ABSTRACT
From all indications, the trade in wildlife in Asia appears to be thriving despite the economic crisis that has plagued the region since 1997. Although statistics are poor, scientists estimate that the illegal trade in wildlife amounts to US$5–10 billion annually, making this illicit trade third in value after the trade in arms and drugs (Lee 1995). Existing records indicate that the United States, Europe and Japan consume 60 per cent of the wild species for which trade figures exist. Statistics for the trade in natural medicines, an estimated 10 per cent of which contain wildlife products, clearly show that China is the major processor and exporter of such products. Anecdotal evidence and market surveys indicate that much of the wildlife and the products derived therefrom that are traded in China originate in Southeast Asia. One survey in Vietnam found the live specimens or products of 23 different species of mammals, more than 36 species of birds (6,000 individuals) and eleven species of reptiles for sale in one market in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) (Le 1995, 1998).
