NAGPUR: Body parts of leopards and pangolins, which are the most trafficked and endangered mammals on the planet, are used as ingredients in at least 88 traditional Chinese medicines, according to a probe by London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).
Manufactured by 72 Chinese firms and licensed by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China, some medicines also contain tiger and rhino parts in sharp contravention of recommendations of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These species are listed in CITES Appendix I, which prohibits international commercial trade of their parts or derivatives.
EIA also identified 62 banks and financial institutions, many of them Fortune 500 companies and household names in Australia, Canada, EU, Japan, Switzerland, UK, and USA, which have invested in three publicly listed Chinese pharmaceutical groups that manufacture nine products that contain leopard and pangolin body parts.
These explosive details are part of the new EIA report - Investing in extinction: How global sector profits from traditional medicine firms using threatened species. EIA investigates and campaigns against environmental crime and abuse and its undercover investigations expose transnational wildlife crime with focus on elephants, pangolins, tigers and forest crime.
Many investors in these Chinese pharma firms are signatories to principles for responsible investment (PRI) or are members of International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) that has publicly expressed concern on loss of biodiversity and extinction of species. Seven of these nations are members of The Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce, launched in 2018 to stop wildlife trafficking.
EIA legal and policy expert Avinash Basker said, "Use of highly threatened animals such as leopards, pangolins, rhinos and tigers in traditional medicine products disregards CITES recommendations of the international community to protect these species."
He added, "Continued licensing of these products represents a significant threat to these species in India and other range states."
‘Urge China to fulfil CITES conditions’EIA legal and policy expert Avinash Basker said, “We hope range states push for implementation of CITES recommendations on Asian big cats, pangolins, and rhinos at the upcoming CITES meetings.” On extinction of species, Basker said, “This is effectively happening on an industrial scale that can only push these species closer to extinction, simultaneously sending mixed messages to consumers, fuelling demand for their body parts and derivatives and tainting the global reputation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).”
Basker rued financial institutions endorsing exploitation. “It’s disappointing to see so many major banks and financial institutions in the world endorsing this damaging exploitation, especially with many pledging to do otherwise,” he said.
“We strongly urge the government of China to fulfil the CITES recommendations and prohibit use of the body parts of leopards, pangolins, tigers, and rhinos from all sources for all commercial purposes in its domestic markets,” said Basker.
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