Friday 17 May 2019

Massive pangolin scale seizure in Vietnam

Eight tonnes of smuggled African pangolin scales seized in Vietnam port
An eight tonne shipment of pangolin scales was seized at the northern Hai Phong port in March, the city’s customs department said this week.

Dr. Dang Tat The of Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, a wildlife expert, said that this was the largest seizure of pangolin scales ever in Vietnam.

Pangolin trafficking is not rare in Vietnam, where it is legally protected and categorized as endangered.

The shy, tiny creature, which resembles a scaly anteater, is the world's most heavily trafficked mammal despite bans. Pangolins are hunted in Vietnam and its neighborhood for their meat and the alleged medicinal properties of their scales.

A December 2017 study by wildlife trade monitoring group Traffic and Australia’s University of Adelaide found that of the 10 countries and territories with the largest number of trafficking incidents, seven are in Asia – China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia.