NB: After the article was published, the Malaysian Parliament passed the Wildlife Conservation Act, the first major wildlife law overhaul in the country since 1972.
Third World Countries, because of their undermined environmental structures and lack of powerful environmental laws, are being used and abused by wildlife Traffickers worldwide. Wong King Ling, publically known as Anson is a perfect example and a contributor to wildlife destruction.
Some of the things that were most striking to me while reading this article was:
(i) That wildlife trafficking is one of the most highly acclaimed legal activity in the world.
(ii) That animals, even after being listed as extinct were still being traded illegally
(iii) The unresponsiveness of the Malaysian government towards these illegal activities
Anson is one of the most notorious wild life traffickers in the world. His many arrests involving the breach of wildlife laws has never stopped him or his company’s quest for wealth even if it is unethical. In September of 1998, Anson was arrested after having dealings with an undercover cop who provided evidence for his arrest (Operation Chameleon). However, even after six years of being behind bars, Anson could not be stopped. “During his imprisonment, Cheah Bing Shee continued to run the operation”. It is hard to stop a man who can maneuver his way between the many potholes and cracks of the Malaysian system that supposedly “protects” endangered animals. Until the severity for breaking these laws has been maximized then wildlife trafficking will always exist. There is a need for people to realize that wildlife smugglers are just as unlawful as one who murders. That smuggling endangered animals is a serious act with potent futuristic consequences.
Anson has used many locals and poor farmers to fulfill his hideous deeds. He never puts himself in a position where he may be vulnerable which makes it difficult to catch him in the act. “Nothing can be done to me, I could sell a panda – and, nothing. As long as I’m here, I’m safe.” For years, after many repeated efforts, the fight to stop companies such as Anson’s resulted in failure because of the structure of their secretive operations. Furthermore, with the help of the Malaysian Government this made Anson’s operations even more inconspicuous. Maybe the locals need to actually foresee what will happen to their future and the same lively hood that they are trying to hold on to before something can actually be done. They need to realisethat these poor animals are their future and that animals like those affected in the article and also those endemic to distinct countries has just a right to live in peace as they do.
Year after year Anson and his company flood the black market with Tigers,( on the brink of extinction) , Pythons, Star tortoises, radiated tortoises, , Madagascan plowshare tortoises, Fly river turtle, frilled lizard, Chinese Alligators, Asian false gharial, Spix’s macaws and other Malaysian reptiles. These animals have been forbidden to be traded under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES). In addition, captive breeding and medicine are also some of the other profitable uses of these harmless animals. For example, bile from bears used as Chinese medicine, shark fin soup which is a Chinese delicacy, Snow leopard skin used to make fur coats and Panda skin. In short, the more men like Anson become resourceful, the more their demands will increase and affect the survival of these delicate species. Perceptions like Anson’s need to be changed to seeing endangered animals and animals and plant life as a whole a part of a community rather than as a resource. It is therefore vital that serious laws and punishment be put in place in these hot spots where diversity is intense, to protect the animals.
Leyana Romain
My review of the book A Sandy County Almanac by the author, Aldo Leopold
Conservation needs to be seen as critical ideology. However, the whole idea of conserving our environment renders a lot of controversy as to the true importance of this concept. It needs to be seen from different perspectives and Aldo Leopold does this.
As man thrives for sustainability and economic success, the basic principles of life such as ethics is disregarded.
Aldo Leopold, author of A Sandy County Almanac, saturates his readers with a different perspective contrary to the way the modern day man would see it. The clippings from the book emphasizes the need for man to be one with nature instead of one who dictates what should occur with nature. He addresses this by highlighting nature’s true beauty and value in a very subtle way. He brings across the point that we poses superiority but are not superior over these ‘wild things’.
