Citation Detail: Michael Wai-Neng Lau, Gary Ades,Nick Goodyer & Fa-sheng Zou. 1996. Wildlife Trade in Southern Hong Kong and MacaoChina including. in: Conserving China's Biodiversity (John MacKinnon, WANG Sung and etc.eds.). China Environmental Science Press. Beijing. 141-159p.

Wildlife Trade in Southern China including
Hong Kong and Macao¡¡

Michael Wai-Neng Lau, Gary Ades,
Nick Goodyer & Fa-sheng Zou¡¡

¡ï[Methodology]   ¡ï[Trade Data]  ¡ï[Survey]  ¡ï[Localities and Participants]  ¡ï[Results]¡ï[Discussion]   ¡ï[Overview and Recommendations]   ¡ï[Literature Cited]

Introduction

Wildlife has long been utilized by people in China for food, medicine, pets and as raw material (Chen et al. 1993; Layton 1991; Martin and Martin 1982; Ye, Fei and Hu 1993). The species involved and the level of consumption vary considerably between different provinces depending on: the species available, population of people, tradition and financial strength. Unfortunately, the trade in wildlife has never been systematically monitored and no long term data are available. In view of the large and still expanding population in China, the pressure of human exploitation must be quite severe. Together with habitat destruction and degradation of the environment which have resulted from recent advances in economic development, trade threatens certain rare and commercially valuable species. So little is known about Chinese wild animals and the trade in them that it is difficult if not impossible to assess the impact of trade on them. The decline of a few well-documented species like the Crocodile Lizard, Shinisaurus crocodilurus, can be attributed in part to excessive exploitation (Zhang, 1987).

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There is also a market for Chinese wildlife in overseas countries. The biggest part of this is likely to be the live bird trade and it was reported that China exported nearly three million birds in 1985 (Anon, 1987). Hong Kong's excellent transportation and economic links with China and other countries, and the Government's open trading policies have made it probably the most important export centre for Chinese wildlife. A minimum of 540,000 cage-birds were imported from China to Hong Kong for re-export in 1979 (Melville 1982). During the period 1990 to 1992, this figure dropped to 370,000 - 490,000 annually probably due to some birds being exported directly from China (Nash, 1993).

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The demand for live wild animals is highest in southern China especially around the Pearl River Estuary because of the tradition of eating a wide variety of wildlife in winter by Guangdong people and the economic success of this region. Certain rare species are now protected in Hong Kong under the Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance and in China under the Wild Animals Protection Law. Trade in these species still occurs because enforcement is not adequate in China as illustrated by the abundance of protected species in markets (Ades, 1992) while the law in Hong Kong does not stop people from going to China to eat them. Also certain species protected in China are not covered by the Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance in Hong Kong and are often seen for sale. The overall trade has probably increased in recent years because:¡¡

- The economic reforms in China which began over ten years ago have resulted in an ever increasing prosperous population in the region who can afford the expensive wild animals. The incentive to trap animals has also increased because personal financial gain is permitted under the present system.¡¡

- The improved infrastructure within China results in the availability of the much sought after 'rarities' from distant or remote areas.¡¡

- The recent opening up of borders between China and its neighbours in Southeast Asia (e.g. Vietnam) has provided a new source of wild animals for the trade.¡¡

- The growing popularity of keeping reptiles and amphibians as pets in western countries and more recently in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan constitutes a substantial market outside China. Thus reptiles and amphibians are imported to Hong Kong for re-export and, to a lesser extent, for local sale.¡¡

Exact trade figures can never be obtained because the trade is not monitored in China while in Hong Kong there is no restriction on the import of locally unprotected wildlife from China. This lack of information has prompted the Biodiversity Working Group of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development project to fund a study on the wildlife trade in Southern China focusing on non-aquatic vertebrates.¡¡

The main components of this project are to (i) identify the species involved and estimate their occurrence in the trade; (ii) determine the presence of any protected or rare species; (iii) assess the seasonal trends if any; (iv) compile information on the countries involved and the trade route; (v) recommend a future monitoring regime; and (vi) identify species likely to be threatened by trade.¡¡

This report covers the findings of a year-long study which covered the period from November 1993 to October 1994. Markets and shops in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macao were surveyed on a regular basis. With the kind support of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, trade data in Hong Kong were obtained from the database and records held in the Department at the end of the study.

Methodology¡¡

Only live wild animals were included in this study because of the relative ease of identifying them and the fast turnover rate in the market which minimizes the risk of over-estimation due to the accumulation of stock over long period. Definite domesticated or captive-bred animals were excluded from this study. They are: Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica), Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris ), Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Chukar (Alectoris chukar), Budgerigar (Melosittacus undulatus), Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) and Red-eared Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans). Personal pet animals brought into and from Hong Kong by individuals were excluded from this study because strictly speaking they are not traded. For the same reason, animals exchanged between zoos and/or parks were not monitored.

