TRAFFIC ILLEGAL OTTER TRADER E P O R T

JULY 2016

An analysis of seizures in selected Asian
countries (1980–2015)
Lalita Gomez, Boyd T. C. Leupen, Meryl Theng, Katrina Fernandez
and Melissa Savage

Otter Specialist GroupTRAFFIC REPORTTRAFFIC, the wild­life trade monitoringnet­work, is the leading non-governmentalorganization working globally on trade inwild animals and plants in the context of bothbiodiversity conservation and sustainable
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or its supporting ­organizations con­cern­ing
the legal status of any country, territory, or
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The views of the authors expressed in thispublication are those of the writers and do notnecessarily reflect those of TRAFFIC,
WWF or IUCN.
Published by TRAFFIC.
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Suggested citation: Gomez, L., Leupen, B T.C.,
Theng, M., Fernandez, K., and Savage, M. 2016.
Illegal Otter Trade : An analysis of seizures inselected Asian countries (1980-2015). TRAFFIC.
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Front cover photograph: Small-clawed Otter
Aonyx cinereus
Credit: N. Duplaix

ILLEGAL OTTER TRADE
An analysis of seizures in selected Asian
countries (1980–2015)© N. Duplaix

Lalita Gomez, Boyd T. C. Leupen, Meryl Theng,
Katrina Fernandez and Melissa Savage

Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus© N. Duplaix

Small-clawed Otter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgementsiii

Executive summaryiv

Introduction

1

Methodology

8

Results

10

Discussion

19

Conclusion

25

References

28

Appendix A

30

Appendix B

32

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Wildlife Protection Society of India, Wildlife Alliance, The Endangered Species Importand Export Management Office of the People’s Republic of China, Wildlife Institute of India,
ASEAN-WEN and Biodiversity and Forest Management Department, Ministry of Natural Resourceand Environment of Malaysia, Wildlife Conservation Nepal, Environmental Investigation Agency
International, and TRAFFIC regional offices for their contribution of data which made this reportpossible.
We owe a heartfelt thanks to Chris R. Shepherd, Nicole Duplaix, Roland Melisch, Yannick Kuehl,
Richard Thomas and James Compton for their comments and contributions to this report. Lastly a
big thank you to the Fondation Segre for funding and supporting our work on otters in the region.

iii TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This study is focused on four otter species in Asia; the Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra, the Hairy-nosed
Otter Lutra sumatrana, the Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus and the Smooth-coated Otter
Lutrogale perspicillata. The illegal wildlife trade poses a direct threat to all four species as they are
popular for their fur and increasingly for their supposed qualities as pets. This study is an analysis ofotter seizure data during the period 1980 to July 2015 inclusive. This study was born out of a desire
to understand the extent and scale of the trade involving all four Asian otter species, effectively
facilitating future research and action plans. However, otter seizure data for the region were scarceand more often than not, non-existent. Nevertheless, based on the seizure records acquired, it can beconcluded that the illegal otter trade is persistent and largely unchecked, despite otter species being
protected across their ranges.
Overall, a total of 161 otter seizures were recorded across 15 countries in Asia between 1980 and2015 involving a total of 5881 individuals. The majority (99%) of these cases was associated withthe hunting of otters for their skins in countries like China, India and Nepal. This trade seems
mostly to involve the Eurasian Otter and Smooth-coated Otter. It must be noted however, that ingeneral a large number (82%) of seized skins were not identified down to species level owing to
the difficulty of distinguishing between the skins of the different species. This clearly obstructs
the ability to estimate the impacts of the otter trade on specific species and complicates the taskof prioritizing species of concern. While the seizures of otter skins has increased over the years interms of frequency, the quantities seized have decreased. This could be attributed to an increase inundetected trade; or more worryingly to declining otter populations.
In countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam, otters are hunted to supply a growing
pet trade that appears to be mostly domestic, in which the Small-clawed Otter and the Smoothcoated Otter are evidently popular. The emerging trend of otters being used as pets was further
hinted at through preliminary scans of social media websites (in both English and local languages)
and trade fora in which a flourishing online pet trade was discovered (e.g. Indonesia and Viet Nam),in addition to an increasing number of seizures involving live individuals since the early 2000s.
The Hairy-nosed Otter was by far the least encountered species in this study, with only six
individuals seized between 2002 and 2008 in five separate incidents. All the seizures of this species,
three of which involved skins and three of which involved live individuals, occurred in Cambodia.
Considering that this species is already under severe pressure, any level of trade is likely to pose asignificant risk to its survival.
Overall seizure data for otters were scarce across the region preventing us from drawing any
firm conclusions on the extent of the trade. Nevertheless, it is clear that the illegal otter tradeis ongoing and most likely poses a significant threat to all four otter species in Asia assessed inthis study. Further investigation is urgently required to establish a more complete overview ofthe live otter trade, including extensive assessments of the online trade to enhance protection ofotters across their range. Based on this preliminary assessment of otter seizure data the following
recommendations are made:TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) iv

RECOMMENDATIONSCITES and other legislation•	A study should be carried out to assess whether the up-listing of the three Asian otter species
assessed (Smooth-coated Otter, Small-clawed Otter and Hairy-nosed Otter) from Appendix II
to Appendix I is merited against the criteria under the Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
•	All countries not already assessed as Category I of the CITES National Legislation Project(i.e. India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal and Philippines) should improve respective national
legislations to meet requirements of CITES implementation, particularly in India and Nepal
where otter populations are in decline and where the international trade in otter skins is still
very much apparent.
•	All countries should submit reports of otter seizures to the Secretariat including acomprehensive report of actions and outcomes as they relate to the seizures e.g. criminal
prosecutions, fines, etc. as this information is crucial in analysing levels and trends in the illegal
trade.
•	National legislation protecting wildlife in Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal and Myanmar should be
amended to include all otter species as protected species since distinguishing between the skinsof the different otter species is difficult.
•	In Indonesia, steps need to be taken to address the growing pet trade in otters, beginning with
the inclusion of the Smooth-coated Otter and Small-clawed Otter as protected species within thelegislation that would effectively ban the capture and possession of these wild animals.
•	Legislation in otter range countries should be assessed to determine loopholes in the law thatcan be exploited to include otters in the illegal trade chain. For instance in Nepal and Singapore
wildlife clauses allow the harming, hunting and/or killing of otters on private land. Furthermore
human-otter conflicts put high pressure on wild otter populations. Instead of legalizing lethal
action against protected species on private land, alternative measures for combating “pest” ottersshould be first investigated.

Law enforcement•	Improved regulatory systems and their implementation in Asia are essential to curb the illegal
wildlife trade. This requires law enforcement agencies proactively to investigate and convict
those engaging in such activities appropriately. The IUCN Otter Specialist Group and TRAFFIC
are available to assist the relevant enforcement agencies in providing enforcement support andtraining with regards to identification of otter species and body parts, including distinguishing
between the skins of the different otter species. Increasing the capacity of local law enforcement
has been shown to be one of the most effective pathways to curbing illegal wildlife trade.
•	In Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, while all otters are protected by legislation,
enforcement efforts need to be enhanced to protect otters from a seemingly growing domestic
pet market.

v TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

Future research•	Further research by organizations such as NGOs and Academic Institutions into the status of
the four Asian otter species assessed in this study should be conducted in each country so as tounderstand better the consequences for wild populations of the illegal trade.
•	Continued monitoring of the illegal otter trade by organizations such as TRAFFIC is needed
to build and expand on the current seizure database, including market and trade route surveys
in key areas to identify and analyse trafficking hot spots, the level of trade, weaknesses in law
enforcement, targeted otter species and key uses (e.g. pets, skin, traditional medicine, food). Thisshould include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and between these countries
and China; and in Southeast Asia where seizure data have been scarce but where otter tradeappears to be increasing i.e. Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand andViet Nam.
•	Research into the online trade of otters as exotic pets in particular, but also for other uses,
should be undertaken by organisations such as TRAFFIC to better understand these new trading
platforms and their potential effects on otter populations.
•	Research by organisations such as NGOs and academic institutions is needed into thestimulation of the trade in otters as exotic pets and of otters displayed in shows by ill-governedzoos and aquaria and travelling menageries.
•	Research by organisations such as NGOs and academic institutions is needed into retaliatory
killings stemming from human-otter conflicts and to what extent otter parts from such
incidences subsequently enter local and international trade.

Public awareness•	Governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are encouraged to raise awarenessin otter range States amongst enforcement agencies, local villages and fishing communities ofthe plight of wild otters, as a measure to curb illegal trade. This should include provision of
information about declining otter populations, the role of otters in wetland ecosystems — andhence wetland conservation; and otters’ protection status, which often prohibits their hunting,trapping or poisoning.
•	Governments and NGOs, alongside agriculture and aquaculture extension services anddevelopment agencies are encouraged to raise awareness about the non-lethal options available
to mitigate human-otter conflicts.

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) vi

INTRODUCTION
Background

Otters are amphibious mammals (Order: Carnivora; Family: Mustelidae) that occur in both
freshwater and marine habitats. They are characterized by a coat of extremely densely-haired waterprotecting fur, long sinuous bodies, flattened heads and small ears. Considered top predators intheir habitats, otters are indicators of a flourishing aquatic ecosystem as they rely on high water
quality, healthy and unpolluted aquatic prey, as well as undisturbed, clean wetland habitat (Sivasothiet al., 1994; Kruuk, 2006). Otters can be found throughout North America, Central and SouthAmerica, Europe, Asia and Africa. There are 13 species of otters in the world and Asia is home to
five: the Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata, Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus, Hairynosed Otter Lutra sumatrana, Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra and the Sea Otter Enhydra lutris. The
latter occurs in some of the eastern coastal areas of the Russian Federation and has incidentally
been observed in northern Japan. However the species has been excluded from this study due
to its northern Pacific coastal distribution and for reasons of its very different past use and tradedynamics.
Historically, the otter trade has had a global occurrence, with the Sea Otter skin trade in North
America starting in the 18th century and lasting until the beginning of the 20th century (by whichtime reintroduction programmes were required to save the species from extinction) (Carlson, 2002;
Kruuk, 2006). It was the dense and durable properties of otter furs that made them so valuable in
the then flourishing fur business. The historical demand for otter fur has resulted in the huntingof different otter species around the world, and has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousandsof animals, driving several species to near extinction in many range States (Foster-Turley andSantiapillai, 1990; Kruuk, 2006; Nawab and Gautam, 2008; Duckworth, 2013).
In South Asia, particularly in Afghanistan (Melisch and Rietschel, 1996), Bangladesh, India and
Nepal, illegal hunting of otters for their skin is ongoing and poses a severe threat to regional otter
populations. In addition, the killing of otters due to real or purported conflict with fisheries andpond aquaculture has been reported from several countries in Asia (Melisch and Rietschel, 1996;
Melisch and Lubis, 1998). Early 21st century seizure data suggest that 20–30 percent of the Indian
fur trade then involved otter skins (Meena, 2002). Otter poaching on the Indian subcontinent islargely aimed at meeting the high demand in the Chinese market (WWF, 2015). It has been foundthat at least 50 percent of otter skins in China originate from India (Ghosh, 2005; Duckworth,2013). Reports of otter furs being popular for sale in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) andother provinces of China have further been confirmed by Tsering (2005) and WWF (2007). Other
important markets are found in Japan, South Korea and the Russian Federation (Kruuk, 2006).
While little information exists on otter populations in India, it is known that intensive trapping has
resulted in severely fragmented otter populations that are now largely restricted to protected areas(Khan et al., 2014).
A discussion group on the use of and trade in otters in Asia evolved in the margins of the 7th IUCNInternational Otter Colloquium in Trebon, Czech Republic, in 1998 (Melisch, 1998). However,
the magnitude of the illegal Asian otter trade has only recently come to light when remarkable
quantities of otter skins were discovered during a joint study by the Environmental Investigation
Agency (EIA) and the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) into the big cat skin trade in
China (EIA/WPSI, 2006). Openly for sale in local markets, otter skins were often found alongside
Tiger Panthera tigris and Leopard P. pardus skins (in two years, no fewer than 1800 otter skins wererecorded on a single market). In China, these skins are used as outer linings of coats, to make hats,
to embellish traditional garments like the Tibetan Chupa, or as trophies for display during festivals
and sporting events.
1 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

