Pangolin Trade Forces Ghana To Look At New Wildlife Laws

(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Pangolin trade forces Ghana to look at new wildlife laws

Ghana is facing calls to update its laws on wildlife crime after fears the country has become a transit route for the illegal trade in pangolin scales

ACCRA, , 2017 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2017 ) :Ghana is facing calls to update its laws on wildlife crime after fears the country has become a transit route for the illegal trade in pangolin scales.

More than 31,000 kilograms (68,000 Pounds) of scales from the nocturnal mammal have been seized across the world this year, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). In May and June, two major seizures were made in Malaysia, with at least 700 kg found to have been shipped through Ghana.

Massive hauls of the scales have also been made in Uganda, Cameroon and Ivory Coast. IFAW's Mark Hofberg said most of the scales from Africa were traded to meet demand in Asia, where they are used in traditional medicine.

The docile pangolin, which has a thick armour and is also known as a "scaly anteater", is indigenous to parts of Southeast Asia and Africa. Two of the eight species of pangolin are classed as "critically endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: two are "endangered" and four "vulnerable".

Hofberg suggested the increase in seizures could be a sign the authorities are taking the issue seriously but he said many countries lacked strong laws to punish traffickers. "For the pangolin trade to be significantly reduced, penalties and conviction rates must be appropriate," he told AFP.