Trade Data¡¡

Certain trade data are available from the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. Similar data have been used in the past by Melville (1982) and Nash (1993) to study the bird trade in Hong Kong. They include:

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(a) Export or re-export of live wild animals from Hong Kong to other countries that require government-endorsed health certificates. These export data are incomplete because not all countries require health certificates for incoming animals. The figures on heath certificates tend to be on the high side because traders will get into trouble if more animals are shipped than is specified on the certificate but not vice versa, and the charge for the certificate does not increase as long as the number of animals declared is within a certain limit.

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(b) Import data of live animals to Hong Kong from countries other than China. Special permits and health certificates are required for landing live vertebrates (except non-scheduled, non-CITES amphibians) to Hong Kong. These special permits are normally inspected on arrival and provide a fairly good estimate. The small number of shipments rejected by other countries are excluded to prevent double counting. For non-scheduled , non-CITES amphibians, Agriculture and Fisheries Department Authorization is required. In the case of 'food frogs' (Rana rugulosa) from Thailand, only the weight is given in the Authorization. By measuring the weight of ten frogs in the market, it is estimated that three Rana rugulosa will make up 1 kg. and the number of frogs imported is obtained by multiplying the shipment weight with three. For a few shipments of the food turtles again only the net weight of animals are given (Amyda cartilaginea and Cuora amboinensis), the average weight of different species is obtained by referring to other shipments in which both the weight and the number are stated (3.69 kg. for C. amboinensis and 4.81 kg. for A. cartilaginea); or when that is not available (Chelydra serpentina, Apalone spinifera and Pelodiscus sinensis) by measuring animals in the market/shop. It is estimated that C. serpentina has an average weight of 4 kg. each, A. spinifera has an average weight of 2 kg. and P. sinensis has an average weight of 1 kg.

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(c) Import and export data of scheduled, CITES species. These data are stored in the computer of the Conservation section, AFD, and provide accurate information on protected species coming into and leaving Hong Kong legally. Country of origin together with country of previous export is stored in the database and these provide some insight into the trade route of the species concerned.

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(d) Import data of live food wildlife to Hong Kong from China. Major licensed importers of snakes, mammals and birds submit quarterly returns of their registers which state the date, species or group of animals, number, and country of origin. Since not all traders submit their returns, the figures do not cover the full extent of the trade and are on the low side. Also, the animals are often lumped into groups so that the exact species involved and their relative occurrence in the trade cannot be obtained from these data. Certain groups like 'Pea fowl' and 'Crow Pheasant' are uncertain and may actually refer to something else. These groups are not included in this study.

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(e) Import data of live wildlife to Hong Kong across the borders with China. These data are in the Inspection Reports of the Import Control Section (Border Base). Numbers are almost certainly underestimated since only a small proportion of cargo and luggage is checked at the border crossings. The identity of the species involved is often not clear. Nonetheless the information available provides some insight into the black market and species smuggled into Hong Kong from China.¡¡

Survey¡¡

The survey was not carried out openly as this would upset the traders and in China would attract a large crowd which would make working very difficult. The data have either been recorded directly into a small hidden tape recorder or were memorized by the investigators and put onto record sheets a short distance away from the shop or the market stall. If a large number of species was present or if their numbers were in doubt, the shop or the market stall was re-visited until the investigator was satisfied with the accuracy of the information gathered. However it was not possible to make precise estimates of numbers because large numbers of individuals were often packed into the same cages or containers, as was the case with snake speices. In addition snakes are often kept in wooden boxes with small holes in which the captives are not visible unless the door is opened by the traders. A considerable number of shops and stalls have store houses at the back or nearby, and wildlife are frequently brought out to replenish the stock. The record sheet is updated monthly to facilitate the recording.

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Where possible, the animals have been identified to species level. Not all wildlife observed can be identified to species or even genus level as close examination is often not possible, habitat and place of origin are often not known, and certain characters may be missing. Birds may be wet from bathing or have damaged plumages in overpacked cages. Lighting can be very dim and shy or weak individuals often hide behind or end up under others in a packed cage. All records where identification remains doubtful are excluded from the database.

Localities and Participants¡¡

Qingping Market (QP) in Guangzhou

It is one of the biggest wildlife markets in China and deals especially in wild mammals and chelonians. It was visited weekly in the colder months from November to January when the trade is at its maximum and monthly during the rest of the year.

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East Gate Market (EG) in Shenzhen

The wildlife section is even bigger than Qingping Market and quite often it has some different wildlife for sale. In addition to mammals and chelonians, it also has a lot of waterfowl, snakes and some cage-birds. It was visited twice per month in November, December and January to cover the peak season and once each in April and July to cover the quiet time.

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Tung Choi Street (TC) in Hong Kong

Three pet shops which deal exclusively with reptiles and amphibians are located in this street. Some of the aquarium fish shops present also have reptiles and amphibians for sale from time to time. Visits were made to this street twice per month from November to January and monthly during the rest of the year.

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Jordan (J) in Hong Kong

A wildlife stall and a Chinese emporium which has a wildlife and a pet sections are located in the Jordon district. The pet section closed down during the study and hence the lack of pet reptiles and amphibians in this locality later in the year. They were visited twice per month from November to January and monthly from February to October.

