failed to turn up any tiny tortoises in Egypt, they were thought to have gone extinct. But in 2000, a Bedouin discovered one lonely reptile slowly traversing northern Sinai’s dunes without a mate. It was then that about 70-100 additional tortoises were discovered in the Zaranik Protectorate.

But wildlife conservationists at the Bristol Zoo fear that Egypt’s small population could face total extinction within the next two decades if measures are not taken to better protect them.

Despite being legally protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals, illegal wildlife trafficking continues apace, government enforcement is scant, and human development has engulfed their natural habitat.

An ecologist, Baha el-Din told Almasry Alyoum that this species of tortoise is particularly sensitive to habitat disruption and that “even slight variations in temperature, vegetation and ground cover can seriously affect it.” It is also slow to mature, produces few offspring, and lives up to 50 years.

In 2001 National Geographic described Baha el-Din’s herculean efforts to keep testudo kleinmanni alive with a rooftop breeding program in Cairo, but experts suggest that these animals don’t stand a chance of surviving unless they are protected in the wild.

:: Almasry Alyoum

The post Critically Endangered Egyptian Tortoise: “Rarer Than Rockin Horse Poo…” appeared first on Green Prophet.

Trafficking illegal drugs in the United Arab Emirates can earn offenders a death sentence, but trafficking wild animals that are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) apparently goes unnoticed if committed by a rich Emirati.

Not so long after a cheetah was found roaming the streets of Abu Dhabi, Dubai residents spotted a grown man “walking” an African cheetah last week near Media City.

After the animal showed visible signs of distress, the man coaxed it back into his fancy Porche Cayenne and left, ostensibly facing no charges for what should be considered a very serious crime.

The cheetah was seen walking around at the end of a leash in a parking lot that looks nothing at all like the Cheetah’s natural habitat in Africa. One expatriate on the scene told Gulf News that the man paraded the animal around for a full 20 minutes, as curious onlookers parked their cars to observe the spectacle, before it became uncomfortably skittish.

Although the United Arab Emirates has been an official member of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Wild Species in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora, since 2002, officials appear to look the other way when blatantly illegal wildlife trafficking spills into the UAE’s public realm.

Nor is it possible to claim ignorance. A comprehensive list (in Arabic) of endangered animals and helpful tools to identify them have been available to anti-trafficking employees since 2008 thanks to combined efforts between EWS-WWF and the Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD).

Nonetheless, the frequency with which wild animals are spotted throughout the Emirates, other Gulf countries, and Egypt suggests that there is a hole in the regulatory system.  If there were proper fines in place for individuals who acquire illegally-traded wildlife and traffickers were actually concerned about strict enforcement, then surely they would scale back their efforts.

Private zoos: a right or an abomination?

Instead, Karl Amman – an expert in the industry – told Green Prophet in an interview earlier this year that having a private zoo is almost considered a right among Saudis, Emiratis and other wealthy Arabs in the Gulf Region and parts of North Africa.

Dr Khan, a member of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas, told the paper that:

No wild animal should be kept on leash and be walked through public places. Wild cats are dangerous to the public … Wildlife is always best in its natural habitats, not in human company.

If you live in a country where ownership of animals that belong in the wild is considered “cool,” won’t you share your thoughts with us. Do you think it should be allowed, do you think the animals are better off in private zoos than they are in public zoos? What do you think of zoos in general? If you are as tired as we are of reading about such chronic threats to biodiversity, we would love some suggestions about the best method for tackling home ownership of wild animals in a country that is sensitive when criticized.

:: Gulf News

More wild animals held as pets in the Middle East:

Live Baby Leopard Found in Suitcase En Route to Dubai

Injured Cheetah Discovered on the Streets of Abu Dhabi

Lion Cub Shot Dead in Egypt

The post Dubai Porsche Driver Walks Pet Cheetah on a Leash appeared first on Green Prophet.