The popularity of otters, captured when young from the wild for the commercial pet trade seems
to be a recent development. In Indonesia there are at least 800 private otter owners (IOSF, 2014)
and observations of live otters for sale in wildlife markets in Jakarta have increased from incidental
observations in the late 1980s and early 1990s (R. Melisch, pers. observation from West Java) to
become more widespread over the past decade (Chris R. Shepherd, pers. comm.). Overall, records
of illegal live otter trade, including seizures of live otters in the region are becoming more frequent.
In 2013, 11 juveniles (six Smooth-coated Otters and five Small-clawed Otters) were seized at
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Thailand), allegedly on route to Japan where they
were to be sold as pets (Shepherd and Tansom, 2013). This case represented the first of its kind in
Thailand. More recently, in December 2015, nine juvenile Small-clawed Otters from Thailand wereseized in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam (An, 2015).
While these seizures mark a new development in international trade dynamics, the full extent of
the trade in live otters cannot be determined without including online transactions. For example,
a study of Indonesian online markets from January to May 2012 recorded 63 advertisements by 46
sellers with each advert involving one to four cubs (average 1.58) (Aadrean, 2013). In a recent study
assessing the trade of wildlife through Facebook in Peninsular Malaysia, otters were highlighted
as being particularly popular as pets with regular turnover rates (Krishnasamy and Stoner, 2016).
Internet offers have also occurred recently in Brunei Darussalam (Anon, 2014).
Occasionally, otter parts have been used for traditional medicinal purposes. Certain body parts are
believed to have therapeutic properties. For instance in India, otter blood is used to treat epilepsy(Kruuk, 2006) and oil extracted from their fat is used to treat joint pains and pneumonia (Meena,2002). In Cambodia, an otter’s baculum (penis bone), crushed and mixed with coconut milk, isprescribed as an aphrodisiac (Dong et al., 2010).

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 2

© N. Duplaix© C. Benetto

Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana© N. Duplaix

Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus© N. Duplaix

Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata

Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra

3 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

Asian Otter Species

Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata
The Smooth-coated Otter occurs throughout South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh,
Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Viet
Nam (Khan et al., 2010; de Silva et al., 2015) (Figure 1). Isolated populations of the species havealso been documented in the Middle East i.e. Iraq and Iran (Hayman, 1957; Khan et al., 2010).
The species has been found to be largely diurnal, group-living animals that occur in the lowlands,
mangroves, rivers, freshwater habitats (lakes, streams, reservoirs, canals, flooded fields) and evenrice fields (Osman and Shariff, 1988; Nor, 1989; Foster-Turley, 1992). Its large size (up to 1.3m in
total length) makes it conspicuous and thus likely more vulnerable to human interference thanother species (Kruuk, 2006). Threats to the Smooth-coated Otter include extensive habitat loss,
contamination of waterways and human over-exploitation of the species’s prey biomass (Rudyanto
and Melisch, 1994; Melisch et al., 1996; de Silva et al., 2015). Furthermore, the species is considereda “conflict animal” in those areas where it hinders the activities of local fishermen and farmers(Kruuk, 2006) thus “legitimizing” its extermination. Unquestionably, poaching only exacerbates theimpacts these threats already have on wild populations. The Smooth-coated Otter is particularly
popular among poachers for its pelt and meat. The Smooth-coated Otter is currently classified as
Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened
Species and is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This means that all international trade in the species is regulated
and can only take place after the issuance of (re-)export permits by the relevant authorities.
Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus
The Small-clawed Otter occurs across most of the tropical regions of Asia, ranging from
Pakistan and India in South Asia eastwards through Southeast Asia to Java (Indonesia), Palawan(Philippines), Taiwan and southern mainland China (Wright et al., 2015) (Figure 1). This gregarious
species occurs in a wide range of habitats associated with the presence of a crab and mollusc preybase, in small streams and rivers of forests, marshes and rice paddies and in mangroves and coastal
areas (Melisch et al., 1996; Wright et al., 2015). Small-clawed Otters face similar threats to the ones
Smooth-coated Otters face (PHPA and AWB-Indonesia 1994; Rudyanto and Melisch, 1994; Melischet al., 1996; Wright et al., 2015). Small-clawed Otters as well as hybrids (Small-clawed Otter x
Smooth-coated Otter) have been observed in popular shows in commercial aquaria and travelling
menageries in Indonesia (Melisch and Foster-Turley, 1996), likely adding to the popularity of thespecies on the pet market nationally and beyond. The species is currently classified as Vulnerable on
the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is listed in Appendix II of CITES.
Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana
The Hairy-nosed Otter is the rarest and least known of the Asian otter species. Once thought to be
extinct, it has been rediscovered in parts of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam(Baker, 2013; Aadrean et al., 2015) (Figure 1). A recent observation of a skin for sale in a market in
Myanmar may indicate its persistence there as well (Shepherd and Nijman, 2014). It predominantly
occurs in undisturbed habitats such as peat swamps, flooded forests, lowland dipterocarp forests,
Melaleuca forests and mangroves and coastal estuaries (Sasaki et al., 2009; Baker, 2013; Aadrean
et al., 2015). Due to the Hairy-nosed Otter’s geographical isolation and its nocturnal lifestyle, it israrely encountered by humans. Populations are currently under immense pressure because of its
restricted range and continuing habitat loss (Aadrean et al., 2015). Other threats include habitat
pollution, prey-depletion and accidental hunting (as bycatch). Due to its scarcity, the Hairynosed Otter is less frequently encountered in trade. However, whenever a specimen is poached,
the consequences for the species as a whole are naturally greater than with other, more common,otter species. The Hairy-nosed Otter is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species and is listed in Appendix II of CITES.
TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 4

Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra
The Eurasian Otter is the most widely distributed otter species in the world. It naturally occurs in
Europe, northern Africa and throughout parts of Asia, with the exception of certain islands in thesoutheast (Kruuk, 2006) (Figure 1). Apart from its extensive range, relatively little is known about
the Eurasian Otter’s overall population size. Although regional subpopulations in Western Europe
and the former USSR are either recovering or currently stable, there is concern that habitat loss andpoaching are threatening Asian populations (Roos et al., 2015). Nevertheless, scientific authorities
have agreed that conservation actions for this species need to be sustained. It is currently classified
as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2016) and is listed inAppendix I of CITES, prohibiting all commercial international trade.

Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra

Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata

Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana

Note: the distribution maps are currently being updated by the IUCN Otter Specialist Group
Source: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Version 2015-4

Figure 1: Distribution of the Four Asian Otter Species Assessed

5 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

Legislation

Otters are fully protected against hunting, killing, capture and selling in most range States with a few
notable exceptions (Table 1). They are protected either by a nationally accorded protection status asa threatened native species (i.e. the case in most range States) or by a law that prohibits the hunting,killing, capturing and selling of any wild animal (e.g. Singapore).
Most range States have legislations that are believed generally to meet the requirements for
implementation of CITES (assessed as Category I by the CITES National Legislation Project).
The few exceptions include India, the Philippines (Category II), Lao PDR, Myanmar and Nepal(Category III), meaning that national laws in these countries do not meet the requirements
necessary to implement CITES properly. Additionally, in some cases, national legislation does nottake into account non-native species. For instance, the respective legislations that implement CITES
in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, make it illegal to sell or trade non-native otter species.
However, it is not illegal to do so in Japan where domestic trade in “Internationally Endangered
Species” (Appendix I species) is prohibited but not for Appendix II species. This leaves species likethe Smooth-coated, Small-clawed and Hairy-nosed Otters, all of which are non-native to Japan,
unprotected once they have entered the country, as there is no regulation concerning their trade
within the domestic market.
The following table provides an overview of legal otter protection under national laws in selected
countries/territories in Asia i.e. those countries/territories in which otter seizures have occurred
between 1980 and 2014 (Table 1).
Country/territory

Otter Species Present

Protection

Legislation

Notes

Forestry Law (2002)

The Hairy-nosed and Eurasian

StatusCambodiaEurasian Otter

Protected

Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected

Otters are both listed as Rare

Small-clawed Otter

Not protected

Species that are protected by the

Smooth-coated Otter

Not protected

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Law of the People’s Republic

Small-clawed Otter

Protected

of China on the Protection of

Smooth-coated Otter

Protected

Wildlife (1989) – Class II

Hong Kong

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Wild Animals Protection

India

Eurasian Otter

Protected

The Indian Wildlife

Small-clawed Otter

Protected(Protection) Act 1972 –Smooth-coated Otter

Protected

Schedule I & II

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Government Regulation No

Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected

5/1990 on Conservation of

Small-clawed Otter

Not protected

Natural Resources and the

Smooth-coated Otter

Not protected

Ecosystem, Government

China

Forestry Law (2002)

Ordinance (1976)

Indonesia

Regulation No 7/1999 on
Preservation of Flora andFauna.

Government Regulation
Government
Regulation No
No 5/1990 – wildlife falls into
5/1990 – wildlife falls into two
two categories i.e. protectedcategories
i.e. protectedor unprotected.
Protectedorhas
been defined Protected
as wildlifehas
thatbeenisunprotected.
considered
endangered
definedas wildlifethat oris rare(uncertain how this is defined).
considered endangered or rare
Government Regulation(uncertain
is defined).
No 7/1999 howlists thisspeciesthat areprotected in the
country in
Government
Regulation
Nowhichthe onlylists
otterspecies
speciesthat
included
7/1999areare the Eurasian and Hairy-nosed
protected in the country in
Otters.
which the only otter species
included are the Eurasian and
Hairy-nosed Otters.

