| Marine Turtle Conservation and Japan Illegal Trade in Turtle Shell Government Policy, Legislation, and Enforcement Action of JWCS |
| ACTION OF JWCS |
| JWCS is dedicated to promoting
conservation of marine turtles and takes various actions to stop the illegal
trade in turtle shell. Since 2002, JWCS has conducted investigations into
the trade of bekko shell in Japan from Indonesia and the Caribbean, compliled
reports on the Japanese market for turtle shell, submitted reports to the
CITES standing committee on the illegal bekko market, and made recommendations
to the Japanese government about this issue. Investigations: Entry points for bekko In 2002, JWCS conducted joint investigations with ProFauna Indonesia to look at several dealers who played a pivotal role in bekko trading in Sulawesi Island and Java. These investigations showed that Indonesia has illegal networks with a total supply capacity of bekko exceeding six tons per year. Some of the investigations are listed below. Bekko wholesaler and exporter in Sulawesi Island: One wholesaler’s monthly trade capacity was reported to reach as much as 500kg (the equivalent of 500 to 1,000 Hawksbill turtles). The wholesaler sold Hawksbill shell to exporters in Java amongst others.. The export company investigated had an export capacity of 400kg of large-sized bekko (equivalent to 400 to 500 hawksbills) per year available for export to Japan. Dominican Republic route (2002) In May 2002, 26.5kg of bekko, under a false declaration of dried fish intestines, arrived from Dominican Republic by air parcel delivery. Customs officers found it an unusually large quantity for private import and further inspection revealed the illegal bekko. In this case, bekko was intended for resale to bekko manufacturers in Nagasaki. JWCS made an investigation into the network of this dealer. Investigations revealed that he had a head office in Osaka, another company in Yokohama for trading in the Tokyo metropolitan Area, and a factory in Nagasaki. The dealer designs novel products and accessories himself which are manufactured at his factory in Nagasaki. They are then delivered to companies in Osaka and Yokohama. From there, the products are sold to bekko dealers, major jewelry shops and major department stores. . There a high potential for bekko trade to other companies in Japan. JWCS Reports submitted to CITES on the Japanese Market for Turtle Shell JWCS Recommendations to the Japanese Government In order to eliminate smuggled bekko from legal domestic distribution, JWCS has made the following recommendations to the Japanese Government: *The registration system for whole carapace and stuffed turtle should cover removed scutes (dorsal, abdominal, and marginal scutes) and all bekko products that are traded. *The bekko business registration system should cover all bekko trading businesses. *The business registration system should cover the movement of bekko from the processing stage onwards –i.e., from raw material to finished product, and then to retail markets. *The transfer of bekko without full details of its history up to import or capture (excluding reported stock held by registered dealers) should be banned. *The Government should take strong measures to ensure that all registered traders submit trade reports and transaction ledgers, and that failure to do so will result in indictment. More efforts must also be made to ensure that sufficient on-site inspections are made to guarantee that all traders are fulfilling their obligations properly. *In order to prevent the possible transfer of bekko by registered dealers who close their businesses, the details of the bekko stock held by each registered dealer should be verified on the spot by authorities. *The capture of turtles found in the waters around Japan for commercial purposes should be banned; and, at the same time, necessary measures should be taken to avoid accidental capture by various fishing methods. |