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Wildlife trade
Wildlife, in the form of live or dead animals, animal parts and skins are traded for multiple purposes, including for food, pets, traditional medicines, clothing , ornaments, and religious and ceremonial purposes.
In the early 1990s, TRAFFIC, the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, estimated the value of legal wildlife products imported globally was around USD160 billion. Illegal wildlife trade is said to be the third most lucrative illicit commerce after drugs and arms. At the global level - South East Asia is recognised as a wildlife trade hotspot.

Wildlife trade in Lao PDR
Lao's wildlife is disappearing at an alarming rate. The Wildlife Conservation Society, Laos, ranks overhunting of wildlife, largely driven by trade, as the number one threat to wildlife conservation in Laos.
Lao PDR is a source country, a consumer country and a transit country for wildlife and wildlife products. Domestically, the trade is largely for food (as a delicacy), pets and religious ceremonies, and is driven by a growing population of urban consumers. Extreme poverty of others means they may have to resort to wildlife trade as a means to meet their short-term needs, and will trade it for whatever they can get.
In Lao PDR, the hunting, sale and purchase of protected species (such as tiger, elephants and many other species) is totally prohibited (Wildlife Law, 2007). In Vientiane all wildlife trade is illegal, based on a recent Governor's Notice (2009) which states that the trade of any species of wildlife is illegal.

The Ill Effects of Illegal Wildlife Trade
The over-exploitation of wild fauna and flora is a major concern in Laos:

  • Wildlife is vital to rural subsistence living villagers, who supplement their diet with forest foods and rely heavily on forest foods during times of rice deficiency. Illegal wildlife trade threatens the food security of the poorest people.
  • Species traded illegally are often highly threatened and in danger of extinction. Illegal wildlife trade is one of the greatest threats to Lao species like Indochinese tiger, Asian elephant, Eld's Deer, Gaur, Gibbon and Hornbill.
  • Illegal trade undermines Lao PDR's efforts to manage natural resources sustainably and causes massive economic losses in earnings.
  • More than 60% of all newly emerging diseases in humans originate in animals and are termed 'zoonotic' diseases. Of these zoonotic diseases, more than 70% come from wildlife. Examples of wildlife trade and the emergence of diseases includes HIV, SARS, Monkey Pox and highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.

You can protect Lao PDR's unique and valuable wildlife! Please:

  • Do not consume or buy any wildlife or wildlife products, or keep wildlife as pets.
  • Do not sell or trade wildlife or wildlife products.
  • Report wildlife traders and poachers to the authorities (you can call DoFI on 215 002, fax them at 215 723 or visit www.wildlifetradelaos.org)
  • If you see wildlife on a restaurant menu (such as wild pig, deer and softshell turtles) leave and go to another restaurant. Tell the owners why.
  • Share your experiences with friends and family about the natural beauty and wildlife of Laos.

Visit www.wildlifetradelaos.org to learn more about the Lao Illegal Wildlife Trade Action Group, established in 2009 by the Department of Forest Inspection and the Division of Forest Resources Conservation and representatives from government, NGOs and international organizations. The Group aims to educate the public about the illegality and negative impacts of illegal wildlife trade, and promote wildlife conservation in Laos.