Japan

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Act on Conservation ofEndangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (1992)

Korea R.

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Protection of Wild Fauna and

Lao PDR

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Wildlife and Aquatic Law

Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected(2007)

Small-clawed Otter

Protected

Smooth-coated Otter

Protected

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Flora Act (2004)

Nepal

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 6

Aquatic Life Protection Act

The Aquatic Life Protection Act

Regulation No 7/1999 on

defined as wildlife that is

Preservation of Flora andconsidered endangered or rareFauna.

(uncertain how this is defined).
Government Regulation No
7/1999 lists species that areprotected in the country inCountry/territory

Otter Species Present

Protection

Japan
CambodiaEurasian Otter

Protected

Hairy-nosed Otter

Legislation

Statuswhich the only otter species
Notes are the Eurasian andincluded
Hairy-nosed Otters.
The Hairy-nosed and EurasianProtected

Act
on Conservation
ForestryLaw (2002) ofEndangered Species of Wild

Small-clawed Otter

Not protected

Fauna and Flora (1992)

Species that are protected by the

Korea R.
China

Smooth-coatedEurasian
Otter Otter
Eurasian Otter

Not protected
Protected
Protected

Forestry Law (2002)

Lao PDR

Small-clawed
Eurasian OtterOtter
Smooth-coated
Otter
Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected
Protected
Protected
Protected

Protection of Wild Fauna andLawthe(2004)
People’s Republic
FloraofAct

Smooth-coated Otter
EurasianEurasian Otter
Otter
Small-clawed
Small-clawed Otter
Otter

Protected
Protected
Protected

Hong Kong
India
Nepal

Indonesia

Eurasian
OtterOtter
Small-clawed

Smooth-coated
Smooth-coated Otter
Otter
Eurasian Otter

Protected
Protected

Protected
Not protected
Protected
Protected
ProtectedofChina andon theProtection
Wildlife
Aquatic
Law ofWildlife(1989)–
Class
II(2007)
Wild Animals Protection
Ordinance (1976)
The
IndianAquatic
LifeWildlife
Protection Act(Protection)
ActParks
1972and–1961, National
Schedule
I & II
Wildlife Conservation
Act
Government
Regulation No(1973)

Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected

Small-clawed Otter

Not protected

5/1990 on Conservation of
Natural Resources and the

Smooth-coated Otter

Not protected

Ecosystem, Government
Regulation No 7/1999 on
Preservation of Flora andFauna.

Malaysia

Otters are both listed as Rare

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Wildlife Conservation Act

Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected(2010); Wild Life Protection

Small-clawed Otter

Protected

Ordinance (1998); Wildlife

Smooth-coated Otter

Protected

Conservation Enactment(1997).

Japan

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Act on Conservation of

MyanmarEurasian Otter

Protected

Korea R.

Hairy-nosed Otter
Eurasian OtterOtter
Small-clawed

Not protected
Protected
Protected

EndangeredofSpecies
Wild
Protection
Wildlifeofand
FaunaPlants
and Flora(1992)
Wild
and Conservation

Smooth-coated Otter

The Aquatic Life Protection Act
1961 makes provisions for thelegal protection of two otter
Government
Regulation
Noandspecies i.e. EurasianOtter

5/1990– wildlife
falls(Acharya
into two
Smooth-coatedOtter
categories
i.e.
protected
and Rajbhandari, 2011). orUnder

unprotected.
Protected
been
the National Parks
and hasWildlife
definedaswildlife
thatisConservation Act, otters withinconsidered
endangeredor rareprotected areas
are afforded(uncertain
how
this
is
defined).
protection.

Government
Regulation
Eurasian Otter(SoutheastNo
Asian
7/1999lists
speciesthat are issubspecies L. lutra barang)

protected
in thecountry species
in
not listed asa protected
which
the
only
otter
speciesin Sabah, thus only receiving

included
Eurasianandprotectionarein thegazettedwildlife
Hairy-nosedalong
Otters.
sanctuaries
with all otherwildlife.
The Hairy-nosed Otter is notlisted as a protected species as it
is not recognized as occurring

Protected

Protectionof Wild
Fauna
and
of
Natural Areas
Law(1994).
Flora Act (2004)

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Wildlife and Aquatic Law

Recently though the skin of thisHairy-nosed Otter

Protected(2007)

species was observed in a

Small-clawed Otter

Protected

Smooth-coated Otter

Protected

Nepal

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Aquatic Life Protection Act

Philippines

Small-clawed Otter
Small-clawed
Smooth-coatedOtter
Otter

Not protected
Protected
Protected

1961, National Parks andWildlife
Wildlife Resources
Conservation Act

Lao PDR

Singapore
Taiwanmarket in Mong La although its
origin, whether local orConservation
and Protection(1973)Act RA9147 (2001)(Palawan)in Myanmar (Zaw et al., 2008).

otherwise,
is Lifeunclear(Shepherd
The AquaticProtection
Actand2014).
1961Nijman,makes provisions
for thelegal protection of two otter
species i.e. Eurasian Otter andSmooth-coated Otter (Acharya

Small-clawed Otter

Protected

Wild Animals and birds Act

and Rajbhandari, 2011). Under

Smooth-coated Otter

Protected(1965)

the National Parks and Wildlife

Eurasian Otter

Protected

Wildlife Conservation Law

Conservation Act, otters within(1989)

protected areas are afforded

ThailandEurasian Otter

Protected

Wild Animals Preservation

protection.

Malaysia

Hairy-nosed
Otter
Eurasian Otter
Small-clawed
Otter
Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected
Protected
Protected
Protected

andProtection
Act (1992)
Wildlife
Conservation
Act

Eurasian Otter (Southeast Asian(2010); Wild Life Protection

subspecies L. lutra barang) is

Smooth-coated
Otter
Small-clawed Otter
Eurasian
Otter Otter
Smooth-coatedProtected
Protected
Protected
Protected

Ordinance (1998); Wildlife
DecreeNo.32/2006/ND-CP,
Conservation
Enactment

not listed as a protected species

Hairy-nosed Otter

Protected

protection in gazetted wildlife

Small-clawed Otter

Protected

Decree(1997). No.59/2005/ND-CP,
Decree 157/2013/ND-CP

Smooth-coated Otter

Protected

Viet Namin Sabah, thus only receiving

Table 1: Protection Status of Otters in Selected Countries and Territories

7 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

METHODOLOGY
Data acquisition

Records of seizures of live or dead otters, their parts and derivatives in selected countries andterritories in Asia between 1980 and July 2015 (a 35-year period) were collected and compiled.
Where available, information on otter seizures included date of seizure, country/territory or
countries/territories, location of seizure, origin and destination of products, seized item type,
quantity, and enforcement agencies involved.
Formal requests for otter seizures were sent to all relevant CITES Management Authorities in thefollowing countries/territories across Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, mainland China, Hong
Kong, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, and Viet Nam (refer to Appendix A for details). These countries/territories were selectedon the basis of their previous involvement in illegal wildlife trade and/or their proximity to known
fur-trade hubs (such as India). Not all countries contacted however responded to our request fordata and those that did, not all provided data (Appendix A). Data on seizures were also obtained
from other sources, including TRAFFIC seizure records, various NGOs and open access sources
such as the Internet and other media. Any additional Asian countries1 where seizure data wereencountered during these searches (i.e. Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, the Philippines and the United
Arab Emirates) were also included in this study.
General trade data, including seizure data, were also extracted from the UNEP-WCMC CITES
trade database which is a collection of all records of import, export and re-export of listed species
as reported by Parties to the CITES Secretariat, required under Article VIII, 1979. Available dataon global trade in Smooth-coated Otters, Small-clawed Otters, Hairy-nosed Otters, Eurasian Ottersand unspecified Lutra spp. between 1980 and 2014 (as 2015 data were not available at the time ofthis study) were downloaded from the CITES trade database (http://trade.cites.org). For analysis ofcommodity types, the following labels were grouped as “skins”: “garments”, “hair”, “leather items”,“leather products (large)”, “leather products (small)”, “skin pieces” and “skins”. The following labels
were grouped as “body parts”: “bodies”, “bone pieces”, “bones”, “carvings”, “derivatives”, “heads”,“plates”, “shoes”, “skeletons”, “skulls”, “tails”, “teeth” and “trophies”. The following labels were grouped
as “unspecified”: “specimens”, “unspecified” and “(blank)”. When counting recorded individuals in
trade, the exporting country’s numbers were used, except when such numbers were absent, in whichcase the importing country’s numbers were used. It should be noted that only recently (i.e. February2016) has it been made mandatory for countries to report illegal wildlife trade to the CITES
Secretariat. Therefore prior to this, data are limited only to incidents directly reported by Parties,
which is unfortunately not always consistent or in some cases completely lacking.
All seizure data gathered from the various sources were compiled into one dataset and analysed
to understand better the extensive trade dynamics across the study area. Seizure locations were
mapped to help identify geographic points of interest for trade in the study area, and to inform theneed for targeted action to address illegal trade.
This report should be considered a precautionary analysis of the illegal otter trade across selected
countries/territories in Asia, as it is assumed that seizures analysed herein represent only a portionof the actual trade since not all illegal trade is intercepted and seized and/or reported. To avoid
overlap between the various sources of data analysed, all seizures compiled during this study were
rigorously crosschecked to prevent duplication within the dataset. Seizure data were also omitted
where a credible source could not be verified or in cases where details were lacking or vague.
1Asian countries” includes all those regarded as part of the Asian region under CITES(https://cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/news/meetings/asia2004/Asian_Parties.pdf)
TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 8

Scope of data

It must be noted that this study’s dataset is far from comprehensive. For nearly all countries/
territories included in this study, annual seizure records (national or CITES) are absent throughout
most of the 1980–2015 period. For some years (1982, 1983, 1985 and 1991), no seizure data were
found at all. These data deficits may be explained by several factors. Firstly, countries/territories maylack sufficient enforcement efforts, resulting in a small number of seizures and a higher percentage
of undetected trade. Secondly, enforcement agencies may neglect to report seizures, causing national
seizure data to be incomplete and/or absent. Thirdly, in some cases, national governing bodies
may be unwilling to share seizure data with third parties. Finally, because of the trade’s inherently
secretive nature, large parts of it are bound to go undetected, rendering it impossible to determine
its full extent on the basis of seizure data only.
The dataset shows that seizure records for the earlier years of the studied timeframe are scarcer thanmore recent records. Besides the above-mentioned factors, this scarcity may be explained by theunavailability of older documents and their absence from more modern open source facilities suchas the Internet. Other gaps in older records may be explained by the CITES-membership status of
the country in question. Some of the analysed countries only became signatories to CITES after
1980. Prior to their CITES-membership, these countries were not obligated to report seizures to the
CITES Secretariat. The countries include Bangladesh (CITES signatory in 1982), Cambodia (1997),
China (1981), India (1976), Lao PDR (2004), Myanmar (1997), the Philippines (1981), Thailand(1983) and Viet Nam (1994).
The data gaps in this study lead to an underrepresentation of illegal trade records and stand in theway of a comprehensive overview of the illegal otter trade, which is likely to be much larger thanthe data suggest. Additionally, other potentially important illegal trade channels must be taken into
account. Casual browsing of trading websites has hinted at the importance of the Internet in theillegal otter trade although a study of this was outside the scope of the current study.

