VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGZA #8035 2300450
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWCSE3894 2300500
R 180450Z AUG 06
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS GUANGZHOU 028035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
 
STATE FOR OES 
JUSTICE FOR ENRD/BOB ANDERSON 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC - DAS LEVINE, MCQUEEN 
USDA FOR FAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ECON PGOV CH
SUBJECT: A/S MCMURRAY DISCUSSES WILDLIFE PROTECTION EFFORTS 
WITH GUANGDONG OFFICIALS 
 
REF: A) HONG KONG 3252 (NOTALL) 
 
     B) SHANGHAI 5261 (NOTALL) 
 
(U) THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE 
PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.  NOT FOR RELEASE OUTSIDE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT CHANNELS.  NOT FOR INTERNET PUBLICATION. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  THE A/S MCMURRAY DELEGATION MET WITH 
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GUANGDONG WILDLIFE PROTECTION 
ADMINISTRATION (WPA) ON AUGUST 4 TO DISCUSS PROVINCIAL-LEVEL 
EFFORTS AND CHALLENGES.  THE WPA OFFICIALS ASSURED A/S 
MCMURRAY THAT THEY WERE SERIOUS ABOUT WILDLIFE PROTECTION, 
BUT RECOGNIZED THAT PROBLEMS STILL EXIST.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) DURING A LENGTHY PRESENTATION, WPA OFFICIALS OUTLINED 
THE ADMINISTRATION'S ORGANIZATION AND THE RELEVANT LAWS AND 
REGULATIONS GOVERNING THEIR ACTIVITIES.  THE WPA OFFICIALS 
ASSURED A/S MCMURRAY THAT THEY WERE SERIOUS ABOUT WILDLIFE 
PROTECTION, BUT RECOGNIZED THAT PROBLEMS STILL EXIST.  WPA 
HAS CONDUCTED PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS PARTICULARLY TARGETING THE 
YOUNGER GENERATION IN ORDER TO CHANGE ENTRENCHED HABITS AND 
WILDLIFE PRODUCT CONSUMPTION PATTERNS.  THE OFFICIALS 
CLAIMED THAT WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTERS IN GUANGDONG HELP AN 
AVERAGE OF 200,000 ANIMALS EACH YEAR.  WPA OFFICIALS STATED 
THAT THEIR MAIN SUCCESSES HAVE BEEN IN RAIDS AGAINST 
WILDLIFE PRODUCT MARKETS, RESTAURANTS, PROCESSING PLANTS, 
AND IN BORDER AREAS WHERE WILDLIFE PRODUCTS TRANSIT.  WHILE 
THE WILDLIFE MARKETS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO SHUT DOWN, WPA 
OFFICIALS ADMITTED THAT SOME MARKETS STILL OPERATE, BUT IN A 
MORE CLANDESTINE WAY.  WPA OFFICIALS EXPRESSED SATISFACTION 
AT THE LEVEL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN WPA, THE GUANGDONG FOOD 
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND THE PROCURATORATE IN 
PROSECUTING WILDLIFE CRIMES. 
 
¶3. (U) A/S MCMURRAY STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL 
COOPERATION IN COMBATING WILDLIFE PROTECTION PROBLEMS, 
EXPRESSING THE DESIRE FOR CHINA TO JOIN THE COALITION 
AGAINST WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED 
STATES, THE U.K., INDIA, AND 14 NGOS  THAT GOES BEYOND CITES 
IN INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND HELPING COUNTRIES ENFORCE 
THEIR WILDLIFE PROTECTION LAWS.  OFFICIALS NOTED THEY HAD 
BEEN APPROACHED BY A EUROPEAN COALITION ON WILDLIFE 
CONSERVATION WITH THE ACRONYM "CIC" ALSO WANTING THEM TO 
BECOME A MEMBER. 
 
¶4. (U) THE DELEGATION MEMBERS ALSO QUESTIONED WPA OFFICIALS 
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AND 
WILDLIFE PRODUCTS (I.E. RHINOCEROS HORN AND TIGER BONE), 
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS THEY 
HAVE ENCOUNTERED, THE MOST COMMON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE PRODUCTS 
IN THE PROVINCE, AND JUDICIAL SENTENCING LIMITATIONS. 
 