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Fife Street (FS) in Hong Kong

There are three wildlife stalls along this street. Two of them have been prosecuted in the past for selling endangered species.These stalls were visited twice per month from November to January and monthly from February to October.

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Ap Liu Street (AL) in Hong Kong

There are one cage-bird shop and two snake shops along this street. These shops were visited twice per month from November to January and monthly from February to October.

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Bird Street (BS) in Hong Kong

Over twenty cage-bird stalls/shops are present in Bird Street in Kowloon. This street was visited twice per month from November to January and monthly from February to October.

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Cheung Sha Wan Poultry Wholesale Market (CS) in Hong Kong

A lot of waterfowl and other game birds imported from China are distributed in this market. It was visited in November and January to cover the peak season and in August to cover the quiet time.

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Western Wholesale Food Market (WM) in Hong Kong

Freshwater turtles and food frogs are distributed in this market. The country of origin can be worked out by checking the labels on containers and by talking to the distributor. It was visited in May, October and December.

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Wildlife Restaurants and Market (M) in Macao

Wildlife restaurants along Rua da Felicidade in Macao often serve endangered species in winter. These restaurants and snake shops in the area together with the market near Rua Dos Colonos were checked monthly in November, December and January to cover the peak season and in June to cover the quiet time in summer.

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Zhuhai (ZH) Market

The main market in Zhuhai has a number of snake stalls and wildlife stalls. The market was visited monthly in November, December and January to cover the peak season and in June to cover the quiet time in summer.

The market in Guangzhou was surveyed by Fa-sheng Zou and Michael Wai-neng Lau. The market in Shenzhen was covered by Gary Ades, Nick Goodyer, Michael Wai-neng Lau and Fa-sheng Zou. The markets, shops and stalls in Hong Kong and Macao were covered by Gary Ades, Nick Goodyer and Michael Wai-neng Lau.

Results¡¡

280 species of wild birds, 12 species of mammals, 53 species of amphibians and 179 species of reptiles were found for sale in South China (includes Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao) during the study period. At any one time, there might be as many as 5,579 pet birds for sale in Bird Street, Hong Kong; 956 food birds in East Gate Market, Shenzhen; 362 food mammals in Qingping Market, Guangzhou; 3,800 food frogs in Qingping Market; 462 pet amphibians in Tung Choi Street, Hong Kong; 1,175 food chelonians in Qingping Market; 2,109 food snakes in East Gate Market; and 845 pet reptiles in Tung Choi Street. This might still be only a small fraction of the numbers which are actually being traded.¡¡

According to the data in Agriculture and Fisheries Department, from November 1993 to October 1994, wildlife were (re)exported from Hong Kong to 20 countries including up to 473,989 wild birds of 211 species; up to 11,652 amphibians of 19 species; and up to 3,535 reptiles of 97 species. During the same period Hong Kong imported 49,293 birds of 68 species; 20 Mongolian Gerbil; 6,261,645 amphibians of 56 species; and 519,367 reptiles of 184 species from 19 countries directly (excluding China). According to the CITES permits, an additional 14 countries exported wildlife that reached Hong Kong indirectly.¡¡

There is a considerable degree of overlap among the species in the markets/shops and those imported to and (re)exported from Hong Kong (Figure 1). Thus a total of 375 species of birds, 13 species of mammals, 79 species of amphibians and 278 species of reptiles were traded in Southern China from November 1993 to October 1994.¡¡

The numbers of live birds, mammals and snakes imported for food from China to Hong Kong during the study period are listed in Table 1. These data are supplied by the major licensed traders.¡¡

In addition, a small number of species not recorded above were also imported to Hong Kong from China as revealed in the Inspection Reports of Import Control Section (Border Base). The number and species inspected at the China/Hong Kong border crossings are listed in Table 2.

Discussion

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Food Bird Trade¡¡

Birds turning up in the food markets/stalls during the study period mainly belong to the East Asian Ardeidae, Anatidae, Phasianidae, Rallidae and Columbidae with ducks and doves making up the bulk of the number. The majority of them are believed to be from China as indicated by the large volume of food birds coming into Hong Kong from China (Table 1) and the lack of these species in the Hong Kong import data. It is expected that the number sold in South China is much greater than that in Hong Kong or Macao due to the much larger human population in China.¡¡

Uncommon species include Baer's Pochard (Aythya baeri ), Baikal Teal (Anas formosa ) and Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) of which small numbers are for sale. The last species is protected in China but is traded openly in Hong Kong. There is also a small number of Ostrich (Struthio camelus) imported from several African countries to Hong Kong. Most if not all of them are re-exported to China probably for setting up Ostrich-breeding farms. Although no CITES species were found during the market survey, 'Owl' and 'Eagle' have been confiscated at the China/Hong Kong border crossing (Table 2) indicating that these protected species are still being traded illegally. In fact the Raptor Rehabilitation Centre at Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden recieved an Eagle Owl, one Peregrine Falcon, several Collared Scops Owl, and several Blak-eared Kite during the study period.¡¡