9 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

RESULTS
Otter trade and seizures
CITES data

In total there were 1110 registered trade incidents involving the four Asian otter species in the
UNEP-WCMC CITES trade database between 1980 and 2014. After checking for double- anderroneous entries, the total of registered trade records was found to be at least 964, involving at least
43 692 otters. Of the 964 records, 6.7% (65 records) involved seizures, which were mostly reported
by North American and European countries (Appendix B). There were only six seizures reported
in Asia i.e. Hong Kong (1), Japan (1), Kuwait (2), South Korea (1) and United Arab Emirates (1), atleast three of which involved Asian export countries (Table 2). Almost all of these seizures involved
small quantities of Eurasian Otter skins (averaging 1–2 skins per seizure). One notable exception
was a seizure of 100 skins, only identified as Lutra spp., which was reported in Hong Kong in 1981
and for which the country of export was not specified.
There were an additional eight seizures where the reported origin of the shipment was an Asian
country (Table 2), most of which occurred in the USA and Denmark. These seizures involved threedifferent species i.e. Eurasian Otter, Small-clawed Otter and Hairy-nosed Otter. In most cases, thenumber of seized individuals was small; usually just one skin or body. The only exception being a
seizure of four Hairy-nosed Otter skins in the USA, which had originated from Thailand.
Year

Country of Seizure(Importer)

Country ofExportSpeciesCommodity

Quantity

1981
1985
1990
1992
1993
2002
2002
2004
2005
2005
2005
2006
2006
2010
Table 2: Reported seizures involving an Asian country in the UNEP-WCMC CITES Trade Database for otters from
1980–2014.

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 10

In general, little international trade whether legal or illegal has been reported within the Asian
region i.e. the majority of the records in the CITES trade database were reported in Europe andthe USA. Nevertheless, while not reported as seizures, there were several records classified ascommercial and therefore legal trade involving Asian countries that stood out in terms of thequantities of individuals, origin of the shipments and species of otter (Table 3). One remarkablecase is a supposed shipment involving 1000 skins of the rare Hairy-nosed Otter from Germany
to Austria in 1987, which originated from China. However, the scarcity of this species makes atransaction of this magnitude highly unlikely and indicates a possible reporting-error. For thisreason, this particular case has been omitted from further analysis. In 1992, there was a large
shipment of Eurasian Otters (2656 skins also of unknown and therefore questionable origin) from
Hong Kong to mainland China.

Table 3: Reported commercial trade of otters (over 100 in quantity) involving an Asian country/territory in the
UNEP-WCMC CITES Trade Database from 1980–2014.

11 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

© TRAFFIC© TRAFFICOf the 964 trade records in the UNEP-WCMC CITES trade database, a large proportion involved
live otters (62.1% of all cases). However each of these transactions generally involved a small
number of animals (ranging between 1 and 10 individuals per record in most cases) whichamounted to 1568 live otters traded (~3.6% of the total quantity of otters traded dead or live).
The species most traded live were the Small-clawed Otter (49.7%) and Eurasian Otter (45.4%).
These were reportedly mostly for zoos and captive breeding programmes and commercial trade.
Transactions involving otter skins made up 18.3% of the UNEP-WCMC CITES trade databaserecords. However, these transactions often involved large product quantities; no fewer than
38 473 skins were traded, accounting for 88% of all traded products. The trade in otter body parts
was found to be comparatively small (14.5% of records). Both the skin and the body part tradepredominantly involved Eurasian Otters (in 64.2% of the cases). A small number of records (5.1%)
involved unspecified commodities (not labeled or merely labeled as “specimens” or “unspecified”).

Small-clawed Otter pups seized at the Suvarnabhumi International airport in Bangkok in 2013

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 12

Seizure data

Overall, a total of 161 otter seizures (which includes seizures recorded in the UNEP-WCMC CITES
trade database and one 2005 record of several illicit otter transactions in India) were recorded in 15
countries in Asia between 1980 and 2015 involving a total of 5881 specimens (Table 4), an averageof approximately 4.5 seizures per year with an average of 36.5 otters per seizure (and 163 individuals
per year).
Seizure records for earlier years were fewer, with only 38 recorded seizures between 1980 and1999 (with an average of 1.9 recorded seizures per year and an average of 95 individuals per year(~50 per seizure)). The number of seizures increases slightly between 2000 and 2015 with a totalof 123 recorded seizures (with an average of 7.7 recorded seizures per year and an average of
249 individuals per year) although the number of individuals per seizure decreases i.e. from 50
to 32 individuals per seizure. However it should be noted that both the number of seizures andvolumes involved spiked in 2003, 2004 and 2005, with the annual confiscation of 939, 739 and 1124
Table	  4.	
  Total	  recorded	
  (Table
seizures	
  individuals
respectively5).1980–2015	
  YEAR

COUNTRY
KH

CN

1980

IN

ID

JP

KR

KU

LA

TOTAL
MY

MN

NE

PH

TH

AE

VN
1

1

1981

1

1

1984

2

1986

3

2
3

1987

1

1

3

1988

3

1989

1

1990

1

1

1992

3

3

1993

9

9

1994

4

4

1995

2

2

1996

1

1

1997

1

1

1998

1

1

1999

2

2000

4

4

2

3

2001
2002

1
3

3

1

1

1

1

7

1

2003

3

2

6

1

12

2004

10

1

1

1

32

2005

1

4

96*

1

1

5

1

1

5

2

6

1

1

1

2006
2007

1

2

1

1

1

1

18
16

1

9
10

8
1

1
1

2010
2011

16

1

2008
2009

15
14

3

1

45

8
1

3

1

910
1

2012

1

2013

2

2

1

1

2014

1

1

6

1

2

2

1

26

16
17

83
88

1

1

1

2

2

7

1

98

2

3

1

34

16.1
15.6

9.9
10.2

51.6
52.7

0.6

0.6

0.6

1.2

1.2

4.3
4.2

0.6

5.6
4.8

1.2

1.9
1.8

0.6

1.9
2.4

2015
TOTAL
% of
total intheregion

2

9

1
21

11
10
5

161**
167*

*	
  Included	
  in	
  the	
  oftotal	
  
but	
  
not	
  ottershown	  in	
  transactionsthe	
  table	
  awhichre	
  a	
  fhaveurther	  three	  seizures	  y	
  the	
  Wildlife	
  Alliance	
  although	
  the	
  *Includes
one accountseveralillicit
trade
taken
place
betweenreported	
  1980 and b
2005.

place	  oinf	
  stheeizure	
  
as	
  not
unknown.	
  These	  ere	
  arfurther
eported	  in	
  2seizures005	
  (2)	  and	
  2006	  (1)	
  involving	  10	
  salthough
kins	
  of	
  tthehe	
  place
Smooth-­‐coated	
  tter.	  	  	
  **Included
totalwbutshown in 	
  thetablewarethreereportedby theWildlife
Allianceof seizure wasOunknown.
These	
   were reported in 2005 (2) and 2006 (1) involving 10 skins of the Smooth-coated Otter.

	
   4: Total recorded seizures 1980–2015
Table
	
  
	
  

	
  

13 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

Table&5.&Total&number&of&otters&seized&1980–2015&YEAR

COUNTRY
KH

CN

1980

IN

ID

JP

KR

KU

LA

MY

MN

NE

PH

TH

AE

VN

59

59

1981

TOTAL

100

100

1984

144

1986

505

144
505

1987

20

20

192

1988

192

1989

100

1990

170

1992

5

5

1993

234

234

1994

112

112

1995

50

50

1996

94

94

1997

13

13

1998

1

1999

12

2000

170

1
15

3

326

326

2001

134

139

5

2002

3

2003

3

818

99

3

2004

18

665

18

1

2005

1

267

612*
906

1

4

17

1

2006
2007

185

85

1

5

4

1

1

11

1

2

38
14
18
42
238

739
733

13

1124
1180
29

111

4

122
118

2

2008
2009

963
939

2

1

1
1

2010

4

1

1

48
33

6

8

2

454
439

2011

6

2012

1

1

2013

2

8

1

1

29

2014

10

1

22

1

5
10

44
39

8

10

6

14

13

13
18

5881**
5979*

0.1

0.2

0.2

0.3

2015
TOTAL
% of
total intheregion

398

16

21

6

11

19

1

46

2407
2403

3276
2949

1

1

1

2

23

14

2

383
145

0.8

40.9
40.3

50.1
54.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.4

0.2

0.0

6.5
2.4

*&Included(in(the(total(but(not(shown(in(the(table(are(a(further(three(seizures(reported(by(the(Wildlife(Alliance(although(the(*Includes
one account of several illicit otter trade transactions which have taken place between 1980 and 2005.
*Includedin the total but not shown in the table are a further three seizures reported by the Wildlife Alliance although the place of
place(of(seizure(was(unknown.((These(were(reported(in(2005((2)(and(2006((1)(involving(a(total(of(10(skins(of(the(SmoothF
seizurewas unknown. These were reported in 2005(2) and 2006(1) involving a total of 10 skins of the Smooth-coated Otter.
coated(Otter.&(((Table 5: Total number of otters seized 1980–2015

India had by far the most reported otter seizures, with a total of 88 between 1980 and 2015, representing 52.7%
of all recorded seizures. Cambodia was the only other country with a large number of seizures (26) representing

India
had by far the most reported otter seizures, with a total of 83 between 1980 and 2015,
15.6% of all those recorded. Regarding the quantities of seized individuals, however, India remained therepresenting 51.6% of all recorded seizures. Cambodia was the only other country with a large
leading country, with 3276 seized individuals (54.8% of total), but Cambodia, with only 46 seized individuals
number of seizures (26) representing 16.1% of all those recorded. Regarding the quantities of seized(<1% of the however,total), wasIndia
far less
prominent,
an averageof justindividuals
per seizure. (50.1%
Conversely
individuals,
remainedthewithleading
country,
with1.72949
seized individuals
oftotal),
Cambodia,
withonly seizures
46 seized
individuals(<1% ofreported
the total),
wasoffarlessprominent,
China,butwhichonly had 17
recorded(10.2%of total seizures),a total2407
seizedindividuals
with
an of
averageof just1.8 1980
individuals
peranseizure.
Conversely
China,
had
16followed
recorded(40.3%
the total)
betweenand 2015,
average of
142 individuals
per whichseizure.only
China
was
by
seizures (9.9% of total seizures), reported a total of 2403 seized individuals (40.9% of the total)
between 1980 and 2015, an average of 150 individuals per seizure. China was followed by Nepal (9TRAFFICREPORT: THE
ILLEGALOTTER
TRADE/ 23
IN SELECTEDASIANCOUNTRIES
seizures/ 383 individuals)
and
Lao PDR(2 seizuresindividuals).
Recordedseizures1980
were- low
20
2015
with few individuals seized in the remaining countries (Table 4 and Table 5).
TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 14

Neither India nor China (both of which topped the list in terms of recorded seizures and volumes
seized) reported seizures of live individuals, rather most of the seized contraband consisted of otter
skins (Figure 2). This was also the case in Myanmar, Nepal and Lao PDR, although the quantities
seized were considerably lower. Countries in which all seizures exclusively involved live animals(reportedly destined for the pet trade) were Indonesia, Malaysia and Viet Nam with 1, 14 and 13
individuals seized respectively. Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand reported a mix of live anddead otters seized. Both the Philippines and Thailand reported more seizures of live otters (i.e. 5 live;
1 dead and 12 live; 2 dead respectively) than Cambodia, where the majority of seizures were of deadindividuals (i.e. nine live; 37 dead). Only 4 seizures were reported in Japan, South Korea and Kuwait
and in each case only one individual was seized.

