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Apr 05 Legislative Reform needed to improve controls for traditional Chinese Medicine Trade in Malaysia and Singapore full news release (PDF) Trade in musk products, derived from the threatened Musk Deer species, is by-passing wildlife trade controls in Malaysia and Singapore. There is a pressing need to reform the legislation in both countries to enable better monitoring and law enforcement for wild animal and plant-based Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preparations, according to TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network which is a joint World Conservation Union (IUCN) and WWF initiative. Southeast Asia’s role as a hub for the trade in traditional medicines is highlighted by the continuing trade in raw musk and medicinal products claiming to contain musk. A new TRAFFIC Southeast Asia report titled Against The Grain: Trade in Musk Deer Products in Singapore and Malaysia found that trade in TCM preparations containing musk from CITES-listed Musk Deer is not being properly controlled. Between 1990 and 2001, CITES export statistics show Singapore as the destination for 86kg of raw musk. During the same period, both Malaysia and Singapore reported no imports of musk derivatives, despite CITES export records from China, the world’s major exporter of musk derivatives, showing that over 1 million specimens were destined for Singapore, as well as 800kg of derivatives sent to Malaysia. “The majority of musk products – particularly plasters, ointments, pills or capsules – that are openly available in TCM outlets in both Malaysia and Singapore are not appearing in the CITES trade records of these two countries,” said James Compton, Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. “Even if musk products have been imported illegally, the legislation in both countries does not allow law enforcement agencies to act once the products are in the country.” Inadequate national legislation of both Singapore and Malaysia as significant consumer countries of musk from musk deer is a cause for concern. The Endangered Species Act 1989 of Singapore and the Protection of Wild Life Act 1972 of Malaysia do not allow for the effective control of musk deer in trade because they fail to explicitly cover derivatives of protected species. Only animals and their “readily recognisable” parts appear to be covered by Singapore’s and Malaysia’s legislations. Once the musk is extracted from the musk gland of the male Musk Deer and processed or manufactured into derivative medicines, it is no longer explicitly controlled under national law in these two countries. About Musk Deer (from the TRAFFIC website) IUCN classifies the Siberian Musk Deer as vulnerable, while the other three species are considered to be at lower risk but near threatened. Populations of musk deer are declining throughout their distribution. In Russia and in the Russian part of the former Soviet Union there were some 170 000 musk deer in the end of the 1980s, a population which experts believe has declined by about 50 per cent in the past 10 years due to over-hunting. While habitat destruction poses a threat to musk deer populations, large-scale illegal hunting to meet commercial demand for the scent gland or "pod" of the male musk deer is believed to be responsible for dramatic declines in some musk deer populations at the end of this century. Medicinal demand: It is estimated that the annual demand for musk in China alone is between 500 to 1000 kilograms, an amount which could require the pods of more than 100 000 musk deer. While China began farming musk deer in the 1950s, these farms produce only about 5 kilos of musk each year, which means significant pressure remains on wild populations to meet total demand. Demand for musk deer pods and medicinals also can be found throughout Asia and wherever there are significant Asian populations. Some 90 per cent of all the international musk trade consists of mainly medicines and raw musk. During 1995-1997, illicit international trade in musk deer pods or medicines containing musk was uncovered in a variety of countries, including Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong, Nepal, the Netherlands, South Korea, the UK and USA. Perfume demand: Today, most perfumes using musk contain synthetically produced musk, but genuine musk still is used in some traditional perfume recipes, particularly in France. Between 1980-1995 France imported 100 kilograms of raw musk from mainly Hong Kong, the Soviet Union/Russia and Nepal, more than 90 per cent of which was processed to perfume within the country. links FactFile on Musk Deer on the TRAFFIC website Related articles on Global issues: biodiversity biodiversity loss, extinction threats, commercial applications of biodiversity |
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