Wild ducks, and rails are most abundant and include more species during colder months. This agrees with the Chinese tradition of eating wildlife as 'tonics' in winter. It also corresponds with the arrival of migratory species in Southern China. The import of 'wild ducks' from China to Hong Kong does not show such a trend. Licensed traders in Hong Kong probably include domesticated Mallard and Spot-billed Duck in the 'wild duck' category and mask the real situation. Shop-keepers and hawkers in Hong Kong often claim any non-white duck to be a wild one because it can fetch a higher price than a domesticated one. The Ardeidae seems to have two trade peaks: one in winter involving the most species; and another peak in late spring/early summer involving only resident species in Southern China. A lot of the herons and egrets that turned up in the summer months were fledglings.

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Pet Bird Trade

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The volumne of the cage-bird trade is a much larger and includes a wider variety of bird species. The majority are East Asian and Southeast Asian Passeriformes. Several species of African finches in fairly large number are also traded. There is also a considerable number of exotic parrots from South America, Africa, Western China, Southeast Asia, Australia and even New Zealand. The most popular pet species in Southern China are Hwamei (Garrulax canorus ), Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis ) and Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonica ). Pied Bush Chat (Saxicola caprata ) and Yellow-eyed Canary (Serinus mozambicus) are also very popular in Hong Kong. There is no clear pattern in the trade in cage birds probably because birds are imported from many countries thus masking any individual trend for a particular area. In addition, most cage birds tend to survive relatively well in the shops and would dampen any pattern of seasonality.

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From the trade data kept by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, Hong Kong imported over 49,000 pet birds from Nov. 1993 to Oct. 1994. The majority were passerines, with a small number of parrots and pigeons. The most popular species are Green Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea), various parrots, Leafbirds (Chloropsis spp.), Blue Flycatchers (Cyornis spp.), Magpie Robin, Pied Bushchat, White-crested Laughing Thrush (Garrulax leucolophus), Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa), African Finches (Serinus spp.), Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava) and Munias (Lonchura spp.). Indonesia is the main exporter of pet birds which accounts for 30.9% while Vietnam is second (25.2%) followed by Malaysia (11.9%) (Table 3). The number of birds imported is within the range of previous studies. (Melville, 1982; Nash, 1993). The number of birds imported from Vietnam has risen from 0 in 1979 (Melville 1982) to over 12,000 in 1993/1994. Also there are a lot of African finches (Serinus spp.) coming to Hong Kong from Botswana, Mozambique and Netherlands where trade was minimal or non-existent in 1979 (Melville 1982). Netherlands imports at least some of these birds from African countries and re-exports them to Hong Kong as indicated by a shipment of 500 Serinus mozambicus that was stated to have originated from Guinea.

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During the study period, Hong Kong exported over 470,000 birds to countries in Europe,the Middle East, North America, Southeast Asia and Japan (Table 4). The vast majority were passerines with a small number of parakeets, pigeons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, partridges and even waders. The most commonly traded birds are: Pekin Robin (Leiothrix lutea - 189,138), Black-throated Laughing Thrush (Garrulax chinensis - 69,956), Hwamei (Garrulax canorus - 57,673), Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentaurix - 26,360), and Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonica - 13,325). There are marked differences in the bird preference of various countries. European countries mainly import finches, leiothrixes, Common Skylark (Alauda arvensis), bulbuls, flycatchers, munias, and to a lesser extent robins, chats and thrushes. Indonesia only imports a few species with Black-faced Laughing Thrush, Hwamei and Pekin Robin making the bulk of the trade. Japan mainly imports finches, leiothrixes, tits, flycatchers, Japanese White-eye and buntings. There also seems to be a seasonal trend with more birds being exported from Hong Kong in Spring and Autumn. This may reflect the influx of migratory birds to southern China.

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Melville (1982) and Nash (1993) estimate the minimum number of pet birds exported by China to Hong Kong as the difference between number of birds exported from and number of birds imported to Hong Kong. However, the data in this study show that there is actually limited overlap between the species imported and those exported. The vast majority of the birds exported from Hong Kong actually originate from China. This number falls within the range of 1990 -1992 figures (Nash, 1993) but is much smaller than the number in 1979. As suggested by Nash (1993) this is, in part, probably due to birds being exported directly from China.

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The most frequently traded CITES birds are the parrots. Some of them are captive-bred birds imported from Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Germany and Singapore. There is also a large number of wild-caught parrots shipped to Hong Kong for the pet bird trade. The main exporting countries in parrots are Indonesia, followed by Tanzania and Zaire. The Solomon Islands also exports a small number of parrots through Singapore. Certain rare species are also being traded. One example is Omei Shan Liocichla (Liocichla omeiensis) which is restricted to Omei Shan in Sichuan Province in China. Small number of this species are exported from Hong Kong to Europe.