Note: dead = 5827 individuals; live = 54 individuals
Figure 2: Percentage of dead vs live individuals seized per country

15 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

The collected data show that the number of seizures increased slightly over the years, peaking
between 2002 and 2007 (Figure 3). There was an average 53 individuals per seizure from 1980-2005,
while in the last decade this dropped to approximately 11 individuals per seizure. The trade in live
otters seems to have begun in the early 2000s (Figure 4). While the quantities of live individuals
seized are relatively small, they increased particularly in the last four years (2011-2014), averaging
six individuals per seizure whereas in previous years it was three to four individuals per seizure.
Seizures of live otters spiked in 2013 with 16 individuals.

Figure 3: Total number of seizures recorded annually and quantities of otters seized

Figure 4: Percentage of dead vs live individuals seized per year

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 16

Species in trade

In most of the recorded seizures, the otters in question were not identified or specified to the species
level (no less than 82% of all confiscated individuals remains unidentified) with a further 1.7%
identified simply as Lutra spp. Of the individuals that were identified, most were Eurasian Otter(824 individuals, 14% of total), followed by Smooth-coated Otter (79 individuals, 1.3%), Smallclawed Otter (31 individuals, 0.5%) and Hairy-nosed Otter (6 individuals, 0%) (Figure 5).

14%

1%

0%
1%
2%

Lutra lutra
lutra
Lutra
Lutrogale perspicillata
Lutragaleperspicillata

Lutra sumatrana
sumatrana
Aonyx
cinereus
Aonyx cinereus
Lutra
Lutra spp

82%

Not
Not identified
identified

Note = total number of individuals = 5881
Figure 5: Species distribution

17 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

Specimens in trade

An overwhelming majority of the seized contraband consisted of otter skins i.e. 5810 individuals(98.7% of total). This was followed by live animals, 53 individuals (0.9%) and carcasses and bodyparts with 18 individuals (0.2%). Sometimes shipments of skins included other body parts suchas tails and bones, but overall such commodities were rarely encountered. The Eurasian Otter was
predominantly encountered in the form of skins, whereas the Small-clawed Otter was frequently
found to be live (Figure 6). Of the 161 reported seizures, there were about 15 cases where otter
products were seized alongside contraband stemming from other animal species. The majorityof such contraband were the skins of Tigers (~ 40), Leopard (~700), and rhino (~ 185) as well as
the skins of small cats, civets, foxes, wolves and antelopes although the quantity of these were notspecified. These mixed skin seizures were mostly reported for India (8), China (4) and Nepal (3).
Cambodia (1) and Thailand (2) also reported mixed shipments but these mostly concerned thebodies or parts of a variety of animals including birds, turtles, corals, etc. and included live animals
such as Long-tailed Macaques Macaca fascicularis and turtles which were confiscated from local
markets.

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Lutra
lutralutra
Lutra

Lutrogale
Lutra
Aonyx
cinereus Lutra
Lutra
spp
Lutragale
Lutra
Aonyx
cinereus
spp
perspicillata sumatrana
sumatrana
perspicillata
Skins

Live

identified
NotNotidentified

Carcass & body parts

Figure 6: Types of contraband per species

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 18

DISCUSSION
There is a paucity of information on the illegal trade of otters in the Asian region. This is due tothe fact that wildlife crime is still a low priority for governments and furthermore, otters are a low
priority species for most conservation organizations. Seizure data were scarce for most countries
assessed in this study with the exception of India. This comes as no surprise considering that otter
poaching in India is known to be intense to supply a demand for otter skin/fur fuelled largely by
China (Ghosh, 2005; Duckworth, 2013; WWF, 2015). The real scale and scope of the Asian illegal
trade in otters is therefore difficult to determine. The inherently secretive nature of the trade meansthat most illegal shipments go undetected. Additionally, the incompleteness of seizure data (due topoor enforcement and/or reporting) stands in the way of any conclusive measurement of the true
extent of the issue. Wherever trade records are scarce, it is difficult to establish whether this is due
to actual low trade levels or due to a lack of reporting. Either way, the 161 recorded seizures in thisstudy are likely to represent a fraction of the actual illegal otter trade.

Otter species in trade

Identification of otters to the species level can be a difficult task. Untrained officials may havea hard time distinguishing between otter species, especially when dealing with skins and bodyparts. It is therefore unsurprising that 82% of seized otters in this study were not identified tothe species level. Many of these were from seizures in India and China. This lack of information
should be considered problematic and obstructive to conservation efforts for several reasons, themost important one being that whenever illegally traded otters remain unidentified, it becomes
impossible for researchers to determine which otter species should be prioritized in conservationplans. In a similar vein, it becomes impossible to identify trends regarding the use of various species
for different purposes and the demand for the different species in particular countries. Nevertheless,certain trends can be discerned from the individuals that were identified. All four Asian otter
species assessed in this study were found in trade.
The Eurasian Otter was the species with the highest number of seized individuals (824 individuals;
87.6% of all identified individuals). However, this was mostly attributed to one large seizure of 778
skins in China in 2003. The skins had originated from India and were in transit to the TAR alongwith 31 Tiger skins and 581 Leopard skins. The CITES trade data confirm the Eurasian Otter’s
popularity, with the species being involved in most recorded trade and seizures. No live Eurasian
Otters were encountered in any of the seizures. Rather, all recorded seizures of the species almost
exclusively involved skins, confirming the species’s popularity in the fur trade. Given this species has
the broadest habitat range of all otter species, it will always remain difficult confidently to establish
any seized specimen’s exact origin whenever such information is lacking from the seizure data.
Nevertheless, India and China’s well-established fur trade means that these countries are likely toplay an important role in the Eurasian Otter trade.
The Smooth-coated Otter is similarly traded for its fur. A large proportion of the seizures were of skins
and to a much lesser extent the carcass and tail. There were also several seizures of live individuals
over the study period that were reportedly destined for the pet trade. Many of the seizures involving
this species were reported in Cambodia (70%), where they are coveted by locals for use in
traditional medicine (Poole, 2003). Such medicinal uses include the use of otter skins to assist
women during pregnancy and childbirth. These practices may still occur in Cambodia, which would
mean that the traditional medicine industry, and increasingly the pet trade, pose significant threats
to the Smooth-coated Otter and the Hairy-nosed Otter, the only other otter species seized there.
The Hairy-nosed Otter was by far the least encountered species in this study, with only six individuals
seized between 2002 and 2008 in five separate incidents. This is not surprising considering that it
19 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

is the rarest otter species and was once even considered extinct (Aadrean et al., 2015). However,remnant populations have been found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam.
All the seizures of this species occurred exclusively in Cambodia. Of the six individuals seized, threewere live and three were skins. It is impossible to draw any conclusions with regards to their tradeand use with such a scarcity of seizure data. Nevertheless, given this species is already under severepressure, any level of trade is likely to pose a significant risk to its survival.
The Small-clawed Otter appears to be a popular species in the pet trade. CITES trade records showthat nearly all legally traded Small-clawed Otters were live and destined for the commercial trade.
More than half of all seizures reported for the species were of live individuals, although in small
quantities (67.7%). These seizures occurred in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet
Nam. In India, the species is hunted for its fur and numbers have reportedly reduced drasticallyover the last decade (IOSF, 2014). There was one reported seizure of nine Small-clawed Otter skins
in India in 2014.

The fur and pet trade

A large majority of the recorded seizures took place in India, suggesting both a well-establishedIndian otter trade, and comparatively effective local law enforcement (Figure 7). The remaining
seizures occurred in China and Cambodia and to a lesser extent Nepal and suggests that theillegal otter trade is particularly persistent in these countries. All otter seizures made in this region
exclusively involved skins (Figure 8) and significant quantities, suggesting that otters are specificallytargeted by poachers to meet the market demand for otter fur.
Traditionally, the fur trade between Afghanistan and China (Melisch and Rietschel, 1996) as well
as between India, China and Myanmar, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Thailand has been
extensive. Generally, otter skins are smuggled from India to China through Nepal. Past research
has illuminated important trade routes throughout India, Nepal and China (EIA, 2004; EIA/WSPI,
2006; Verheij et al., 2010; Stoner and Pervushina, 2013). In a 2004 survey, researchers found large
quantities of wild animal skins (including those of otters) for sale in Chinese markets (EIA/WPSI,2006). More recent reports confirm the scale of this region’s animal skin trade, with more than 1100
Tiger skins seized in the region between 2000 and 2012 (Stoner and Pervushina, 2013).

