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DNA kit to fight animal trade

Ian Sample

Technique will facilitate on-the-spot testing - Illegal

London: A new weapon in the fight against the illegal trade in threatened species was being unveiled by conservation groups at a meeting here of the world's biggest convention on protecting biodiversity.

The device allows officials to test suspicious goods on the spot to discover whether or not they have been prepared using ingredients from rare species.

The test was developed with British DNA forensics specialists to combat the use of tissues from protected animals, especially bears, in traditional medicines, which make up a lucrative market in Asia.

The procedure reveals whether goods contain ingredients from species protected under international trade laws by detecting specific proteins found in them. Trials of the test kit in Australia and Canada have identified 16 cases where illegal products were bound for the market. It was being officially launched at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora meeting in the Hague on Tuesday.

All eight species of bear are protected under international law. Some, such as the Asiatic black bear and brown bear found in China and elsewhere, are illegal to export or import under any circumstances, while others can be sold under restrictions.

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007

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