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This study did not cover the large pet bird market in Guangzhou, only data from a few cage bird stalls in East Gate Market, Shenzhen are available. Although the data are far from representative of the situation in China, they nonetheless provide an indication of the species being traded in Chinese markets. The vast majority of the cage birds for sale in China are Chinese species. Only a handful of exotics such as Fischer's Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri) and Yellow-eyed Canary were seen.

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Mammal Trade

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The mammal trade encountered in this study is principally for food except the Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) imported to Hong Kong from USA. No protected species were found during the visits to the markets/stalls in China, Hong Kong and Macao. The most popular species was Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata ) and it appeared that many of the Masked Palm Civets and Racoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in the markets were bred and raised in farms. They were tame and without apparent injury. However in the summer, only animals with broken legs or feet were observed in the markets indicating that trapping wild mammals for the food trade still occurs. The peak season to consume wild mammals is believed to be in winter as indicated by the much larger numbers of animals encountered November 1993 to January 1994.

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Small numbers of the protected Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang) are confiscated in the China/Hong Kong border crossings (Table 2). The former species is still being served in some wildlife restaurants in Shenzhen (Anon., 1995) indicating a black market still exists for this animal in Southern China. The latter is sold as a pet. In addition, Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis), Slow Loris, Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica) and Fishing Cat (Felis viverrina) were offered in Qingping Market as recent as 1992 (Ades, 1992).

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Since it was impossible to cover all wildlife shops in the region, a common pet animal in Hong Kong, the Siberian Chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), was not recorded in this study but has been seen for sale in other pet shops.

The 'Squirrels' recorded in the Inspection Reports (Table 2) probably belong to this species.

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Food Amphibian Trade

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The amphibian food trade in South China involves mainly three species with Chinese Edible Frog (Rana rugulosa ) being the most popular species consumed. Thousands of individuals of this species can be seen for sale in Qingping market. Over 6 million Chinese Edible Frogs were imported to Hong Kong from Thailand during the study period. The peak period was from August to January when the number of frogs imported more than trebled. It is not clear whether all these frogs are wholly for consumption in Hong Kong or whether some of them are re-exported to China. It seems that all these frogs were collected from the wild as the frog farms in Thailand only raise American Bullfrog ,Rana catesbeiana (T. Hayes, pers. comm.) Since the volume is so large, the impact on the wild population can be significant. Small numbers of American Bullfrog are flown from Brazil to Hong Kong for food. This species was also seen in Qingping Market, Guangzhou and they are probably the 'products' of frog farms which have recently been established in China (Ye, Fei and Hu, 1993). Apparently, no food amphibians are exported from China to Hong Kong ( Table 3).

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The Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus), a CITES I species, is regularly seen in wildlife restaurants in Macao indicating that this protected species is still being traded and eaten.

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Pet Amphibian Trade

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Within South China, the pet amphibian trade seems to exist only in Hong Kong and involves both Chinese and exotic species. Not many Chinese species are traded but they are usually in larger numbers than the exotics. A large varieties of salamanders, newts, toads and frogs from all over the world are imported. The main supplying country is USA. South Korea exported 34,000 Oriental Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina orientalis) to Hong Kong during the study period. Some of them were re-exported to other countries. A small number of frogs were also imported from Malaysia and Madagascar.

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Interestingly Hong Kong exported 9,350 Japanese Fire-bellied Newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster) to Thailand but there were no record of importing this species from Japan during the study period. This was either due to misplaced records or the species was misidentified and is actually Oriental Fire-bellied Newt (C. orientalis) or some other Chinese newt species (Paramesotriton spp.) which is found in China and its importation to Hong Kong requires no permission from the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. Several Chinese amphibians were exported from Hong Kong to European countries and Argentina. There was also one shipment of popular exotic species being re-exported to Indonesia.

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Some popular pet species like the albino Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata ) are undoubtedly captive-bred. Protected species like the Tomato Frog (Dyscophus insularis) and Hong Kong Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis ) have been seen in some shops. Rare species such as the Kweichow Newt (Tylototriton kweichowensis) and Tailang Newt (T. tailangensis), which are protected in China, are being exported through Hong Kong to European countries and Argentina. The Giant Salamander has also been confiscated from a pet shop in Hong Kong (Weldon, 1994) showing that there is a demand for this species as a pet.

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Food Reptile Trade

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Chelonians, snakes, and the Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) are commonly consumed in South China and the trade volume is huge. According to the trade statistics of Hong Kong, from November 1993 to October 1994 Hong Kong is recorded to have imported over 460,000 chelonians from Indonesia, over 110,000 snakes from China and over 36,000 Tokay Geckos from Thailand. Demand in neighbouring southern China is expected to be even higher. Markets in southern China often have thousands of chelonians and snakes for sale. Macao also has a smaller but substantial market. Turtle farms in Southern China may supply a certain number of Chinese Soft-shelled Turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) to the food markets.

