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A new global report by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has identified at least 74 countries to be involved in illegal pangolin trade through 178 unique trade routes.
The new CITES report, Conservation Status, Trade and Enforcement Efforts for Pangolins, revealed that Nigeria to Viet Nam was the most used illegal trade route by quantity, with an estimated 82,215 whole pangolin equivalents detected. Transport was primarily by sea (accounting for 61,166 equivalents) and air.
Mozambique to Malawi was the most frequent illegal trade route, used 44 times during the study period, primarily for transporting live pangolins via land. Cameroon to Europe was another frequent route — consisting of Cameroon to Switzerland (24 times) and France (21 times), involving meat transported mostly by air.
The assessment identified several complex routes involving one or more transit countries to move large quantities of scales (over 1,000 whole pangolin equivalents).
They include Mozambique via Malaysia to China, Nigeria via Singapore to Viet Nam, Nigeria via Malaysia to China or Viet Nam, Congo via Turkey to Viet Nam.
The other routes are Democratic Republic of the Congo via Singapore to Viet Nam, Democratic Republic of the Congo via Thailand to Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand via Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Viet Nam and China.
These routes often extend to Europe including Hong Kong SAR and Europe. Nigeria via the Netherlands to Hong Kong SAR of China, Sierra Leone via Belgium and Lao People’s Democratic Republic to China were identified to have been used nine and ten times respectively.
There were other new routes noted from Liberia via Belgium to China, Democratic Republic of the Congo via Belgium to either China or Hong Kong SAR and Equatorial Guinea via France to China.
The analysis noted that a significant 67 per cent of routes carrying more than 1,000 whole pangolin equivalents were recorded as being used only once, suggesting that traffickers frequently change routes to avoid detection.
Evidence pointed out that Asia via Africa to Europe is a potential “overlooked” trade where Asian pangolin species (such as Chinese and Philippine pangolins) are allegedly originating in African countries like Ethiopia, Cameroon, and the Congo before being seized in France.
This trend may indicate new intercontinental consolidation hubs, although misidentification of species is also a possibility. The sources emphasise that because of the dynamic nature of these routes, Parties must remain vigilant and adapt their enforcement measures to respond to these shifting trends.