Challenges

1 Considerable Black-market Trade

Pangolin scales selling is During the investigation, the working group inquired 21 TCM enterprises and stallholders and found that pangolin scales were available in the market. Consumers even could purchase pangolin scales online.

2 Report Process Beset with Difficulties and Belated Official Actions

According to the state regulations, pharmacy is not allowed to sell the pangolin scale. After learning that 4 pharmacies sold processed pangolin scales, the working group instantly contacted the Food and Drug Administration. However, law enforcement officials did not find processed pangolin scales in these pharmacies, and couldn't carry out further investigation, even with the videos shot by the working group. Therefore, it is necessary to establish more effective patterns to ensure a valid report and investigation.

Moreover, relevant authorities should attach importance to conduct a thorough investigation into pangolin products and stockpiles when receiving reports, and act on its initiative to conduct a spot check. Official departments should adopt measures and impose heavy punishment to medicine companies illegally selling pangolin products. Those whose act is serious enough to constitute a crime shall be prosecuted for their criminal liability by the judicial organs.

3 Insufficient Public Information

To protect endangered wildlife, the utilization of wild animal products, such as ivory processing factory and sales company, has been open to the public. But there is few public information about pangolin product. It is not an easy task to apply information disclosure under the Open Government Information Regulation of the People's Republic of China, and the working group only received the reply from Haozhou municipal forestry department。

Suggestions

1 Given the severe condition of this endangered creature, we suggest to remove Chinese pangolins from the Chinese Pharmacopeia and strictly forbid its medical use.

2 We suggest to strengthen pangolin conservation, including but not limit:

Upgrading the protection level from the second class to the first class;

Carrying out a specific investigation of pangolins in the wild to monitor the population and habitat distribution;

Strictly protecting the habitats of pangolins and forbidding any form of exploration to safeguard its living condition.

3. The list of companies and institutions who have pangolin breeding permit and business license, the list of medicine companies and hospitals who are qualified to produce Chinese patent drug with the ingredient of pangolin should be open to the public.

Opening information will greatly facilitate public supervision.

4. The number of confiscated pangolin products should be open to the public, and harsh punishment should be implemented to the law-enforcement who resell pangolin products at a profit, to combat illegal pangolin trade.

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/6228.html

By / Zheng Nanyu, Wang Yanqing