Source: TRAFFIC

Figure 7: Distribution of seizures across selected countries in Asia

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 20

Source: TRAFFIC

Figure 8: Seizures of live and dead individuals across selected countries in Asia

Nevertheless, a sudden decline in the number of recorded otter skin seizures can be observed
from 2005 onwards, suggesting waning trade levels. However, such a drop in seizure numbers may
simply reflect weakened enforcement efforts and an increase in undetected trade. Similar lows in
seizure data have occurred before, most notably between 1996 and 2000, after which seizure levels
rose again, reaching a peak between 2003 and 2005. Furthermore, recent reports have shown thecontinuing extent of the trade in wild animal fur in the region (Verheij et al., 2010; Stoner andPervushina, 2013). It would therefore be too early to hint at a declining demand for otter furs andcontinued vigilance is essential.
A greater concern would be if this drop in recent seizures is a sign of declining otter populations.
The illegal otter trade has already been attributed as one of the key factors that led to the extinctionof otters in parts of India (IOSF, 2014). Some authors suggest that their distribution in India may
now be restricted to protected areas (Meena, 2002). The same has been reported for otter populationin China where they were once widespread. The demand for fur and live otters resulted in thenear extirpation of the Eurasian Otter (Lau et al., 2010). Population levels of the species are still
considered very low in southern China, and populations are thought to be present only in well
protected areas (Lau et al., 2010). Poaching activities have also resulted in the depletion of otter
populations in Myanmar where they have been hunted not just for their fur but also for their gall
bladder and penis (Zaw et al., 2008).
In Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam, otters are hunted to meet demand for pets,
traditional medicine, meat, trophies, etc. However, the quantities of otters traded are small incomparison, which could possibly mean that otter hunting is opportunistic in these areas. The
seizure data in this study suggest that the illegal international trade in live otters is relatively small,with no more than 0.9% of all seized contraband comprising live animals. It would, however,be premature to conclude that there is no demand for pet otters. Indeed, CITES trade records

21 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

show that such demand exists (see Appendix B). According to these records, a large part of theinternational trade concerned shipments of captive-bred live Small-clawed Otters. These animals
were all reportedly destined for commercial trade. Based on the collected seizure data, both Smallclawed Otters and Smooth-coated Otters are poached to meet demand for pet otters.
The recent spike in shipments of live animals suggests that the trade in live otters for use as pets may
now be increasing. This apparent increase is also evident in illegal trade records. The seizure data
show that the number of live individuals in illegal trade has been on the rise since 2000s. However,as mentioned, the number of live otter seizures remains relatively small. This may be an indicationthat the illegal otter pet trade is mainly domestic. Of all the seizures involving live otters, there
was only one incident where international trade was actually known i.e. the seizure of five Smallclawed Otter and six Smooth-coated Otter pups at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport,
reportedly headed for Japan’s exotic pet market (Shepherd and Tansom, 2013).
Additionally, there has been a noticeable shift in the trade of wildlife from physical markets toonline markets in recent years (Anon, 2014; Krishnasamy and Stoner, 2016). Trading and social
networking sites like Facebook are used to advertise the wares of legal and illegal wildlife traders
such as Tigers, Leopards, pangolins, marine turtles and otters. More than 7000 wildlife products
from threatened species have been discovered for sale on online auctions, fora and classified
advertisements (IFAW, 2012). In 2015, ivory worth GBP500,000 was being advertised on 43 online
sites in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal (Krishnasamy and Stoner, 2016).
Preliminary scans of social media websites and trade fora have given us a glimpse at what seems
to be a flourishing online wild otter pet trade. While actual transactions may only involve small
numbers of otters, the frequency of such transactions appears to be high. A brief glance at the online
trade of otters in Viet Nam revealed at least 10 websites advertising otters as pets. In Viet Nam
otter seizures exclusively involved live individuals. This was the same in Malaysia. In a recent study
assessing the trade of wildlife through Facebook in Peninsular Malaysia over a five month period(November 2014–April 2015) otters were highlighted as one of the popular pet-species, recording
regular turnover (Krishnasamy and Stoner, 2016). The same was also found in Indonesia (Aadrean,2013) and Brunei (Anon, 2014).
The online illegal otter trade is therefore likely to be substantial in both scale and scope. The lack ofonline otter trade records forms perhaps the greatest gap in this study’s dataset. In order to establish
a more complete overview of the live otter trade, comprehensive assessments of the online trade areurgently needed.

Legislation

Generally the Asian otter species assessed are nominally protected by legislation across most range
States. However, this legal protection does not always extend to all otter species that may occur ina particular country. This is evident in Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar where all four otter
species are present but not all are protected. For instance, neither Small-clawed or Smooth-coatedOtters are protected in Cambodia and Indonesia. This is particularly worrying as both species are
exploited for the pet and fur trade in this countries. The lack of legal protection in place to regulate
trade of both species could exacerbate the threats to the species already in decline throughout theirranges due to habitat loss and conversion.
In Myanmar, the Hairy-nosed Otter is currently unprotected by national legislation. This is mainly
attributed to the fact that this species is not recognized as occurring there (Zaw et al., 2008).
However, during recent surveys of wildlife markets in Mong La, a skin of this species was observed

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 22

for sale (Shepherd and Nijman, 2014). While the origin of the skin is uncertain, the authors believe
it to be locally sourced as wildlife found in these markets are usually brought in by local hunters
on a daily basis. Nevertheless, skins, parts and carcasses of other otter species were also observed
for sale in the markets (Shepherd and Nijman, 2014) despite them being protected species in the
country, indicating a weakness in law enforcement efforts or effectiveness (DLA Piper, 2015).
Myanmar’s CITES implementing legislation is classified as Category 3, which means that national
wildlife laws do not meet the requirements for effective implementation of the Convention.
In Nepal, three of the four otter species occur i.e. Eurasian Otter, Small-clawed Otter and Smoothcoated Otter. The Small-clawed Otter is not protected but both the Eurasian and Smooth-coatedOtters are protected under the Aquatic Life Protection Act, 1961 which prohibits the capture,killing or harming of wildlife listed as protected (Acharya and Rajbhandari, unpublished). However,the Act does not apply to incidents that occur on private land. In the case of otters this may beproblematic because of the impact human-otter conflicts can have on wild populations. Many ofthese conflicts are likely to occur on private agricultural estates. In such cases, the land owners
are free to do as they please with the animals, which may have serious consequences for otter
conservation. The Small-clawed Otter is afforded some level of protection in gazetted nationalparks and other protected areas where the hunting and harming of wildlife is prohibited under
the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973. Despite this, otters are considered to
be declining across Nepal (Foster-Turley and Santiapillai, 1990; de Silva, 2011) and based on the
seizure data collected, otters are still being poached for their skins. Furthermore, none of the 383
individuals reported in seizures included species identity. This leaves an unprotected species like theSmall-clawed Otter especially vulnerable.
Similar human-otter conflicts have been reported elsewhere in Asia, such as Indonesia, mostly in
relation to inland fisheries conflicts and perceived competition between humans and otter for fish
and other aquaculture species (Melisch and Lubis, 1998). Retaliatory killing of wildlife and the entryof their parts into subsequent local and international trade chain has been reported for other species(e.g. Snow Leopard in Theile, 2003) although a potential comparative situation for otters is likely,
this hasn’t been further assessed in Asia.
The demand for otters from India persists despite its three native otter species being protectedby national law. This is part of a larger illegal wildlife trade problem, a result of laws being poorly
communicated, implemented and enforced (WWF India; Joshi, 2015). Moreover, the relatively
lenient punishments for these crimes (minimum fine: one year in prison and/or fine of USD75) failto act as deterrents, leaving otters and other wildlife vulnerable to poaching.

23 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)© C. R. Shepherd/TRAFFIC

Small-clawed Otter found in Mong La market in Myanmar

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 24

CONCLUSION
There has been very little research into the illegal otter trade in Asia. With all Asian otter species atleast classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, an inquiry into this illegal trade (its scale, scope,and dynamics) remains a high priority. This report has provided a regional overview of the illegal
otter trade as a first step towards an enhanced understanding of the issues. However, the significanceof the impact of illegal trade on wild otter populations remains unknown for three reasons. Firstof all, the true extent of the trade remains unknown; due to its inherently secretive nature theestimates in this report are likely under-representative of the actual magnitude of trade. Second,
little remains known about the status of the Asian otter species. Uncertainty about their population
sizes, reproduction rates, and in some cases their distribution, makes it difficult to determine eachspecies’s resilience in the face of exploitation. Third, a large majority (more than 80%) of the seizedotters in this study were not identified to the species level. This clearly obstructs the ability toestimate the impacts of the otter trade on individual species and complicates the task of prioritizing
species of concern.
All four Asian otter species assessed in this study were encountered in trade, albeit in varying
degrees and apparently for different purposes. The otter fur trade appears to be particularly
extensive in India, Nepal and China, where, judging by the large numbers of individuals involved insome of the recorded seizures, it is likely to be taking a toll on wild otter populations. Even thoughotter seizures seem to involve smaller numbers of skins in recent years than previously, they arestill frequent and there are no indications that the skin trade is waning. It remains unclear to what
extent otter parts enter the illegal trade chain following retaliatory killings nor how big is their use
in traditional medicine. Records of such practices are scarce, however, implying that they do notfrequently occur.
The live otter trade seems to occur mostly in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam.
The popularity of otters in the domestic and exotic pet trade appears to be on the increase. This
could potentially be stimulated by display shows in aquaria and travelling menageries. The Smallclawed Otter and the Smooth-coated Otter seem to be particularly desirable. Nevertheless, seizure
data suggest that the illegal international trade in live otters is still relatively small, indicating that
pet otters are predominantly sourced domestically. Additionally, the exotic pet trade seems to belargely internet-based. Preliminary browsing of e-commerce websites hints at a blooming online
otter trade. More research into these new trade platforms is urgently needed.

25 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

RECOMMENDATIONSCITES and other legislation•	A study should be carried out to assess whether the up-listing of the three Asian otter species
assessed (Smooth-coated Otter, Small-clawed Otter and Hairy-nosed Otter) from Appendix II
to Appendix I is merited against the criteria under the Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
•	All countries not already assessed as Category I of the CITES National Legislation Project(i.e. India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal and Philippines) should improve respective national
legislations to meet requirements of CITES implementation, particularly in India and Nepal
where otter populations are in decline and where the international trade in otter skins is still
very much apparent.
•	All countries should submit reports of otter seizures to the Secretariat including acomprehensive report of actions and outcomes as they relate to the seizures e.g. criminal
prosecutions, fines, etc. as this information is crucial in analysing levels and trends in the illegal
trade.
•	National legislation protecting wildlife in Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal and Myanmar should be
amended to include all otter species as protected species since distinguishing between the skinsof the different otter species is difficult.
•	In Indonesia, steps need to be taken to address the growing pet trade in otters, beginning with
the inclusion of the Smooth-coated Otter and Small-clawed Otter as protected species within thelegislation that would effectively ban the capture and possession of these wild animals.
•	Legislation in otter range countries should be assessed to determine loopholes in the law thatcan be exploited to include otters in the illegal trade chain. For instance in Nepal and Singapore
wildlife clauses allow the harming, hunting and/or killing of otters on private land. Furthermore
human-otter conflicts put high pressure on wild otter populations. Instead of legalizing lethal
action against protected species on private land, alternative measures for combating “pest” ottersshould be first investigated.

Law enforcement•	Improved regulatory systems and their implementation in Asia are essential to curb the illegal
wildlife trade. This requires law enforcement agencies proactively to investigate and convict
those engaging in such activities appropriately. The IUCN Otter Specialist Group and TRAFFIC
are available to assist the relevant enforcement agencies in providing enforcement support andtraining with regards to identification of otter species and body parts, including distinguishing
between the skins of the different otter species. Increasing the capacity of local law enforcement
has been shown to be one of the most effective pathways to curbing illegal wildlife trade.
•	In Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, while all otters are protected by legislation,
enforcement efforts need to be enhanced to protect otters from a seemingly growing domestic
pet market.

