Endangered Species Laws

Bangkok,

In Thailand, unless its drugs or murder, officials aren't taking the decline of endangered species too seriously. The unlawful business of endangered species is about a 6 billion dollar industry where police are powerless to stop these traffickers because of the lack of laws in Thailand.

Police that work mainly in wildlife crimes were first only trained in illegal logging but now have been trained over the recent years to stop traffickers. CITES, which is an international law governing these crimes has helped police, judges, and prosecuting lawyers change their attitudes about this environmentally damaging industry.

In one attempt to try to stop traffickers, 40 undercover Thai officers arrested 2 traffickers who were trying to sell Madagascan Ploughshare tortoises. These tortoises are so rare that only 300 remain in the world. But the outcome for these traffickers was no jail time, and only a $1000 fee. These raids cost thousands of dollars for a little result.

This is definitely frustrating for organizations like TRAFFIC and CITES who are trying to stop murdering of these endangered species. CITES provisions have not been fully translated into Thai law all the while traffickers are getting through the cracks of the law unscathed. Thai society will definetly need to change their attitude on this situation, until then we can only hope the animals will escape traffickers.

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