Happy World Wildlife Day to all nature lovers!

Posted on 3 March 2023

Today is also the 50th anniversary of the adoption of CITES.

By definition, wildlife is a part of biodiversity, which designates all forms of undomesticated free life, be it fauna or flora. The Malagasy people depend entirely on it to satisfy their needs in food, heating, medicines, building materials, etc. Without forgetting that this one also contributes to the economic evolution of the country notably by the ecotourism and the export.

And do you know what CITES is? Here are 3 essential points to know about this convention:

- The acronym stands for the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species. It is the Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, also known as the Washington Convention.
- It was adopted on March 3, 1973, in Washington, United States, and provides protection to more than 37,000 wild species worldwide, including those of Madagascar.
- Its main objective is to ensure that international trade in wild animal and plant specimens does not threaten the survival of the species to which they belong.
Among the species protected by CITES are the star tortoise, whose scientific name is Astrochelys radiata, and the lemur.

According to the IUCN, the star tortoise or radiated tortoise is classified as "critically endangered" and could completely disappear in 5 to 10 years, particularly due to trafficking in the species and related corrupt activities. From 2018 to 2021, more than 21,000 turtles were seized in illegal export attempts in Madagascar.

The lemur is the most endangered primate in the world. The main causes of this situation are the destruction of their natural habitat, the tropical forest of Madagascar, and poaching. In some regions of Madagascar, lemurs are hunted to provide food for the poor or to be sold and domesticated.
But it is important to remember that these practices are formally prohibited by law and can lead to a sentence of 6 months to 20 years of imprisonment and/or a fine of 5,000,000 to 2,000,000 Ariary depending on their severity.

Since 2021, the Countering Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking (CCWT) project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has been helping to reduce wildlife trafficking by fighting corruption and improving natural resource governance. In February, the project presented a study highlighting the risks and challenges of corruption in Madagascar's precious wood sector, with a particular focus on the Menabe region, a major rosewood reserve in western Madagascar.

The results of the study in 5 points:
1. There are different risks of corruption in the exploitation circuit of precious woods.
2. From harvesting to export, through transport, processing and sale, these risks vary according to the stages and actors involved in the value chain.
3. Influence peddling, abuse of power, bribery and active and passive corruption are the main corruption risks encountered in the sector.
4. Many legal texts are in force in Madagascar to govern the precious wood sector, which demonstrates a real desire to protect our natural resources.
5. However, there are gaps between law and practice in these texts, economic impacts in relation to certain repressive texts mentioning, for example, cutting bans, as well as a classification problem and several interpretations of the level of protection in the case of rosewood.
On the occasion of World Wildlife Day on March 3, we will devote this week to inform you about the importance of wildlife in Madagascar, the fight against corruption and wildlife trafficking.

Madagascar's wildlife is composed of about 90% of endemic species. Unfortunately, the figures that illustrate the loss of our natural resources are alarming. This is why we must mobilize and act all together for the conservation of our wildlife. For people and nature!