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 26

Future research•	Further research by organizations such as NGOs and Academic Institutions into the status of
the four Asian otter species assessed in this study should be conducted in each country so as tounderstand better the consequences for wild populations of the illegal trade.
•	Continued monitoring of the illegal otter trade by organizations such as TRAFFIC is needed
to build and expand on the current seizure database, including market and trade route surveys
in key areas to identify and analyse trafficking hot spots, the level of trade, weaknesses in law
enforcement, targeted otter species and key uses (e.g. pets, skin, traditional medicine, food). Thisshould include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and between these countries
and China; and in Southeast Asia where seizure data have been scarce but where otter tradeappears to be increasing i.e. Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand andViet Nam.
•	Research into the online trade of otters as exotic pets in particular, but also for other uses,
should be undertaken by organisations such as TRAFFIC to better understand these new trading
platforms and their potential effects on otter populations.
•	Research by organisations such as NGOs and academic institutions is needed into thestimulation of the trade in otters as exotic pets and of otters displayed in shows by ill-governedzoos and aquaria and travelling menageries.
•	Research by organisations such as NGOs and academic institutions is needed into retaliatory
killings stemming from human-otter conflicts and to what extent otter parts from such
incidences subsequently enter local and international trade.

Public awareness•	Governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are encouraged to raise awarenessin otter range States amongst enforcement agencies, local villages and fishing communities ofthe plight of wild otters, as a measure to curb illegal trade. This should include provision of
information about declining otter populations, the role of otters in wetland ecosystems — andhence wetland conservation; and otters’ protection status, which often prohibits their hunting,trapping or poisoning.
•	Governments and NGOs, alongside agriculture and aquaculture extension services anddevelopment agencies are encouraged to raise awareness about the non-lethal options available
to mitigate human-otter conflicts.

27 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

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de Silva, P., Khan, W.A., Kanchanasaka, B., Reza Lubis, I., Feeroz, M.M. and Al-Sheikhly, O.F. (2015). Lutra
perspicillata. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T12427A21934884.en. Viewed 25th February 2016.
Sivasothi, N. and Burhanuddin, H.M.N. (1994). A Review of Otters (Carnivora: Mustelidae: Lutrinae) in Malaysia
and Singapore. Hydrobiologica 285(1–3):151–170.
Stoner, S.S. and Pervushina, N. (2013). Reduced to Skin and Bones Revisited: An Updated Analysis of Tiger Seizuresfrom 12 Tiger Range Countries (2000–2012). TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Theile, S. (2003). Fading Footsteps: the Killing and Trade of Snow Leopards. TRAFFIC International, Cambridge,
UK. 73pp.
Tsering, D. (2005). Survey Report on Illegal Trade, Market, and Consumption of Asian Big Cats Skins in Tibet.
WWF, Tibet Academy of Social Sciences (TASS) and TRAFFIC; Beijing. 29pp.
Verheij, P.M., Foley, K.E. and Engel, K. (2010). Reduced to Skin and Bones: An Analysis of Tiger Seizures from 11
Tiger Range Countries (2000–2010). TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, UK.
Wright, L., de Silva, P., Chan, B. and Reza Lubis, I. (2015). Aonyx cinereus. The International Union forConservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species 2015.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T44166A21939068.en. Viewed 25th February 2016.
WWF (2007). Asian Big Cat Species Market Survey of Tibet, Qinghai, and Gansu Provinces. WWF Lhasa Field
Office Beijing. 14pp.
WWF (2015). Otter: Smooth-coated Otter. http://www.wwfindia.org/indian_otter.cfm. Viewed 3rd February 2015
Zaw, T., Htun, S., Po, S.H.T., Maung, M., Lynam, A.J., Latt, K.T. and Duckworth, J.W. (2008). Status andDistribution of Small Carnivores in Myanmar. Small Carnivore Conservation 38:2–28.

29 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX
A
List of Institutions/
Organisations Formally Contacted For
List of Institutions/Organisations Formally Contacted For Seizure Data

Seizure Data

Institution	
  

Type	
  

Responded	
  Records	  Bangladesh	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Bangladesh	
  Forest	
  Department	
  CITES	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	  Crime	  Control	
  Unit	  Government	  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wild	
  Team	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	
  and	  Nature	
  Conservation	
  Society	
  of	
  Bangladesh	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Bhutan	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Wildlife	
  Conservation	
  Division	
  (WCD)	
  CITES	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

Cambodia	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Wildlife	
  Alliance	
  	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

Yes	
  

CITES	  Management	
  Authority	
  of	
  Cambodia	
  CITES	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

WildAid	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Coalition	
  against	
  wildlife	
  trafficking	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Conservation	
  International	
  	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	
  Conservation	
  Society	
  Cambodia	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

China	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

The	
  Endangered	  Species	  Import	
  and	  Export	
  Management	
  CITES	
  

Y	
  

Yes	
  

CITES	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

India	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Environmental	
  Investigation	
  Agency	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

TRAFFIC	
  office	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	
  Institute	
  of	
  India	  	
  Academic	
  

Y	
  

Yes	
  

Ministry	
  of	
  Environment	
  and	  Forests	
  	
  CITES	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	  Crime	  Control	
  Bureau	
  Government	  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	  Research	
  and	
  Conservation	
  Society	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

The	
  Mountain	  Institute	
  India	
  	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	
  Protection	
  Society	
  of	
  India	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

None	
  
Yes

Indonesia	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Ministry	  of	
  Agriculture	  CITES	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Fauna	  &	
  Flora	
  International	
  Sumatra	
  

NGO	
  

	
  

	
  

Lao	
  PDR	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Laos	
  Wildlife	  Rescue	
  Center	
  	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Ministry	  of	
  Agriculture	
  and	  Forestry	  	
  CITES	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Office	  of	
  the	
  People's	
  Republic	
  of	
  China	
  Agriculture,	
  Fisheries	
  and	
  Conservation	
  Department,	
  Hong	
  
Kong	
  

TRAFFIC REPORT: THE ILLEGAL OTTER TRADE IN SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES 1980 2015

TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 30

38

List of Institutions/ Organisations Formally Contacted For
Seizure Data
Institution	
  

Type	
  

Responded	
  Records	  Bangladesh	
  Malaysia	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Bangladesh	
  Department	
  ASEAN-­‐WEN	
  Faorest	
  nd	
  Biodiversity	  and	
  Forest	
  Management	
  CITES	
  

N	
  
Y	
  

-­‐	
  
Yes	
  

Wildlife	  Crime	
  Control	
  Unit	  Department	
  Government	  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wild	
  
Team	
   of	
  Wildlife	
  and	  National	
  Parks	
  Peninsular	  Department	
  

NGO	
  
Government	  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	
  and	
  Nature	
  Conservation	
  Society	
  of	
  Bangladesh	
  Malaysia	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Bhutan	  Sabah	
  Wildlife	  Department	  	
  Government	  Body	
  

	
  N	
  

	
  -­‐	
  Wildlife	
  onservation	
  Division	
  (WCD)	
  Forest	  DCepartment	
  Sarawak	  CITES	
  Government	  Body	
  

Y	
  
N	
  

None	
  
-­‐	
  

Cambodia	
  
NCB	
  /	
  Interpol	
  Malaysia	
  	
  

	
  Government	  Body	
  

	
  N	
  

	
  -­‐	
  Wildlife	
  Alliance	  	
  Customs	
  Royal	  Malaysian	
  

NGO	
  
Customs	
  

Y	
  

Yes	
  
None	
  

CITES	  Management	
  Authority	
  of	
  Cambodia	  Myanmar	  CITES	
  
	
  

N	
  
	
  

-­‐	
  
	
  

WildAid	
  Forest	  Department,	
  Ministry	
  of	
  Environmental	
  

NGO	
  
CITES	
  

N	
  
Y	
  

-­‐	
  
None	
  

Coalition	
  against	  ildlife	
  trafficking	  Conservation	  and	
  wForestry	
  
	
  

NGO	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Conservation	  nternational	  	  Nature	  and	
  WIildlife	  Conservation	
  Division	
  

NGO	
  
Government	  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	  Nepal	
   Conservation	
  Society	
  Cambodia	
  

NGO	
  
	
  

N	
  
	
  

-­‐	
  
	
  

China	
  Wildlife	
  Conservation	
  Nepal	  	
  NGO	
  

	
  Y	
  	
  

	
  Yes	  The	
  Endangered	
  pecies	  PImport	
  
and	
  
xport	
  CMonservation	  anagement	  	
  Department	  of	
  NSational	
  arks	
  and	
  WEildlife	  CITES	
  

Y	
  
N	
  

Yes	
  
-­‐	
  

Office	  of	
  the	
  People's	
  Republic	
  of	
  China	  The	  Mountain	
  Institute	
  
-­‐	
  	
  Himalayan	
  Program	
  in	
  Nepal	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

Agriculture,	  Pakistan	
   Fisheries	
  and	
  Conservation	
  Department,	
  Hong	  CITES	
  
	
  

Y	
  
	
  

None	
  
	
  

Kong	
  
Ministry	
  of	
  Climate	
  Change	
  -­‐	
  Government	
  of	
  Pakistan	  CITES	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

India	
  Singapore	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Environmental	
  Investigation	  Agency	  Agri-­‐Food	
  &	
  Veterinary	  Authority	
  

NGO	
  
CITES	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

TRAFFIC	  Sri	
  Lanka	
  office	
  

NGO	
  
	
  

N	
  
	
  

-­‐	
  
	
  

Wildlife	
  Institute	
  f	
  India	  	
  Department	
  of	
  Woildlife	  Conservation	  	  Academic	  CITES	
  

Y	
  
N	
  

Yes	
  
None	
  

Ministry	
  Thailand	
  of	
  Environment	
  and	  Forests	
  	
  CITES	
  
	
  

N	
  
	
  

-­‐	
  
	
  

Wildlife	  Control	
  Bureau	
  
Body	
  
Freeland	
  C-­‐rime	  	  	
  Bangkok-­‐based	
  counter-­‐trafficking	  organization	
  	
   Government	
  
NGO	
  

N	
  
Y	
  

-­‐	
  
None	
  

Wildlife	
  Customs	  Research	
  and	
  Conservation	
  Society	
  

NGO	
  
Government	  Body	
  

Y	
  
N	
  

None	
  
-­‐	
  

The	
  
Mountain	
  Institute	
  oIndia	  	
  Thailand’s	  Department	  f	
  National	  Parks,	
  Wildlife	
  and	  NGO	  CITES	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	
  Protection	
  S	
   ociety	
  of	
  India	
  Plant	
  Conservation	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

