A/S MCMURRAY DISCUSSES WILDLIFE PROTECTION EFFORTS

UNCLAS GUANGZHOU 028035

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS



STATE FOR OES
JUSTICE FOR ENRD/BOB ANDERSON
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC - DAS LEVINE, MCQUEEN
USDA FOR FAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ECON PGOV CH
SUBJECT: A/S MCMURRAY DISCUSSES WILDLIFE PROTECTION EFFORTS
WITH GUANGDONG OFFICIALS

REF: A) HONG KONG 3252 (NOTALL)

B) SHANGHAI 5261 (NOTALL)

(U) THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE
PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR RELEASE OUTSIDE U.S.
GOVERNMENT CHANNELS. NOT FOR INTERNET PUBLICATION.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. THE A/S MCMURRAY DELEGATION MET WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GUANGDONG WILDLIFE PROTECTION
ADMINISTRATION (WPA) ON AUGUST 4 TO DISCUSS PROVINCIAL-LEVEL
EFFORTS AND CHALLENGES. THE WPA OFFICIALS ASSURED A/S
MCMURRAY THAT THEY WERE SERIOUS ABOUT WILDLIFE PROTECTION,
BUT RECOGNIZED THAT PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) DURING A LENGTHY PRESENTATION, WPA OFFICIALS OUTLINED
THE ADMINISTRATION'S ORGANIZATION AND THE RELEVANT LAWS AND
REGULATIONS GOVERNING THEIR ACTIVITIES. THE WPA OFFICIALS
ASSURED A/S MCMURRAY THAT THEY WERE SERIOUS ABOUT WILDLIFE
PROTECTION, BUT RECOGNIZED THAT PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. WPA
HAS CONDUCTED PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS PARTICULARLY TARGETING THE
YOUNGER GENERATION IN ORDER TO CHANGE ENTRENCHED HABITS AND
WILDLIFE PRODUCT CONSUMPTION PATTERNS. THE OFFICIALS
CLAIMED THAT WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTERS IN GUANGDONG HELP AN
AVERAGE OF 200,000 ANIMALS EACH YEAR. WPA OFFICIALS STATED
THAT THEIR MAIN SUCCESSES HAVE BEEN IN RAIDS AGAINST
WILDLIFE PRODUCT MARKETS, RESTAURANTS, PROCESSING PLANTS,
AND IN BORDER AREAS WHERE WILDLIFE PRODUCTS TRANSIT. WHILE
THE WILDLIFE MARKETS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO SHUT DOWN, WPA
OFFICIALS ADMITTED THAT SOME MARKETS STILL OPERATE, BUT IN A
MORE CLANDESTINE WAY. WPA OFFICIALS EXPRESSED SATISFACTION
AT THE LEVEL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN WPA, THE GUANGDONG FOOD
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND THE PROCURATORATE IN
PROSECUTING WILDLIFE CRIMES.


3. (U) A/S MCMURRAY STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION IN COMBATING WILDLIFE PROTECTION PROBLEMS,
EXPRESSING THE DESIRE FOR CHINA TO JOIN THE COALITION
AGAINST WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED
STATES, THE U.K., INDIA, AND 14 NGOS THAT GOES BEYOND CITES
IN INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND HELPING COUNTRIES ENFORCE
THEIR WILDLIFE PROTECTION LAWS. OFFICIALS NOTED THEY HAD
BEEN APPROACHED BY A EUROPEAN COALITION ON WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION WITH THE ACRONYM "CIC" ALSO WANTING THEM TO
BECOME A MEMBER.


4. (U) THE DELEGATION MEMBERS ALSO QUESTIONED WPA OFFICIALS
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AND
WILDLIFE PRODUCTS (I.E. RHINOCEROS HORN AND TIGER BONE),
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS THEY
HAVE ENCOUNTERED, THE MOST COMMON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE PRODUCTS
IN THE PROVINCE, AND JUDICIAL SENTENCING LIMITATIONS.