“ For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. The Cro – Magnon who slew the last mammoth thought only of steaks. The sportsman who shot the last pigeon thought only of his prowess. The sailor who clubbed the last auk thought nothing at all. But we, who have lost our pigeons, mourn the loss. Had the funeral been ours, the pigeons would hardly have mourned for us. In this fact, rather than in Mr. Dupont’s nylons or Mr. Varnevar Bush’s bombs, lies objective evidence of our superiority over the beasts” [110]
The fact that we poses supremacy over the birds of the air and cattle of the field ( animals described in his extracts) holds us accountable for our daily approach towards these animals. We are in fact deemed caretakers of the earth and should uphold this task with basic understanding of kinship and morality. Moreover, if we understand these fundamental values then the way in which we interact and see nature , would stem from a different attitude.
He also stresses the point that our interaction with nature should not always be seen as an asset but understand that everything in the wild has its place.
“ The cowman who cleans his range of wolves does not realize that he is taking over the wolf’s job of trimming the herd to fit the range. He has not learned to think like a mountain.”
In addition, Aldo Leopold strategically personifies nature to magnify its worth “ It was something new to me in those eyes, something known to only he [ the wolf] and the mountain [130]. By using this approach, he brings out a sense of wisdom that nature possesses affecting the emotions of anyone reading and showing that nature is no different or less important than we are.
In Marshland, he explains that what we do with nature is not always beneficial in the long run. He also focuses on the need for simplicity and “ solitude” as with the ornithologists and cranes and those who appreciate the simple things in life. He continues to do so in the extract named “ Illonois bus ride” where he reminisces on a ride to the conservation district and vividly recalls the things he saw around him. He describes the way in which nature was being damaged by referring to the useless roads being built and criticizes governmental organizations “To build a road is so much simpler than to think of what the country really needs” [109]. It then strikes him that no one on the bus recognizes these things but are probably flooded with ulterior motifs. It is here that one examines himself and realizes that he too may have failed to acknowledge these peculiar things falling victim to short mindedness.
I think that if we take the time to appreciate these meaningful things then we in turn would subconsciously start living in one with nature rather than view these two worlds as distinct. He affirms this view when he says in this extract that “ To them Illonois is only the sea on which they sail to ports unknown” [119]
Finally within the last few pages of these series of writings, emphasis is again placed on our lack of foresight and wisdom and the fact that most of what we believe in or perceive as progress are merely misconceptions of the word in itself and that we are in fact a destructive force in our own world. That we are no less ignorant than the Europeans who exploited the Africans or ‘the Spaniards the native Indians’.
Leyana Romain
MARINE!!!
The more i hear about the word marine....ocean ......beach,is the more i get that gut feeling that its the area i'd like to contribute most of my life towards.Its been very controversial lately and by that i mean whether or not i think thats the career path i'd like to follow but after coming across an article today on the damage inflicted on marine animals and biodiversity on a whole, i think its very appropriate and i'm happy that i finally made a decisive decision :)
As world population begin to increase, we become more dependent on biodiversity. This means that more trees are being cut down to sustain industries such as paper and furniture industries, more cheap energy resources such as fossil fuels would continue to be used to provide energy to these populations and in turn contribute to the widespread emission of carbon dioxide and other green house gases which we all know is harmful to the environment and ozone, more marine animals such as whales and fishes would be killed to sustain the fisheries industry all of which affect distinct foodchains.
In short, what we need to realise is that we are not the only species here on planet earth and if we continue to digest the notion that us as human beings are independent and more important than other creations then that is clearly the basis of our problems.
In addition, we must not ignore the fact that a marine environment also exists and is the largest of all biomes and is also vulnerable to selfish human activities. Maybe there is something there that is yet to be discovered, maybe an alternative , environmentally friendly source of energy is just waiting to be discovered there........maybe just maybe there lies the solution to our problems.
However, what we need to do is to treat nature in a way that we would want to be treated..........give to the environment and take care of it because if we don't then it will turn against us and i strongly believe this.
from the girl on a tiny island
leeleepoo