¶5. (SBU) CHEN WEIKUN, DIRECTOR OF THE GUANGDONG FORESTRY 
POLICE BUREAU, NOTED THAT THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS IN 
COMBATING AN INCREASINGLY DECENTRALIZED, WELL-HIDDEN, AND 
EXTREMELY PROFITABLE NETWORK OF WILDLIFE TRAFFICKERS.  LEGAL 
TRADE WITH HONG KONG AND MACAU IS HIGH, CHEN SAID, AND 
SURMISED THAT THE ILLEGAL TRADE WAS AS WELL.   WHEN ASKED 
ABOUT THE MOST COMMONLY TRADED ILLEGAL WILDLIFE PRODUCT, 
CHEN WAS VERY HESITANT IN REPLYING, FINALLY ADMITTING THAT 
IVORY WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.  TRADE IN IVORY FROM AFRICA 
AND SMUGGLED INTO CHINA IS VERY PROFITABLE, HE SAID.  ON 
SENTENCING LIMITATIONS, CHEN CLARIFIED THAT JUDICIAL 
PUNISHMENTS ARE DETERMINED BASED ON THE VOLUME OF SMUGGLING, 
BUT THAT THESE CONSISTED MAINLY OF FINES.  AFTER PAYING THE 
FINES, VENDORS ARE OFTEN RELEASED AND CONTINUE THEIR ILLEGAL 
TRADE.   CHEN DID NOTE THAT UNDER CHINESE LAW SMUGGLERS CAN 
FACE UP TO THE DEATH PENALTY, WHILE POACHERS CAN EARN 10 
YEARS IMPRISONMENT.  MONETARY FINES HAVE BEEN RECENTLY 
INCREASED TO A MAXIMUM OF RMB 10,000 (USD 1,250) FOR 
OFFERING WILDLIFE IN MARKETS (AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE 
TRANSMITTING ZOONOTIC DISEASES), AND A RECENT CASE OF A 
MAJOR DEALER WAS RECENTLY SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED, RESULTING 
IN A LARGE FINE AND IMPRISONMENT.  FOR WORLD WILDLIFE DAY 
(FEBRUARY 2), GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES CIRCULATED A PETITION 
ASKING PEOPLE NOT TO EAT WILD ANIMALS.  GUANGDONG ALSO 
CELEBRATES A WILD BIRD DAY IN MARCH AND A WILD ANIMAL 
PROTECTION DAY IN NOVEMBER TO RAISE AWARENESS.  WHEN 
PRESSED, CHEN ADMITTED THAT IN ADDITION TO BREEDING FARMS 
FOR MACAQUES AND DEER, THERE IS ONE BEAR FARM (FOR THE 
EXTRACTION OF BILE) IN GUANGDONG. 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) WPA REPRESENTATIONS THAT GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES HAVE 
GONE FAR TO REDUCE THE OPEN TRADE IN WILDLIFE WOULD APPEAR 
TO BE BORNE OUT BY FACT.  FOLLOWING OFFICIAL MEETINGS, THE 
DELEGATION MADE AN UNSCHEDULED VISIT TO THE GUANGZHOU 
WILDLIFE MARKET WHERE THE SOURCE OF THE 2003 SARS OUTBREAK 
WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED.  THE ROWS OF CEMENT BLOCK STALLS WITH 
STEEL ROLL-DOWN OPENINGS WERE DEVOID OF ACTIVITY, EVEN 
THOUGH IT WAS STILL RELATIVELY EARLY IN THE MORNING.  A FEW 
TURTLES (POSSIBLE CITES APPENDIX II-LISTED), FROGS AND 
SNAKES WERE THE ONLY ANIMALS ON DISPLAY, AND THE ENTIRE AREA 
HAD RECENTLY BEEN HOSED DOWN AND SWEPT.  VENDORS WERE WARY 
AND UNWILLING TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION, ALTHOUGH NOT 
HOSTILE.  THE WATCHFUL PRESENCE OF HEALTH AND MARKET 
ADMINISTRATORS AND THE LACK OF ACTIVITY TOGETHER SEEMED TO 
INDICATE THE VISIT HAD BEEN ANTICIPATED WELL IN ADVANCE.   A 
SUBSEQUENT STOP AT ANOTHER MARKET AREA, WHICH 20 YEARS AGO 
OPENLY STOCKED A WIDE ARRAY OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS AND ANIMAL 
PARTS, REVEALED ONLY SEVERAL SMALL STANDS WITH DUCKS AND 
CHICKENS IN CLOSE CONFINEMENT TO EACH OTHER (IN 
CONTRAVENTION TO RIGOROUS MEASURES EMPLOYED BY HONG KONG 
HEALTH AUTHORITIES TO COMBAT AVIAN INFLUENZA), CATS AND DOGS 
(FOR CONSUMPTION), AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF 
DRIED SEAHORSES AND STARFISH, WHICH ARE FACING SERIOUS 
DECLINES IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD, BUT NO ENDANGERED LIVE 
MAMMALS. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT.  IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE 
TRADE IN GUANGDONG IS A SOURCE OF SOME EMBARRASSMENT FOR 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.  THE WPA OFFICIALS WORKED HARD TO CAST 
THEIR EFFORTS IN A GOOD LIGHT FOR THE DELEGATION AND WERE 
RELUCTANT TO TALK IN DETAIL ABOUT CHALLENGES IN THEIR WORK. 
THEIR INABILITY TO FULLY ENFORCE WILDLIFE LAWS AND 
REGULATIONS WOULD BE SEEN AS A LOSS OF FACE.  POST ALSO 
NOTES THAT THE POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CRIMINAL GANGS 
("TRIADS"), WILDLIFE SMUGGLERS/POACHERS, AND GOVERNMENT 
OFFICIALS MAKE ENFORCEMENT ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC (REFS A 
AND B).  END COMMENT. 
 
¶8. (U) PARTICIPANT LIST: 
 
A/S CLAUDIA MCMURRAY 
ANN STEWART, OES/PCI 
BOB ANDERSON (DOJ) 
CONSULATE NOTE TAKERS 
 
LIAO QINGXIANG, DIRECTOR, GUANGDONG WILDLIFE PROTECTION 
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE 
CHEN WEIKUN, DIRECTOR, GUANGDONG FORESTRY POLICE BUREAU 
CHEN YOUHAI 
YE GUANFENG 
LIANG YONGCHAO 
LU KAIHE 
LAI DONGXIA 
 
MARTIN