5. (SBU) CHEN WEIKUN, DIRECTOR OF THE GUANGDONG FORESTRY
POLICE BUREAU, NOTED THAT THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS IN
COMBATING AN INCREASINGLY DECENTRALIZED, WELL-HIDDEN, AND
EXTREMELY PROFITABLE NETWORK OF WILDLIFE TRAFFICKERS. LEGAL
TRADE WITH HONG KONG AND MACAU IS HIGH, CHEN SAID, AND
SURMISED THAT THE ILLEGAL TRADE WAS AS WELL. WHEN ASKED
ABOUT THE MOST COMMONLY TRADED ILLEGAL WILDLIFE PRODUCT,
CHEN WAS VERY HESITANT IN REPLYING, FINALLY ADMITTING THAT
IVORY WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. TRADE IN IVORY FROM AFRICA
AND SMUGGLED INTO CHINA IS VERY PROFITABLE, HE SAID. ON
SENTENCING LIMITATIONS, CHEN CLARIFIED THAT JUDICIAL
PUNISHMENTS ARE DETERMINED BASED ON THE VOLUME OF SMUGGLING,
BUT THAT THESE CONSISTED MAINLY OF FINES. AFTER PAYING THE
FINES, VENDORS ARE OFTEN RELEASED AND CONTINUE THEIR ILLEGAL
TRADE. CHEN DID NOTE THAT UNDER CHINESE LAW SMUGGLERS CAN
FACE UP TO THE DEATH PENALTY, WHILE POACHERS CAN EARN 10
YEARS IMPRISONMENT. MONETARY FINES HAVE BEEN RECENTLY
INCREASED TO A MAXIMUM OF RMB 10,000 (USD 1,250) FOR
OFFERING WILDLIFE IN MARKETS (AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE
TRANSMITTING ZOONOTIC DISEASES),AND A RECENT CASE OF A
MAJOR DEALER WAS RECENTLY SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED, RESULTING
IN A LARGE FINE AND IMPRISONMENT. FOR WORLD WILDLIFE DAY
(FEBRUARY 2),GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES CIRCULATED A PETITION
ASKING PEOPLE NOT TO EAT WILD ANIMALS. GUANGDONG ALSO
CELEBRATES A WILD BIRD DAY IN MARCH AND A WILD ANIMAL
PROTECTION DAY IN NOVEMBER TO RAISE AWARENESS. WHEN
PRESSED, CHEN ADMITTED THAT IN ADDITION TO BREEDING FARMS
FOR MACAQUES AND DEER, THERE IS ONE BEAR FARM (FOR THE
EXTRACTION OF BILE) IN GUANGDONG.



6. (SBU) WPA REPRESENTATIONS THAT GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES HAVE
GONE FAR TO REDUCE THE OPEN TRADE IN WILDLIFE WOULD APPEAR
TO BE BORNE OUT BY FACT. FOLLOWING OFFICIAL MEETINGS, THE
DELEGATION MADE AN UNSCHEDULED VISIT TO THE GUANGZHOU
WILDLIFE MARKET WHERE THE SOURCE OF THE 2003 SARS OUTBREAK
WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED. THE ROWS OF CEMENT BLOCK STALLS WITH
STEEL ROLL-DOWN OPENINGS WERE DEVOID OF ACTIVITY, EVEN
THOUGH IT WAS STILL RELATIVELY EARLY IN THE MORNING. A FEW
TURTLES (POSSIBLE CITES APPENDIX II-LISTED),FROGS AND
SNAKES WERE THE ONLY ANIMALS ON DISPLAY, AND THE ENTIRE AREA
HAD RECENTLY BEEN HOSED DOWN AND SWEPT. VENDORS WERE WARY
AND UNWILLING TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION, ALTHOUGH NOT
HOSTILE. THE WATCHFUL PRESENCE OF HEALTH AND MARKET
ADMINISTRATORS AND THE LACK OF ACTIVITY TOGETHER SEEMED TO
INDICATE THE VISIT HAD BEEN ANTICIPATED WELL IN ADVANCE. A
SUBSEQUENT STOP AT ANOTHER MARKET AREA, WHICH 20 YEARS AGO
OPENLY STOCKED A WIDE ARRAY OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS AND ANIMAL
PARTS, REVEALED ONLY SEVERAL SMALL STANDS WITH DUCKS AND
CHICKENS IN CLOSE CONFINEMENT TO EACH OTHER (IN
CONTRAVENTION TO RIGOROUS MEASURES EMPLOYED BY HONG KONG
HEALTH AUTHORITIES TO COMBAT AVIAN INFLUENZA),CATS AND DOGS
(FOR CONSUMPTION),AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF
DRIED SEAHORSES AND STARFISH, WHICH ARE FACING SERIOUS
DECLINES IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD, BUT NO ENDANGERED LIVE
MAMMALS.


7. (SBU) COMMENT. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE
TRADE IN GUANGDONG IS A SOURCE OF SOME EMBARRASSMENT FOR
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. THE WPA OFFICIALS WORKED HARD TO CAST
THEIR EFFORTS IN A GOOD LIGHT FOR THE DELEGATION AND WERE
RELUCTANT TO TALK IN DETAIL ABOUT CHALLENGES IN THEIR WORK.
THEIR INABILITY TO FULLY ENFORCE WILDLIFE LAWS AND
REGULATIONS WOULD BE SEEN AS A LOSS OF FACE. POST ALSO
NOTES THAT THE POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CRIMINAL GANGS
("TRIADS"),WILDLIFE SMUGGLERS/POACHERS, AND GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS MAKE ENFORCEMENT ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC (REFS A
AND B). END COMMENT.


8. (U) PARTICIPANT LIST:

A/S CLAUDIA MCMURRAY
ANN STEWART, OES/PCI
BOB ANDERSON (DOJ)
CONSULATE NOTE TAKERS

LIAO QINGXIANG, DIRECTOR, GUANGDONG WILDLIFE PROTECTION
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
CHEN WEIKUN, DIRECTOR, GUANGDONG FORESTRY POLICE BUREAU
CHEN YOUHAI
YE GUANFENG
LIANG YONGCHAO
LU KAIHE
LAI DONGXIA

MARTIN