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Chelonians found in the markets/stalls in China, Hong Kong and Macao not only include Chinese but also other Asian species. Nearly all Chinese chelonians are involved in the food trade. Very rare species are also collected for food (Zhao et al., 1990) but may not reach South China or were missed in this survey. A wide variety of common terrapins from Southeast Asia together with a few South Asian species can also be found. The most common species found in the markets were: the Three-keeled Pond Terrapin (Mauremys mutica), Malayan Box Terrapin (Cuora amboinensis), Reeves' Terrapin (Chinemys reevesi), Snail-eating Terrapin (Malayemys subtrijuga) and Chinese Soft-shelled Turtle. Since several species occur both in China and Southeast Asian countries, it is not possible to estimate the exact market share of the non-Chinese species. Strict Southeast Asian species comprise more than half of the numbers found in the Chinese markets and the actual percentage of imported chelonians would be higher. The present situation is very different from the trade in Kong Kong reported by Romer in 1978. At that time, Chinese chelonians and one Bangladeshi Soft-shelled Turtle (Aspideretes leithii, called Trionyx leithii by Romer) made up the bulk of the food market. A. leithii was not recorded in the present study because no turtles were imported from Bangladesh to Hong Kong any more.

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Exotic chelonians reach the region via at least three routes. The first route involves Hong Kong as a re-export centre to China. Indonesia exports a large number of chelonians to Hong Kong annually. They consist of only three species with Cartilaginous Soft-shelled Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea) being the most abundant (312,459), followed by Malayan Box Terrapin (Cuora amboinensis - 147,344) and Orange Temple Terrapin (Heosemys grandis - 840). According to the Agriculture and Fisheries officials, 80-90% of these chelonians imported to Hong Kong are for re-export to China while the rest are for local consumption. Smaller numbers of Chinese Soft-shelled Turtle from Vietnam; Common Snapping Terrapin (Chelydra serpentina) and Spiny Soft-shelled Turtle (Apalone spinifera) from USA are also imported to Hong Kong but it is not certain whether any of these are re-exported to China. The second route involves the trade of Southeast Asian chelonians from Vietnam to Guangxi (Jenkins, 1995) ending up in South China including Hong Kong where the demand is highest. The third route involves the South Asian species (Morenia petersi, Geoclemys hamiltoni, Kachuga tecta, Aspideretes hurum, and Lissemys punctata) which are believed to be exported from Bangladesh where chelonians are collected for both domestic consumption and the international trade (Rashid and Swingland, 1990). These chelonians are believed to be transported to China and from there some animals are re-exported to Hong Kong as there is no record of these species coming to Hong Kong directly from South Asian countries.¡¡

A considerable number of CITES Appendix I species enter the trade in South China. They include: Indian Roofed Terrapin (K. tecta), Indian Peacock Soft-shelled Turtle (A. hurum), Indian Flap-shelled Turtle (L. punctata), Black Pond Terrapin (G. hamiltoni) and Burmese Peacock Terrapin (Morenia ocellata). The last species is restricted to southern Burma (Iverson 1992) and one specimen was found in Qingping Market. The Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) and Angled-shelled Tortoise (Manouria impressa) are listed in CITES Appendix II and are commonly traded in China. The White-fronted Box Terrapin (Cistoclemmys galbinifrons), which is restricted to Hainan Island, Guangxi and Vietnam, is another rare species being traded in good numbers.

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A clear seasonal trend is exhibited by the import of chelonians from Indonesia to Hong Kong. Cartilaginous Soft-shelled Turtles show a distinct peak in winter similar to other wildlife which are eaten as 'tonics'. The import of Malayan Box Terrapin only starts in February 1994. The number traded increased from 300 in the first month to around 30,000 per month in the last three months of this study. Another hard-shelled terrapin, Orange-headed Temple Terrapin (Heosemys grandis), only appeared in the trade in October 1994. Another dramatic trend is the increase in the amount of food chelonians imported in the past few years (Figure 8). In 1977, 139,200 kg. of food chelonians was imported to Hong Kong (Romer, 1978) . In 1991, 110,574 kg. of food chelonians was imported and rose to 680,582 kg in 1993. In the first ten months of 1994, a record high of 1,800,024 kg. of animals was imported.¡¡

Tokay Geckos imported to Hong Kong from Thailand also show a seasonal trend with no trade from May to August. It is not known whether any of these animals are re-exported to China.¡¡

The trade in food snakes comprised less than twenty large Chinese species. The most common food species were: Black-browed Racer (Elaphe taeniura), Indochinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros) and Chinese Cobra (Naja naja). In Chinese markets, Common Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosus), Chinese Water Snake (Enhydris chinensis) and Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) were also present in large numbers. The species traded are similar to those in Romer's account in 1979. However, Copperhead Racer (Elaphe radiata) was uncommon in the markets in the present study but was the third most common species recorded in Hong Kong market by Romer. The total trade volume in Hong Kong seems to have plummeted from about 500,000 snakes (Romer 1979) to just over 83,000 snakes during the twelve months under study. This is probably due to the much greater demand in China and the reduction in consumption in Hong Kong. Also the absence of Common Rat Snake in the snake shops in Hong Kong is probably due to the import of frozen snake meat as substitute due to this species being listed under CITES and becoming protected in Hong Kong. In addition, there were apparently no food snakes imported from countries other than China. The trade in food snakes is very seasonal with a sharp peak in winter.