In 2007, Karl Ammann appeared on Time Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment List, and for good reason. Since discovering 2,004 smoked primates and 1,000 fresh carcasses on board  Zaire river boats in1988, he has devoted his life to exposing both the bushmeat and illegal wildlife trafficking. His photography and writings have appeared in several outlets including the New York Times Magazine,  Newsweek, Stern Magazine, and the National Geographic Almanac, and he has recently co-authored two books  namely Conserving Nature with Tony Rose and others, and  Eating Apes with Dale Peterson. For his work, he has received a slew of accolades.

We met him this past weekend in Nairobi, Kenya,  where we discussed private reserves throughout the Middle East that show off illegal wildlife without any retribution from the authorities. Even CITES, the international organization tasked with regulating wildlife trafficking, has been notoriously lackadaisical about bringing offenders to task.

Karl, you first became interested in bushmeat trade before switching your focus to wildlife trafficking. Can you talk about this?

“I’ve kind of moved away from Bushmeat. It’s a mess in Central Africa with no answers in sight. What’s the point of banging your head against the wall. You’ve done everything you can to expose the situation – policymakers, NGOs, and everyone else can no longer say they didn’t know what’s going on.”

So what you are you working on at the moment?

“Right now I’m making a film about the reptile skin trade – about over-exploitation, CITES export licensing for the Guccis of the world – all essentially illegal.”

Where do you market your films?

“It’s definitely not a moneymaker but I seem to have good luck in South Africa, Scandinavia and Germany. The American market is very difficult because they want happy endings, and my stories don’t have happy endings.”

Africa Geographic did a piece on wildlife trafficking in the Middle East – can we focus on that for a bit?

“I didn’t really do any work there. I mean, I went to Dubai and visited the zoo director there, asked him about his chimps and where they came from and went to Qatar and asked where those chimps came from. It’s a mess – Kuwait, the whole region.

One journalist with Gulf News has been good about picking up stories and running with them, to some extent, but the expat community doesn’t want to confront the issue. They’re afraid to even send emails. If they’re afraid to send emails, that’s a pretty good indication that it’s not safe. People who have helped me have been harassed, they’ve been threatened, and it’s still going on.”

The Egyptian wildlife dealer Heba Abdel Moty Ahmed Saad has eluded prosecution for thirty years. Is she still around?

“I doubt it – she has probably retired by now. But her two daughters are still operating out of Nigeria. There are also another two or three dealers operating who can pretty much get anything you want. The trouble is in Black Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, many wildlife dealers are third generation. This is nothing new to them. In the old days the trade went into Europe. Now there are more restrictions, to some extent, but also more money.”

Who in the Middle East is interested in buying wildlife?

“Mostly private collectors that have a lot of money. Saudi, Qatar, and the Emirates behind their walled estates, the Arabs feel entitled to have lions and tigers in the backyard. And because they have a closed society they get away with it. They have their private jets with crates – no one is going to open those up.

So, okay, Dubai had to open up a bit, but the expat community don’t dare to talk about what happens behind closed doors in Saudi for example. And they have high profile wildlife – Chimps, Gorillas, Orangutans, Lions, Tigers.”

What are some of the challenges you have faced trying to investigate illegal wildlife trafficking?

“Well, we’ve managed to get in with hidden cameras and that kind of thing. My hotel room was once broken into and all of my photos were stolen. And two guys who were helping me out were beaten in the desert and begging for their lives. You have no rights. So we learned that if you push too hard the curtains come down everywhere.”

Do you plan to go back to Egypt?

“I’m working on that at the moment to see if its’ even possible. But everyone knows me very well and the minute they see me they start making phone calls, so there’s very little that I can do now.”

Where are most of the wildlife being kept?

“It’s hard to say because they are walled in and you get shot at if you try to approach, but mostly along the road connecting Alexandria and Cairo.