Indonesia	
  Vietnam	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Ministry	
  
f	
  AN
griculture	
  Wildlife	  Voiet	  am	
  CITES	  Management	
  Authority	
  CITES	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Fauna	  	
  Flora	
  International	
  Sumatra	
  Other	
  s&ources	
  

NGO	
  
	
  

	
  

	
  

Lao	
  
PDR	
  
Asia’s	  Regional	
  Response	
  to	
  Endangered	  Species	
  

	
  A	
  programme	
  by	
  a	
  US	
  

	
  N	
  

	
  -­‐	  Laos	
  Wildlife	  Rescue	  CPenter	
  
	
   	
  
Trafficking	
  (ARREST)	
  rogram	  NGO	
  Government	  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Ministry	  of	
  Agriculture	
  and	
  Forestry	  	
  ASEAN	  Centre	  for	
  Biodiversity	
  CITES	
  Inter-­‐governmental	
  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Wildlife	
  Asia	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

South	
  Asia	  Wildlife	  Enforcement	  Network	
  Inter-­‐governmental	
  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

TRAFFICREPORT:
THE ILLEGALOTTER TRADE
Tibet	  N
atural	  Environment	  Conservation	  Network	
  NGO	
  IN SELECTED ASIANN	
   COUNTRIES-­‐	
   1980 2015
ASEAN-­‐WEN	
  Program	  Coordination	
  Unit	  	
  Inter-­‐governmental	
  Body	
  

N	
  

-­‐	
  

Perth	
  Zoo,	
  Australia	
  

Zoo	
  

Y	
  

None	
  

Environmental	
  Investigation	
  Agency	
  International	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  	
  

Yes	
  

TRAFFIC	  East	  Asia	
  	
  

NGO	
  

Y	
  

Yes	
  

38

31 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)

TRAFFIC REPORT: THE ILLEGAL OTTER TRADE IN SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES 1980 2015

39

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX B

CITES Trade Data – Otter Seizures, Global (1980–2014)

CITES Trade Data – Otter Seizures, Global (1980–2014)

Year	
  

Country	
  of	
  Seizure	
  Country	
  of	
  Export	
  Species	
  Commodity	  Quantity	  (Importer)	
  
1981	
  

Hong	
  Kong	  Unknown	
  Lutra	
  spp.	
  skins	
  

100	
  

1985	
  

USA	
  

Singapore	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1988	
  

Canada	
  

USA	
  

Lutra	
  spp.	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1989	
  

USA	
  

Bolivia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1990	
  

USA	
  

R.	
  Korea	  Lutra	
  spp.	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1991	
  

USA	
  

Mexico	  Lutra	
  spp.	
  skins	
  

3	
  

1992	
  

USA	
  

D.R.	
  Congo	  Lutra	
  spp.	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1992	
  

USA	
  

Thailand	
  Lutra	  sumatrana	  skins	
  

4	
  

1992	
  

USA	
  

Former	  Soviet	
  Union	
  (Europe)	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	
  

150	
  

1993	
  

Austria	  Czech	
  Republic	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

body	
  

1	
  

1993	
  

USA	
  

Viet	
  Nam	  Aonyx	
  cinerea	
  

body	
  

1	
  

1993	
  

USA	
  

Unknown	
  Lutra	
  spp.	
  skins	
  

6	
  

1994	
  

USA	
  

Argentina	  Lutra	
  spp.	
  garments	
  

3	
  

1994	
  

USA	
  

Ecuador	
  Lutra	
  spp.	
  skins	
  

6	
  

1995	
  

USA	
  

Greece	  Lutra	
  spp.	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1997	
  

USA	
  

Russian	
  Federation	  Lutra	
  lutra	  bodies	
  

2	
  

1998	
  

Austria	  Czech	
  Republic	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

live	
  

1	
  

1998	
  

Netherlands	
  Greece	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1999	
  

USA	
  

Canada	  Lutra	
  spp	
  

body	
  

1	
  

1999	
  

USA	
  

Canada	  Lutra	
  spp	
  garments	
  

2	
  

1999	
  

USA	
  

Canada	  Lutra	
  spp	  not	
  specified	
  

1	
  

2000	
  

USA	
  

Russian	
  Federation	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  garment	
  

1	
  

2001	
  

Denmark	
  Estonia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2001	
  

Denmark	
  Estonia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  trophies	
  

3	
  

2001	
  

Estonia	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	
  

2	
  

2001	
  

Estonia	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  trophies	
  

6	
  

2001	
  

Estonia	  Latvia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2001	
  

Latvia	  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2001	
  

USA	
  

Unknown	
  Lutra	
  spp.	
  

body	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

Denmark	
  Estonia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

Estonia	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	
  

2	
  

2002	
  

Estonia	  Latvia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

Japan	  R.	
  Korea	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

R.	
  Korea	  Japan	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  specimen	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

Latvia	  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	
  

2	
  

2002	
  

Latvia	  Estonia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	  2	  TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015) 32

TRAFFIC REPORT: THE ILLEGAL OTTER TRADE IN SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES 1980 201540

APPENDIX B
CITES Trade Data – Otter Seizures, Global (1980–2014)
Year	
  

Country	
  of	
  Seizure	
  Country	
  of	
  Export	
  Species	
  Commodity	  Quantity	  (Importer)	
  
1981	
  
2002	
  

Hong	
  Kong	  Latvia	  Unknown	
  Estonia	
  

pp.	
  
Lutra	
  lsutra	
  skins	
  trophies	
  

100	
  
3	
  

1985	
  
2002	
  

USA	
  
Slovakia	
  Singapore	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1988	
  
2002	
  

Canada	  Slovakia	
  

USA	
  
Denmark	
  

pp.	
  
Lutra	
  lsutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1989	
  
2002	
  

USA	
  

Bolivia	  Netherlands	  Antilles	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  
garment	
  

1	
  

1990	
  
2002	
  

USA	
  
Canada	
  R.	
  Korea	
  
USA	
  

Lutra	
  spp.	
  

skin	
  
skull	
  

1	
  

1991	
  
2003	
  

USA	
  
Denmark	
  Mexico	  Croatia	
  

pp.	
  
Lutra	
  lsutra	
  skins	
  
skin	
  

3	
  
1	
  

1992	
  
2003	
  

USA	
  
Denmark	
  D.R.	
  Congo	  Slovakia	
  

pp.	
  
Lutra	
  lsutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1992	
  
2003	
  

USA	
  
Croatia	  Thailand	
  Denmark	
  umatrana	
  Lutra	
  lsutra	
  skins	
  
skin	
  

4	
  
1	
  

1992	
  
2003	
  

USA	
  
Hungary	
  Former	  Soviet	
  Union	
  (Europe)	
  Slovakia	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	
  
skin	
  

150	
  
1	
  

1993	
  
2003	
  

Austria	
  Slovakia	
  Czech	
  Republic	  Hungary	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

body	
  
skin	
  

1	
  

1993	
  
2003	
  

USA	
  

Viet	
  Nam	
  Russian	  Federation	  Aonyx	
  lutra	  cinerea	  Lutra	
  

body	
  
skin	
  

1	
  

1993	
  
2004	
  

USA	
  

Unknown	
  Russian	  Federation	  Lutra	
  spp.	
  skins	
  garment	
  

6	
  
1	
  

1994	
  
2004	
  

USA	
   Arab	
  Emirates	
  United	  Argentina	
  Afghanistan	
  

pp.	
  
Lutra	
  lsutra	
  garments	  skins	
  

3	
  
13	
  

1994	
  
2004	
  

USA	
  
Denmark	
  Ecuador	
  Croatia	
  

pp.	
  
Lutra	
  lsutra	
  skins	
  
skin	
  

6	
  
1	
  

1995	
  
2004	
  

USA	
  
Denmark	
  Greece	  Arab	
  Emirates	
  United	  pp.	
  Lutra	
  lsutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

1997	
  
2004	
  

USA	
  
Croatia	
  Russian	
  Federation	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	  bodies	  skins	
  

2	
  

1998	
  
2004	
  

Austria	
  Arab	
  Emirates	
  United	  Czech	
  Republic	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

live	
  
skin	
  

1	
  

1998	
  
2004	
  

Netherlands	
  
USA	
  

Greece	  Great	
  Britain	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  
body	
  

1	
  

1999	
  
2005	
  

USA	
  
Denmark	
  Canada	  Kuwait	  Lutra	
  lsutra	
  
pp	
  

body	
  
skin	
  

1	
  

1999	
  
2005	
  

USA	
  
Kuwait	  Canada	  Denmark	  pp	
  Lutra	
  lsutra	
  garments	
  
skin	
  

2	
  
1	
  

1999	
  
2005	
  

USA	
  

Canada	  China	
  Lutra	
  lsutra	
  
pp	
  

not	
  
hair	
  s(pecified	
  skins)	
  

1	
  
3	
  

2000	
  
2006	
  

USA	
  
Denmark	
  Russian	
  Kuwait	   Federation	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  garment	
  
skin	
  

1	
  

2001	
  
2006	
  

Denmark	
  Kuwait	  Estonia	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2001	
  
2006	
  

Denmark	
  
USA	
  

Estonia	
  Arab	
  Emirates	
  United	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  trophies	
  
skin	
  

3	
  
1	
  

2001	
  
2010	
  

Estonia	
  
USA	
  

Denmark	
  Italy	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	
  teeth	
  

2	
  
8	
  

2001	
  
2010	
  

Estonia	  Poland	  Denmark	
  United	  Arab	
  Emirates	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  trophies	
  
body	
  

6	
  
1	
  

2001	
  
2010	
  

Estonia	  Czech	
  Republic	  Latvia	
  
Viet	
  
Nam	
  

Lutra	
  lutra	
  Aonyx	  cinerea*	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2001	
  
2011	
  

Latvia	  USA	  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lsutra	
  
pp	
  

skin	
   skin?	
  hair/	
  

1	
  

2001	
  
2014	
  

USA	
  

Unknown	
  Canada	  pp.	
  Lutra	
  lsutra	
  

body	
  
Skin	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

Denmark	
  Estonia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

skins	  2	
  * Aonyx cinerea is a synonym to Aonyx cinereus, see taxonomic reference under2002	
  Estonia	
  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/44166/0
2002	
  

Estonia	  Latvia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

Japan	  R.	
  Korea	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  

skin	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

R.	
  Korea	  Japan	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  specimen	
  

1	
  

2002	
  

Latvia	  Denmark	
  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	
  

2	
  

2002	
  

Latvia	  Estonia	  Lutra	
  lutra	
  skins	  2	  TRAFFIC REPORT: THE ILLEGAL OTTER TRADE IN SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES 1980 2015
33 TRAFFIC Report: Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)40

JULY 2016

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network,is the leading non-governmental organization
working globally on trade in wild animals andplants in the context of both biodiversity
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Jalan SS23/11, Taman SEA
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