Europe
Europe has been, since the beginning of human evolution, a really important hot spot in so many ways. These ways include social, cultural, political, artistic, and natural aspects. Besides being the home of human evolution, Europe is the house of thousands of rare, exotic and endemic species. For a long time, humans and nature have struggled for land, and have tried to establish a middle ground area that benefits both humans and animals in an equal way. Sadly, this equilibrium has been recently, in an abrupt way, been disturbed for several factors; these factors include, among others, the illegal trade and poaching of some animals, in such an insensitive way, that has pushed an important number of species close to extinction.
An example of this dramatic situation takes place nowadays in Norway, where the illegal traffic and poaching of the Minke whale has disturbed the economic equilibrium of this area, and the natural equilibrium of the ecosystem. By the second half of the XX Century, the insensitive and non controlled hunt of these whales had already pushed their population to critical levels.
During 1970 a group of concerned ecologists finally established the International Whale Commission (IWC), all of this aimed to represent and protect the whaling based-economy nations (Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Scotland, among others) and protect their economies through laws that severely punish the illegal whale poaching. After the commandment was carried out, Norway exposed some discrepancy with the establishment, given by the fact that their north area’s economy is based on whale hunting. After some international struggling for the right to hunt in national waters, a special consent was made with national fishing companies to hunt between 400 and 600 Minke whales through the year. Sadly, the Japanese violated the agreement and it is estimated that they hunted between 1970 and 1980 an average of 3,500 whales per year for commercial purposes and 1,800 yearly with scientific purposes (Nat. Geo. Magazine 2001; high north). Until this decade, the Japanese had denied this, until an amateur picture was taken showing a Japanese fishing ship hunting a whale in Nordic waters. Unfortunately, the IWC has not been able to take part in this regretful situation. By now, the uncontrolled hunt of whales keeps happening, and it is easy to find one pound of whale meat in any Japanese market for something more than 5 U.S dollars.
Lastly, this trade, despite not affecting the Japanese commercial whale meat costs, it has affected incredibly the internal Nordic economy because of the illegal an unfair competition; the situation has got so worrying, that the national government has decided to set up an enterprise aimed towards whale conservation.
Another situation of this dramatic poaching against protected species is shown with the Apennine chamois. The Apennine chamois is a goat-like animal that lives in the highest mountains in Italy and the Alps. It has always been considered a rare animal, given that it is not easy to be seen by humans. Both males and females have horns that can reach over 30 centimeters long. Sorrowfully, the horns are the ones that have caused this intricate situation for these peculiar animals, given that the poachers and exotic buyers of rare products chase after those horns, because of their beauty.
It is not that much what is known about their traffic or their conservation media. It is known that one pound of this material is more expensive than gold and it is not certified that after paying the person will actually receive the horns. About the conservation of these endemic animals, it is not much to tell, the only thing known for sure is that the Italian organizations responsible of the protection of these kinds of animals, has already taken part in the situation
Bibliography
http://europa.eu/abc/maps/images/europe.gif
National Geographic, Magazine April, 2001. Douglas H. Chadwick
http://www.greenfudge.org/.../new-study-links-endangered-whale-meat-with-japan-possible-illegal-trading/
http://www.iisd.ca/cites/cop11/12april.html
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-091211-1.html (image
http://www.sibillini.net/en/il_parco/fauna/camoscio.htm
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/nature/files/2008/10/610_sharkland_catshark.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Gemse01.JPG
http://www.redorbit.com/modules/reflib/article_images/42_f1369d9dfdf3a36ed261c4b5ae7593b9.j
http://tenthmil.com/images/uploads/blogs/oceans_minkewhaleonslipway_culleygreenpeace.jpg
http://en.wikivisual.com/images/6/61/Humpback_Whale_underwater_shot.jpg
http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2008/10/30/633609727232141075-CATSHARK.jpg
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/questions/rayskatesawfish.jpg
National Geographic, Magazine April, 2001. Douglas H. Chadwick
http://www.greenfudge.org/.../new-study-links-endangered-whale-meat-with-japan-possible-illegal-trading/
http://www.iisd.ca/cites/cop11/12april.html
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-091211-1.html (image
http://www.sibillini.net/en/il_parco/fauna/camoscio.htm
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/nature/files/2008/10/610_sharkland_catshark.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Gemse01.JPG
http://www.redorbit.com/modules/reflib/article_images/42_f1369d9dfdf3a36ed261c4b5ae7593b9.j
http://tenthmil.com/images/uploads/blogs/oceans_minkewhaleonslipway_culleygreenpeace.jpg
http://en.wikivisual.com/images/6/61/Humpback_Whale_underwater_shot.jpg
http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2008/10/30/633609727232141075-CATSHARK.jpg
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/questions/rayskatesawfish.jpg
Editor: Maria Andrea Ramirez 12°
Santiago Gil, Manolo Florez 12°.