THE INTERNATIONAL OTTER SURVIVAL FUND'S CURRENT PRESS RELEASES
P R E S S R E L E A S E
HUGE TRADE IN FUR THREATENS RARE OTTER
The huge trade in otter fur is seriously threatening the survival of rare otters
in Asia.
The hairy-nosed otter was believed to be extinct in 1998 but small populations
have been found in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
However in a recent haul in Cambodia, six out of seven furs were from this rare
species. “But this is just the tip
of the iceberg” said Dr Paul Yoxon, of the International Otter Survival Fund.
“Dr Hussain of the Wildlife Institute of India recently told me that for
every one tiger skin found there are 10 otter furs.
In another seizure in Tibet 778 otter furs were found – the scale in the
photograph is shown by the size of the men and the furs continue into the shadow
and beyond the edge of the picture.”
In the past concern about trade in skins and body
parts has been largely concentrated on large fauna such as tigers, leopards and
rhino and quite rightly there has been much public outcry and conservation
effort to protect these species.
However smaller species, such as the otter, have been overlooked and their
exploitation has gone largely unnoticed.
Nevertheless trade in otter skins is extensive and is
usually a part of the whole illegal wildlife trade operation.
The main market is Tibet, where otter furs form part
of the national dress, the chupa – one chupa may have skins from as many as six
otters! These costumes are worn at
many of the festivals and official state functions and the wearing of highly
decorated fur costumes is seen as a means of demonstrating the wealth and status
of Tibetan culture.
The exiled Dalai Lama has denounced the use of animal
furs but at a recent horse festival the Chinese government ordered participants
to wear real furs or risk being sacked or heavily fined.
Many furs come from India so it is not only the
hairy-nosed otter which is at risk.
Smooth coated otters have vanished from Kashmir’s Wular Lake area and
Uttaranchal and due to poaching otters in India have been reduced to a few
hundred in isolated pockets and they are rarely seen outside protected areas.
The otter in India is endangered and highly protected, but this
protection appears to be on paper only as there is no programme for REAL
protection and there is a highly organised network of traders and poachers.
The fur problem is not confined to Tibet and its
neighbouring countries and it is not only Asian species of otter which are
involved; skins from different
species of otter are on the market, some apparently obtained through legitimate
means e.g. American (Lontra canadensis)
river otter skins. Sea otter (Enhydra
lutris) skins are also being sought resulting in the increased market in
Alaska and there are also illegal imports of the Eurasian otter (Lutra
lutra).
In many countries wildlife crime is not seen as a matter of high priority and
therefore there is only minimal effort in terms of money and enforcement.
However the UN has recognised that it is a serious issue of
trans-national organised crime, second only after guns, which even has a
negative impact on the economy and social structure of the countries involved.
IOSF is launching a campaign to combat this trade as a matter of urgency because
without doubt the illegal fur trade is threatening the otters’ future existence.
Without real action not only will the tiger and leopard disappear but
also species of otter in particular the smooth-coated and hairy-nosed.
CONSERVATION STATUS OF OTTERS:
The Conservation Status as identified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
of the species mentioned above is as follows:
Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) – NEAR
THREATENED
Smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata)
– VULNERABLE
Asian short-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)
- NEAR THREATENED
Hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana) –
DATA DEFICIENT
Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) -
ENDANGERED
ENDS
The enclosed photograph shows the 778 otter skins from Tibet.
A printable copy can be supplied and it should be credited to
Conservation International.
A copy of a report submitted by IOSF to CITES can be found at
www.otter.org/fur.html
For further information please contact Dr Paul Yoxon, 01471 822 487,
info@otter.org
13 November 2007