U.S. Pursues Global Strategy to End Trafficking in Wildlife

[Shrike]

Good on you Hillary, but I couldn't read this without reading $100,000 in a Dr. Evil voice. It might take a wee bit more than that to effectively combat a multi billion dollar black market. I guess I'll take baby steps over no steps at all.

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic...obal-strategy-to-end-trafficking-in-wildlife/

 

[zonbonzovi]

Agreed. That's like trying to put out a 5 alarm fire with a glass of water or saving up for a Bentley with a $2/wk. allowance. Equate wildlife trafficking with something universally detestable* like child molestation in the eyes of society at large and maybe it'll make a dent.

*Certain former assistant football coaches and dead British entertainers exluded, of course

 

[The Snark]

Cynic max here. The US Gov, ready willing and eager to cave in to big bucks special interest groups, is going into the anti trafficking business. Why do I see some big corporation or friends giving her a pat on the head and saying "That's fine, but make sure the efforts are a complete waste of time and taxpayer money."

Let's see. A new department will have to be created. International Bullfeathers Protection. A $60,000 a year administrator will be required, with a $150,000 traveling expenses fund...

 

[Shrike]

Honestly, I wonder if the $100,000 is a Nat Geo error. That's a laughable amount amount of money in this context. I can appreciate the sentiment but its hard to imagine what they're hoping to accomplish on a global scale. What exactly will that money be funding?

 

[paassatt]

Let's see. A new department will have to be created. International Bullfeathers Protection. A $60,000 a year administrator will be required, with a $150,000 traveling expenses fund...

You're being far too generous in assuming that the department head would only get paid $60k a year. They'd be getting a six-figure salary, for sure.

 

[Galapoheros]

I don't really understand the point of her getting up and talking about it, unless she's just trying to renew awareness, seems a little strange to me. I guess she sees it's not working after all the previous years of work and wants to bring new life to it. I bet billions has already been spent on stopping illegal trafficking of wildlife. The United Nations has been hot on it at least since the early 1990s. Just a few examples:

http://www.fws.gov/international/travel-and-trade/illegal-wildlife-trade.html

http://stephenslab.uchicago.edu/MSpapers/Wasser2008.pdf

http://www.eia-international.org/our-work/environmental-crime-and-governance/illegal-wildlife-trade

http://unu.edu/news/announcements/unu-helps-combat-illicit-wildlife-trade-in-africa.html#info

 

[The Snark]

I don't really understand the point of her getting up and talking about it, unless she's just trying to renew awareness, seems a little strange to me. I guess she sees it's not working after all the previous years of work and wants to bring new life to it. I bet billions has already been spent on stopping illegal trafficking of wildlife. The United Nations has been hot on it at least since the early 1990s. Just a few examples:

http://www.fws.gov/international/travel-and-trade/illegal-wildlife-trade.html

http://stephenslab.uchicago.edu/MSpapers/Wasser2008.pdf

http://www.eia-international.org/our-work/environmental-crime-and-governance/illegal-wildlife-trade

http://unu.edu/news/announcements/unu-helps-combat-illicit-wildlife-trade-in-africa.html#info

Yup. The UN is right on top of it. Their super fancy Land Rover here sits parked at the UN paid for Condo about 340 days a year. Can't blame them though. What are they going to do if they see illegal critter trade, call a cop?

 

[Tarac]

Yup. The UN is right on top of it. Their super fancy Land Rover here sits parked at the UN paid for Condo about 340 days a year. Can't blame them though. What are they going to do if they see illegal critter trade, call a cop?

In their defense, they are mostly a body for setting up programs and guidelines relating to international issues. They have pledged an additional 2 billion to aid in protection and wildlife restoration to a number of "underdeveloped" or economically stressed countries in hot spots, like Brazil.

Of course, being a cynic/skeptic too I can see exactly how that money goes to pay each of a large number of administrators in each of the recipient nations to direct the one or two or three wildlife officers that they actually employ. That's always the problem with aide- it has to "trickle down" before it actually gets to work on whatever issue it is directed to. By the time it reaches the hands who have the intention and sensibility to apply it properly there are just a few drops left. However the UN can't really doing anything better than throw money at it because we can't very well have them invading Brazil to shut down logging and such. Instead we can hope that when international monies are used to fund "mitigation" projects like those in Brazil that it is taken seriously and doesn't just mean building a big retention pond with five ornamental plant species around it to replace the function of a once beautiful and diverse wetland. Generally it ends up being more corporate welfare in form of free money to fund the useless mitigation efforts so that the corporation doesn't have to do it themselves. It's sad, but the environment isn't recognized as having legal standing the way a corporation is so there is no legal recourse allowing a claim on it's behalf and thus it always loses when population expansion and business (whether using the land or trafficking its plants and animals) grow.

$100,000 wouldn't even buy some of the animals being illegally trafficked lol. There was some Japanese guy that was somewhat recently busted selling poached, highly endangered Lepidopterans and he alone had more in illegal stock than that.

 

[The Snark]

Sheet! I lost the web page. Anyways, the Bungcrock Post reported that police officers stopped police officers and found several rhino horns. The officers in question were questioned by other officers and the entire investigation has been turned over to the police. Tada! That's how to do it!

::

 

[lizardminion]

$100,000 wouldn't even buy some of the animals being illegally trafficked lol. There was some Japanese guy that was somewhat recently busted selling poached, highly endangered Lepidopterans and he alone had more in illegal stock than that.

So, the gov't is basically wasting a few taxpayer dollars AND oxygen. Nice. Seems like it could be used as an excuse to ban "wildlife" as pets too, such as lavender albino ball pythons, which are obviously taken from the wild. Let's talk about 50 ft reticulated anacondas in the 'glades while we're at it.