¡¡

Pet Reptile Trade

¡¡

Similar to the pet amphibian trade, the pet reptile trade in South China seems to be present only in Hong Kong. No seasonal trend is apparent.¡¡

Many Chinese and Southeast Asian chelonians are available in the pet shops. Species overlap extensively with the food trade. Small terrapins tending to be sold as pets while large ones sold for food. A wide variety of chelonians from Americas, Africa, Oceania and other parts of Asia were also available. The baby terrapins of several species of North American chelonians and Reeves Terrapin (Chinemys reevesi) are probably bred in farms.

¡¡

Quite a substantial number of Chinese/Southeast Asian terrapins are exported to Europe from Hong Kong. There was also one shipment of reptiles (chelonians, lizards and a few snakes) comprising common pet species from Hong Kong to Indonesia indicating that there is a market for pet reptiles in Indonesia. The majority of pet chelonians imported to Hong Kong are North American species from USA.

¡¡

CITES I species in the trade include: Black Pond Terrapin and Indian Flap-shelled Turtle in common with the food trade. A few species of tortoise, all of them on CITES II, are also traded. They are: Horsfield's Tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldi) originating from Russia and imported from USA; Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) and Angled-shelled Tortoise (Manouria impressa) from Southern China/Southeast Asia; Red-footed Tortoise (Chelonoides carbonaria) and Yellow-footed Tortoise (C. denticulata) which originate from Suriname and are imported from USA; Leopard Tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) which originates from Mozambique and is imported from USA; Starred Tortoise (G. elegans); Spurred Tortoise (G. sulcata) which originates from Sudan and is imported from USA and the African Hinge-backed Tortoise (Kinixys belliana). Some of the protected tortoises that appear in the pet shops have no CITES permits as indicated by the recent raid by Agriculture and Fisheries Department (Weldon, 1994). Other rare species in the pet trade include: New Guinea Soft-shelled Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) originating from Oceania and is imported from Malaysia; Pan's Box Terrapin (Cuora pani) and Yunnan Box Terrapin (C. yunnanensis) which are endemic to China (Zhou and Adler 1993) and are exported to Europe via Hong Kong. The latter is protected in China.

¡¡

A wide variety of lizards from all over the world are available in the pet shops in Hong Kong. The most common species are Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) and Brown Anole (A. sagrei) from North/Central America, Common Iguana (Iguana iguana) from Central America; and Green Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) from China and Vietnam. A small number of popular pet species are probably captive-bred (i.e. Leopard Gecko, Eublepharis macularis¡¡and Casque-headed Chameleon, Chamaeleo calyptratus) but the vast majority are believed to be caught in the wild.

¡¡

Hong Kong imports most of the pet lizards from USA. A few species of Southeast Asian lizards are also imported from Indonesia and Malaysia. Hong Kong re-exports Green Water Dragon and several Asian agamids to Europe.

¡¡

CITES II lizards are commonly found in pet shops in Hong Kong. The following are imported from USA: various Day Geckoes (genus Phelsuma ) from Madagascar; a large variety of Chameleons (genera Chameleo and Brookesia) from Madagascar, Tanzania, Togo, Yemen and Cameroon, ; Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) from Togo; Solomon's Tree Skinks (Corucia zebrata) from the Solomon Islands; Black Tegus (Tupinambis teguixin) from Colombia; and Common Iguana from Suriname, El Salvador, Colombia and Guatemala. Several of these protected lizards were re-exported to Indonesia. There is also a health certificate issued for 2 Green Tree Monitors (Varanus prasinus) to be exported to Indonesia. Other protected species which turned up in the market included: CITES I Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) and Yellow-headed Monitor (Varanus bengalensis) and CITES II Rough-necked Monitor (V. rudicollis).

¡¡

Lizards are also imported to serve as food for birds. The species concerned is the Grass Lizard (Takydromus sexlineatus) which appears in the cage bird stalls during the winter.

¡¡

A variety of snakes are for sale in pet shops in Hong Kong. Nearly all of them are either Asian or American species. A certain portion of the trade consists of captive-bred animals like the many varieties of King Snake (Lampropeltis getulus ) and Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata ). Others are believed to be collected from the wild. This trade does not seem to have a seasonal pattern.

¡¡

The main exporters of pet snakes to Hong Kong are USA, China and Indonesia. A small number are also imported from Malaysia. Chinese species are re-exported from Hong Kong to European countries. As mentioned above, some exotic pet snakes are re-exported to Indonesia.

¡¡

CITES listed species such as the pythons (genus Python) and boas (genera Boa, Eryx, Epicrates) are often for sale. Apparently most of them were not imported to Hong Kong legally and hence their records were missing from the Agriculture and Fisheries Department CITES database.

