February 16, 2019 is the World Pangolin Day. China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) has begun to “justify” for pangolin in “Year of Justification for Pangolins”. And in 2018, “Counting Year for Pangolins”, CBCGDF has made great achievements.

As is known to all, CBCGDF, serving as the most productive national non-governmental organization in pangolin conservation, has never ceased its efforts to protect the fragile creature. In order to save endangered pangolin, including three genera and eight species, CBCGDF has launched its protection work in form of naming year, for example 2017 is a “Year of Turning Point for Pangolins”, 2018 is a “Counting Year for Pangolins” and 2019 is the “Year of Justification for Pangolins”. In 2018, CBCGDF Pangolin Conservation Group has achieved significant progress.

In 2018, CBCGDF made on-site investigation, promoted publicity on pangolin protection, and cooperated with civil associations to build nature reserve for pangolin. With unswerving spirit, CBCGDF field public interest lawsuit and administrative reconsideration asking for the publicity of information, and proactively put forward with proposals to NPC and CPPCC, so as to spare no efforts to save the imperilled animal.

12 Actions

In 2018, CBCGDF Pangolin Conservation Group took twelve actions which have been listed in the report of 2018. They are:

Investigation of black market by volunteers;

Disclosure of customs information;

Counting campaign by competent forestry authorities of Guangxi province;

Follow-up inquiry on using pangolin as medicine ingredient;

Media report of counting pangolin;

Rescue and rehabilitation of pangolin;

Improvement of law-making related with pangolin protection;

Cracking down on cyber pangolin trafficking;

Popularization of pangolin science;

Enhancing pangolin protection in international stage;

Scientific research on pangolin;

Pangolin conservation.

Media Report

In 2018, CBCGDF Pangolin Conservation Group has published 448 articles, with more than 610 thousand words in total on both international and domestic websites, of which 400 articles are viewed on We Media and 48 covered by foreign media.

(The number of articles published in Chinese and English in 2108 is 448 pieces with over 610 thousand words.)

Rescue of pangolin and construction of conservation zone

In 2018, CBCGDF Pangolin Conservation Group has been to Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Anhui, Guangdong, Taiwan and other provinces to coordinate pangolin rescue and release to the wild, and establish conservation zone with local association. CBCCGDF has already set up seven conservation zones (CCAfa for Pangolins) respectively in Ganzhou (Jiangxi), Jinping (Yunan), Xinping (Yunan), Wenshan (Yunan) and Beian (Anhui).

Information Disclosure

In 2018, CBCGDF Pangolin Conservation Group has sent letters for disclosing information to six municipal customs administrations, including Shenzhen, Nanning, Shanghai, Jiangmen, Guangdong and Hong Kong to absorb the source and destination of pangolin scales seized by customs into effective regulation. The pangolin scales being counted reaches 38.14 tons, and specimen 40 tons.

In 2018, CBCGDF Pangolin Conservation Group has asked 31 provincial and municipal forestry administrations to make its information of approving pangolin used as ingredient of medicine public. But only eight supervisors, including Shanghai, Guangxi, Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui, Shandong, Shaanxi and Guangdong publicized administrative approval on official websites; 14 forestry administrations replied with review and approval process of pangolin to CBCGDF. In terms of the quality of the given information, only few (2) provincial administration replied with what CBCGDF requested in detail; some provincial and municipal supervisors merely wrote back with the name of enterprises who apply for using pangolin and the document number of applications; and some administrations refused to uncover such information for various excuse. By the February 2019, eight provincial forestry authorities have not answered yet.

When looking back, we are glad with achievements we have made in the past year, but at the same time, we clearly know that there is no end for protecting pangolin. The annual report of Counting Year for Pangolins will soon be published. This year is a new start, and partners and volunteers of CBCGDF are on the road of pangolin conservation. For the future of pangolin, we will never stop.

(All data mentioned before subject to 2018 Annual Report.）

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/7624.html

By / Wang Yanqing