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Poaching of 46 lemurs in the SAVA region

Posted on 6 June 2022

On May 31, 2022, police from the SAVA Regional Department of Public Security arrested two poachers during a routine checkpoint in Maintialana, 3 km from Vohémar.

The individuals were apprehended for illegal possession and transport of lemurs. In total, 46 crowned lemurs or Eulemur coronatus were seized, of which only one individual was still alive. The lemurs were captured in the protected area of Loky Manambato and were intended to be sold at a price of 20,000 Ar in Sambava.

Eulemur coronatus, like all the other species of lemurs, are part of the protected species of category I of the decree 2006-400 of June 13, 2006 concerning the classification of the species of wild fauna. As such, "they benefit from an absolute protection on the whole territory of the Malagasy Republic and can neither be hunted, nor captured, nor be held". According to the provisions of the law N° 2005-018 of October 17, 2005 on the international trade of species of wild fauna and flora, "the possession, the purchase, the offer of purchase, the acquisition for commercial purposes, the use for profit, the exhibition to the public for commercial purposes, the trade, the holding for sale, the putting on sale and the transport for sale of any specimen belonging to a "protected" species are sanctioned by "a penalty of six months to two years of imprisonment and a fine of Ar 10. 000.000 to Ar 50.000.000". In addition, "any collection of animals" from a protected area is a crime subject to 5 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of 100 million to 2 billion ariary according to Law No. 2015 -005 of February 26, 2015 on the revision of the Code of Management of Protected Areas. The crowned lemur is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN red list.

We would like to congratulate the authorities for the quick and firm measures taken. However, the case should not end there. It is crucial that the police investigation in progress in the SAVA region is carried out until its end to identify the ins and outs of this illegal activity and to allow its dissolution; to sanction the people involved from the collector to the final consumer by way of each link of this criminal chain. The law is clear and must be applied. Non-enforcement and impunity are too often the weak links that destroy the efforts of conservationists, local communities and protected area managers who have been working to protect Madagascar's biodiversity for many years, often in remote areas and under some of the most difficult conditions.

Furthermore, we call on the authorities to implement all necessary measures to curb this scourge to our natural wealth. Such measures include, among others: the wide dissemination of legal and regulatory texts on protected species and the environment; deterrent measures at the level of the main buyers (restaurants, eateries, ...) and their strict application; the maintenance and strengthening of control actions.

As a long-time stakeholder in the SAVA region, WWF reiterates its willingness to join forces with all those who are fighting to preserve the unique biodiversity of our country for present and future generations.