ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network: Regional Initiative on Wildlife Enforcement to Protect Biodiversity Based on case study entitled : “ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) : Regional Initiative on Wildlife Enforcement to Protect Biodiversity” Authored by : Chrisgel Ryan Ang Cruz, from ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit Presented by : Chrisgel Ryan Ang Cruz, at Asia Regional Forum on Biodiversity, Cha-am, Thailand, November 2011 Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s greatest biological diversity, which humans rely on for food, livelihoods, medicines and other aesthetic pleasures. Not only is biodiversity important to human lives and communities, biodiversity also has significance to the national economy – with healthy ecosystems contributing to the provision of environmental services vital to the survival and sustainability of populations and nations. Negative Effects of Illegal Harvesting and Trading in Wild Flora and Fauna Southeast Asia’s biodiversity, however, has, for the longest time, been threatened by various external and internal factors. One such threat is the presence of illegal harvesting and trading in wild flora and fauna, which causes destruction and degradation at many dimensions. First, it contributes to destruction of the environment where natural ecosystems and essential environmental services are degraded. It also entails an irrevocable loss of biodiversity through extinctions of species. Second, it results in economic damage through the loss of revenue and taxes for biodiversity and natural resources that should have been accruing to the national economy. Third, it causes degradation to national security and human health. In this regard, said over-exploitation contributes to the increased presence of organized crime and the spread of potential transmittable vectors and diseases from wildlife to human populations. While the commercial value for biodiversity and natural resources has driven the illegal trade in timber and wild animals and plants, factors such as 68 THE ASIA REGIONAL FORUM ON BIODIVERSITY Figure 1. ASEAN-WEN is an integrated regional inter-governmental network for collaboration to fight agianst wildlife crime. extremely low levels of law enforcement, coupled with local poverty and international demand, have further facilitated the growth of over-exploitation and illegal activities into a crisis in Southeast Asia. Porous border, well-established trade routes (by land, sea, or air), increase in efficient transport infrastructure, endemic corruption, lax policies and legislations, and lack of strong will to prosecute environmental cases have all served to make the over-exploitation of biodiversity and natural resources through illegal harvesting and trading of wild animals and plants an easy and low risk activity in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia has undertaken its role in the problem of illegal harvesting and trading of wildlife as an exporter
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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