Page 32 - EIA Report on Tanzanian African Ivory Smuggling 2014 report
P. 32
ABOVE: In Fujian, the ivory trade is spread illegal ivory from him. Another licensed
Zhengang Crafts ivory across the province but mostly company, Xianyou Senyi Xianshi Crafts
carving factory, Fujian, concentrated in processing hubs such Ltd had just been granted legal trader
August 2013. as Fuzhou, Putian and Xianyou. There, status, but the owner Fang Zhishun,
ivory is commonly processed by a who is also Putian City representative
“While the Chinese carving industry which also works on to the National People’s Congress told
Government has rosewood furniture and crafts in EIA investigators he was planning to
been promoting ivory China.105 Main centres include Minhou source illegal ivory and use his license
carving as part of next to Fuzhou, Baxia, and Duwei near to launder materials through the
the country’s cultural Xianyou, where retailers source their legal system. During the meeting he
heritage, it is stocks and smuggling networks hide made several calls to black market
threatening Africa’s contraband. In Xianyou alone there ivory suppliers.
natural heritage” were said to be eight ivory networks
operating prior to enforcement Burgeoning demand for ivory in
31 operations in 2012. Finished ivory China is the main driving force behind
carvings are usually distributed within the escalating poaching of elephants
networks of trusted traders and often in Africa. While the Chinese
end up in cities such as Beijing and Government has been promoting ivory
Shanghai. The crossover between the carving as part of the country’s
rosewood and ivory trades demonstrates cultural heritage, it is threatening
the convergence of wildlife crime types; Africa’s natural heritage.
similar trafficking routes are used and
timber shipments offer a convenient way EIA investigations reveal that ivory
of concealing ivory. is frequently used as gifts for the
political and business elites, as a
EIA also gathered evidence of how non-financial bribe.
licensed dealers also participate in the
ivory black market and use loopholes in As EIA’s investigations in Tanzania
the Government registration system. show, Chinese-led criminal syndicates
During a meeting with licensed ivory are making huge profits from ivory
trader Fujian Zhengang Crafts it was trafficking and, in the process,
revealed that the company produced undermining the rule of law and
multiple identical items using a single fostering corruption. While China’s
certificate to get around the limited enforcement agencies deserve credit
processing quota. for a recent operations resulting in
successful prosecutions, the amount
A subsequent meeting with the owner of of illegal ivory seized represents at
Duwei-based Fuling Carving confirmed best only about five per cent of the
that Zhengang had previously sourced contraband evading detection.
