KARACHI: A recent study, compiled through undercover surveys of 55 markets in 23 cities across Pakistan, has revealed that a majority of species/animal derivatives on sale at these markets are listed within the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.
The study found that Karachi hosted the highest number of markets and shops dealing in illegal wildlife followed by Peshawar. Consumption of dried meat of the Indian cobra and sand lizard is recorded to be widespread in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
Titled An assessment of the scale of illegal wildlife trade in Pakistan, the study was conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) and authored by Dr Uzma Khan and Hamera Aisha.
‘Karachi has highest number of markets and shops dealing in illegal wildlife followed by Peshawar’
Part of a project supported by USAID, the study aimed at assessing the scale of illegal wildlife trade in Pakistan and looked into the effectiveness of the existing wildlife regulations.
The study covered a total of 288 shops and street vendors in 55 markets dealing in wildlife and their derivatives. These markets were located in Karachi, Thatta, Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur, Nagarparkar, Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Mianwali, Murree, Multan, Abbottabad, Chitral, Mardan, Mansehra, Peshawar, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Gawadar and Jiwani.
All surveyed markets and shops were found to be involved in illegal wildlife trade. The study didn’t cover legal pet trade.
High return crime
Illegal trade of wildlife species was predominantly recorded in bigger metropolises such as Lahore and Karachi, where the demand for exotic pets was found higher than other cities.
In Karachi, 12 markets and 42 shops were identified dealing in illegal wildlife, whereas, in Peshawar seven markets and 33 shops were recorded to be involved in this illegal trade.
The survey teams did not find any wildlife markets in Islamabad, Gwadar, Jiwani, Murree or Nagarparkar districts.
The teams recorded 55 wildlife species on sale in markets surveyed across the country, of which 40 per cent comprised mammals, 39pc birds, 19pc reptiles, while the remaining 2pc belonged to the invertebrates (Arachnida) category.
Mammal species recorded during the course of the survey included the leopard cat, Indian palm civet, Pallas cat, chinkara, hog deer, grey langur, Asiatic jackal, Indian pangolin, rhesus monkey etc. Whereas, the common leopard and Himalayan black bear cubs were also available for sale within a time period of 14 days upon an advance payment of 50pc.
A number of bird species caught in the wild were observed in markets. But, (for the purpose of this study) only protected species and those high in trade demand were recorded.