27 November 2012
Study Raises Concern Over International Trade In Python Skins
Gland, Switzerland, 27 November 2012 – A new study finds that close to half a million python skins are reported as exported annually from South-East Asia.
The main importer is the European fashion and leather industry. The study raises concerns over the illegality in parts
of the trade, animal welfare issues and the trade’s impact on the conservation of python populations.
The report, Trade in South-East Asian Python Skins, was launched today by the International Trade Centre (ITC), in co-operation with the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and TRAFFIC, a joint programme of IUCN and WWF. It reveals that the trade in python skins
is worth an estimated US $1 billion annually.
“The report shows that problems of illegality persist in the trade in python skins and that this can threaten species’
survival,” says Alexander Kasterine, Head of ITC’s Trade and Environment Programme. “The fashion and leather industry has a stronger role to play in supporting the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the developing countries to ensure supply is legal and
sustainable.”
Indonesia, Malaysia and Viet Nam are the main sources of exports of python skins, with European Union countries – in
particular Italy, Germany and France – the biggest importers. Around 70% of all python skins are re-exported via
Singapore. The report notes that a lack of transparency concerning undisclosed stockpiles in the country could be
facilitating the laundering of illegally sourced skins.
“It would appear a substantial proportion of the skins in trade are sourced illegally from wild animals, beyond agreed
quotas, and using false permits to launder the skins,” says Tomas Waller, Chair of IUCN’s Boa and Python Specialist Group (BPSG).
“With potentially large mark-ups along the supply chain, there is a strong financial incentive for illegal trade in
python skins and considerable scope for traders to issue false permits,” says Olivier Caillabet, Programme Officer with
TRAFFIC in South-East Asia, and a co-author of the report.
Although more than 20% of exports of Reticulated Python skins from South-East Asia (mainly Viet Nam and Lao PDR) are
declared as captive-bred, the report argues that the “commercial case is not convincing and needs to be specifically
assessed”, noting that the cost of breeding, feeding and maintaining the snakes to reach slaughter size appears much
higher than the market price.
The report recommends that the fashion industry implements a traceability system to demonstrate to consumers that its
sourcing is legal and sustainable. This would complement the existing CITES permitting system to allow identification of
skins along the length of the supply chain.
An additional concern regards the possible lack of sustainability of sourcing. Large numbers of wild pythons are
slaughtered before they reach the reproductive stage, meaning harvest quotas may have been set at unsustainable levels.
The report recommends a precautionary approach is applied to harvesting, with legally binding minimum skin size limits
to ensure protection of immature snakes.
The report highlights previously unknown slaughter methods, yet argues that trade bans are not an effective or fair way
to address illegality and animal welfare issues.
The report was funded by the Government of Denmark, through ITC’s Trade and Environment Programme.
The report can be downloaded from http://www.intracen.org/The-Trade-in-South-East-Asian-Python-Skin/
About ITC
ITC, the International Trade Centre, is the joint agency of WTO and the United Nations and is devoted to helping small
and medium enterprises in developing countries become more competitive in global markets and thus to speed up
sustainable economic development and contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
About TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to
the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of IUCN and WWF.
About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing
environment and development challenges. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and
equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and
development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs,
the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global
environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some
160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and
private sectors around the world. www.iucn.org; IUCN on Facebook; IUCN on Twitter
ENDS