In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
They are 340 million years old, outlived the dinosaurs and survived mass extinction in three global catastrophes. But cycads, the world’s oldest seed plants, are now under threat as never before from obsessive collectors. In two separate incidents in August, thieves stole 24 cycads worth an estimated 700,000 rand (£40,000) …
With camouflage uniforms, assault rifles, night vision goggles, thermal imaging devices and radios, wildlife rangers in Kenya's Ol Jogi rhino sanctuary prepare for night patrol in the "war" against poaching. As the late afternoon sun creeps towards the horizon and shadows lengthen on the sweeping plains dotted with rocky outcrops, …
NAWALPARASI /PALPA , SEP 01 - The subsequent rise of timber smuggling in community forests located in the remote areas of Palpa and Nawalparasi has been blamed on the weakness of the District Forest Office and Community Forest consumer’s committee. According to sources, smugglers have been hauling timber to saw …
The authorities in Brazil say they have dismantled a criminal organisation they believe was the "biggest destroyer" of the Amazon rainforest. The gang is accused of invading, logging and burning large areas of public land and selling these illegally for farming and grazing. In a statement, Brazilian Federal Police said …
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Corrupt Kenyan wildlife rangers are killing poachers to cover up the officers' collusion with the criminals slaughtering the country's elephants, a rights group alleges. The disappearances of 18 suspected poachers were documented by Muslims for Human Rights over the last three years around Kenya's Tsavo National …
The decision of the state pollution control board to bring down the distance between quarrying sites and residential areas to 50m (from 100m) will not only impact the health of people staying in the vicinity but will also maximize the area of illegal quarries that are currently operating along the …
Indonesia’s latest tactic for slowing the world’s fastest rate of deforestation is to crack down on licensing of companies with concessions for agriculture on peat lands and rain forests. The agency for Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Forest Degradation is auditing 18 companies to check for proper licensing, Heru Prasetyo, …
Judgment covers 1993-2010 period; final view on projects' fate on Sep 1 The Supreme Court on Monday held as illegal all coal blocks allocated by the Union government between 1993 and 2010. It said a final decision on the fate of the blocks would be taken on September 1. Questioning …
Indiscriminate and unscientific sand-mining has turned the Gayathripuzha, a major tributary of the Bharathapuzha, into a deathtrap. Deep gorges formed on the riverbed due to indiscriminate sand-mining make the river dangerous even for expert swimmers. With the drowning of siblings Gokul and Rahul and their relative Ashwini on Sunday, the …
Senior officials of the governments of South Asian countries, and regional and international experts working in combating wildlife crime have descended on Kathmandu to formulate an action plan to combat wildlife crimes in South Asia. Over 50 participants from the governments of South Asian countries and other international experts will …
The National Green Tribunal has directed 39 persons to file their replies within three weeks, who have been challaned by the state authorities for carrying out illegal mining activities in and around the Pabbar in Shimla. The NGT, headed by Justice Swatantar Kumar, observed: “Before we pass any orders in …
Illegal mining is continuing in the name of stock clearance. The National Green Tribunal, in an order passed on August 5, 2013, had restrained any person, company and authority to carry out mining on riverbeds without obtaining environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests or the State Environment …
SIRAHA, AUG 22 - Extraction of sand, stone and gravel from the rivers in Siraha has been going unabated despite the government ban. According to the fifth edition of Nepal gazette published on July 7, the government had imposed a ban on the extraction of sand, gravel, and stones through …
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the creation of a fingerprinting system in stores that sell food to limit smuggling of subsidized staple products to neighbouring countries. The system, announced late on Wednesday, is meant to ease chronic shortages of consumer products ranging from cooking oil to toilet paper by preventing …
When it comes to illegal wildlife trade, one thing has always puzzled me ... Why is the demand for ivory so high? While I may not come across the black-market demands or understand the cultural or historical needs for these rare animal teeth, one thing is easy to see - …
A new TRAFFIC analysis of hundreds of seizures sounds the alarm on Asia’s ongoing widespread bear trade and the need for immediate international action. The findings are published in Brought to Bear: an Analysis of Seizures across Asia (2000–2011) which studied bear seizures made over a 12-year period in 17 …
Panaji: The proposed renewal of 27 mining leases has not gone down well with social activists and others, who suggest that the government auction the leases directly and challenge the order of the high court of Bombay at Goa in the Supreme Court. Chief minister Manohar Parrikar announced in the …
Ivory consumption is unsustainable and is causing a dramatic decline in the number of African elephants, according to a new study, “Illegal killing for ivory drives global decline in African elephants”, published in the August 19 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Know More
Porvorim: The government will allot at least 27 mining leases between September 30 to October 10 this year, subject to payment of necessary dues by the lessees, though actual mining may begin by January 2015, chief minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa legislative assembly on Monday. In an oral reply …
Sand traders have been lifting sand for a long time and disregarding the effect of their actions on the environment. The authorities of the six upazilas of Gopalganj, meanwhile, have been blind to their actions. Experts fear landslides and other disasters might occur due to the sand lifting. Sribash Biswas …