Then there is Tamer In Animal Kingdom. He breeds dogs and horses but he also breeds lions, tigers, and ligers – half tiger and half lion. Where ever you find his dogs, there will be other wildlife too. I’m not even sure yet where he is?”

How is it even possible to get a permit for certain wildlife like Chimps and Gorillas?

“Oh. Don’t get me started. After filming, I’ve come to the conclusion that CITES is a total joke. We went to the Geneva Standing Committee meeting to interview the Chinese delegation and were physically kicked out. Then the Chief Enforcement Officer traveled to Egypt where one of the worst traffickers had chimps and gorillas in his backyard by the dozen.

So the officer decided that maybe something did need to change but that they should be given a chance – usual CITES crap – and within weeks of him leaving, pictures emerged of new baby gorillas that arrived. So then CITES sent who I believe was a filing clerk who reported that everything was fine and at the Doha meeting the case was closed. I asked to see the report and was offered the summary. When I asked for details they told me that it was confidential, which is in violation of internal CITES rules. In my opinion, CITES is a big part of the problem.”

So, what do you think should be done about zoos and private collections?

“I understand where zoos come from – I have two chimps who have a good life and are properly cared for. And I understand sanctuaries because orphans need a home. I have no problem with that. An animal that is born in the San Diego zoo and that has access to food and water and social interaction can have a pretty good life. But in third world countries like Egypt where millions of people are close to the starvation line, does it make sense to have to look after animals?

There are reports of people slaughtering zoo animals for meat. The point is in countries where there is poverty, the people come first, they always do, and the animals pay the price. These places should be shut down.”

For more information about Karl’s work, to see his photographs, or to learn more about wildlife trafficking and the bushmeat trade, please visit his website: http://karlammann.com. If you want to contact Tamer in Animal Kingdom, his email address is: tamer.box1@yahoo.com

All images herein were taken by Karl Ammaan, with the exception of the Daily Green image of him.

More on wildlife trafficking and conservation efforts in the Middle East:

Interpol Gets Tough On Green Crimes

Man Arrested Attempting to Smuggle Golden Falcon Eggs

Where Have All The Iranian Leopards Gone?

The post Interview: Illegal Wildlife Trafficking With Karl Ammann appeared first on Green Prophet.

Already plagued by a bucketful of ecological maladies, the Mediterranean faces further degradation of its precious coral, Bikya Masr reports. In December several Mediterranean countries were among those that shot down a potential Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) measure to protect diminishing red and pink coral. “Human livelihood issues” was the most widely cited reason for opposition.

Corallium rubrum is common in the Mediterranean Sea and is favored for its strong skeleton out of which jewelry and other decorations are made. Unfortunately, their ubiquity has shrunk as a result of unsustainable extraction and environmental factors.

Last December in Qatar, Sweden put forward a proposal to monitor the trade of the 30-50 species of Corallidae, a move that was supported by the United Arab Emirates, but struck down by 59 member countries.

Too many fisherman and other people depend on coral for their livelihood, according to opposition voices. Tunisia claims that 5,000 jobs would be lost if CITES protection were extended to red coral. Morocco and Libya were also among those who voted against monitoring trade.

Most of the remaining red coral is only 3-5cm tall, compared to its previous 50cm height. It only matures after 100 years and is therefore very difficult to resuscitate. In some cases, the coral will never return.

As a result of this meeting, Corrillidae will enjoy no protection, but  American delegates are convinced that the countries in favor of the measure, currently at 64, will eventually succeed in achieving the necessary 2/3 majority required for an appendix to pass.

America, meanwhile, imported 28 million pieces of coral between 2001 and 2008, according to CITES.

:: Bikya Masr

More Mediterranean Sea News:

Lebanon’s Mediterranean Apocalypse

Israeli Researchers Discover Coral Reef Deep In Mediterranean

Is the Mediterranean Sea Harboring A Giant Plastic Patch?

image via knottyboy

The post Mediterranean Countries Shut Down Coral Protection appeared first on Green Prophet.