William Hague

Opinion | How Hong Kong can lead the global fight against wildlife trafficking

Enhanced enforcement, especially in targeting the financial networks, cross-border collaboration and public education are needed to turn the tide

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Hong Kong Customs holds a press conference on January 3 at the River Trade Terminal in Tuen Mun, on a smuggling case last year involving dried seafood and cosmetic products with an estimated market value of HK$6 million. Photo: Elson Li

William Hague

Published: 5:30am, 20 Jan 2024Updated: 8:06am, 20 Jan 2024

Nestled amid a vibrant convergence of cultures and economies, Hong Kong has flourished on the strength of its dynamism. Its geographic location, free trade policy and efficiency as a logistics hub, as well as its trade history and networks, have propelled the city to become one of the world’s largest trading economies.

Yet, within this tapestry of opportunities lies a vulnerability – the risk of unscrupulous individuals and syndicates exploiting the city for nefarious activities.

Hong Kong has long been entwined in the intricate web of the illegal wildlife trade. Recent data paints a disconcerting picture, as local authorities have seized over 2,800 tonnes of wildlife conservatively valued at HK$1.2 billion (US$153 million) and arrested nearly 3,000 wildlife traffickers over the past decade.

Hong Kong ranks among the leading importers of numerous wildlife products including shark fins, crocodilian meat, live pet reptiles, as well as mammal parts used in medicines. Demand is particularly acute during festive seasons such as Lunar New Year, when prized species like humphead wrasses and orchids are heavily traded, for consumption and as gifts.

Since 2013, Hong Kong has imported more live specimens for commercial purposes under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) than any other country and territory, accounting for over a quarter of the 16 million live mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians imported globally. Notably, live exotic pet trade data provided by CITES only captures two-thirds of the total live animals imported into Hong Kong.

While ivory and pangolin seizures have seen a decline since 2019, seizures of other endangered species have surged, signalling potential diversification by trafficking syndicates. The consequences are not merely environmental – ecosystems disrupted, species depleted – but are costing the lives of wildlife enforcement officers, with up to 100 rangers killed by poachers annually while protecting wildlife in their natural habitats.