Overview and Recommendations

¡¡

The trade in wildlife in South China involves many different species from all over the world and the total volume is very large. The region plays a multiple role as consumer, supplier and transit centre. In general, the species traded overlap fairly extensively with those in the past for which data are available. Recently, particularly in the pet trade, considerable numbers of new species have started appearing. The food trade normally concentrate on particular species or particular groups and it often shows a peak in winter. Most of the wildlife consumed are Chinese or Asian species imported from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. The wildlfie traded for food in South China are seldom exported to other countries.

¡¡

The pet trade involves a far greater number of species from all over the world. Cage birds are popular in Southern China while pet reptiles and amphibians seem to have a sizable market only in Hong Kong. Chinese species are traded locally or exported to other countries (mainly Europe, Indonesia and Japan). Exotic species are commonly imported to satisfy the demand in the region. Cage birds are imported mainly from Indonesia and Vietnam, while most of the pet reptiles and amphibians are imported from USA.

¡¡

Protected and rare species, especially little-known groups such as terrapins, are not uncommon in the trade. Most of them are present in the pet trade, some legally and some illegally. The consumption of protected species seems to be on-going in Southern China and Macao. Although the situation appears to have improved in that no protected birds and mammals were recorded during the numerous visits to markets, shops and restaurants in the region, the black market still exists and protected species are still confiscated rather regularly by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department in Hong Kong.¡¡

With the exception of the cage bird trade, there is very little information about the wildlife trade in South China. Long-term monitoring of the trade is therefore highly recommended. A monthly or even bi-monthly survey in Guangzhou (Qingping Market and Cage Bird Market), Shenzhen (East Gate Market), Macao (wildlife restaurants) and Hong Kong (Bird Street, Tung Choi Street, Ap Liu Street and Fife Street) would provide a very useful insight into market trade in South China. Any change in the species composition and/or volume could also be detected promptly.

¡¡

Trade data kept by Agriculture and Fisheries Department are extremely useful in analyzing wildlife trade between the region and other countries. Trade in CITES species and import data are already stored in computer and make access very easy. The usefulness of the import data could be greatly enhanced if individual species could be recorded rather than lumped into groups. Also numbers of animals are more meaningful ecologically than weight, so this resolution of information should be stored in the database. It would make future studies of the wildlife trade a lot simpler if the export data were also put into the computer.

¡¡

The most worrying trend observed during the study was in the food chelonian trade. In the late 1970's the hard-shelled chelonian trade was dominated by Chinese species. Now there are more Southeast Asian species for sale than Chinese ones. The import of food chelonians from outside countries has increased more than ten fold since 1977. This reflects an increase in demand in Southern China and the depletion of Chinese chelonians in the wild. Chelonians are long-lived animals and have low fecundity. Large species take a long time to mature while smaller species produce very few eggs (Obst 1986). They are especially vulnerable to un-controlled extended exploitation. Over-exploitation together with habitat destruction are likely to have caused the decline in the Chinese chelonian populations. Similar decline in populations of some Southeast Asian chelonian species is also observed (Jenkins, 1995). If the present trend carries on, the same will happen to all species in the region in the near future. There is an urgent need to conduct field studies on this group in China and Southeast Asia to determine their population density and distribution; and to monitor the impact of trade on them.¡¡

The illegal trade in wildlife, particularly chelonians, is widespread in the region. Better enforcement by local authorities is needed to stop this and curb the black market in threatened and endangered species. Effective enforcement is only possible in this part of the world through adequate training of the officials concerned. An illustrated manual covering all the locally protected speices and the commonly traded CITES species would be very useful to the customs officials.

¡¡

Information on wildlife farms in the region is scanty. Better knowledge on the species and numbers being raised would be useful in determining the level of harvesting actually sustained by the captive population. Information should also be sought regarding whether these farms are self-sustained or whether animals are collected in the wild regularly to replenish the stock.

¡¡

Commercial captive-breeding of heavily-traded local species should be encouraged to reduce the damage inflicted on wild populations, which could eventually be depleted. Three-banded Box Terrapin (Cuora trifasciata) would be an example species for captive breeding since it is hardy and is expensive.¡¡

International trade controls in certain threatened species should be reviewed. The recommendation by Jenkins (1995) to include Malayan Box Terrapin, Three-banded Box Terrapin and some or all of the soft-shelled turtles (family Trionychidae) in the CITES Appendices should be duly considered.¡¡

Acknowledgements¡¡

The authors are grateful to Jennifer Lai, Paul Leader and Graham Reels for assistance in gathering data in the market survey. Thanks are also due to David Dudgeon, John Fellowes, John MacKinnon and David Melville for reviewing the first draft. Finally the authors wish to express our gratitude to the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries Department (Hong Kong) and his staff, especially to Dr. Bousfield, for permitting assess to wildlife trade records.

Literature Cited¡¡

Ades, G. 1992 The Qingping Report. Porcupine! 3: 3.
Anon. 1987 Bird exports could affect ecology. South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, 11 May 1987.
Anon. 1995 Pangolin and Giant Salamander still being eaten in Shenzhen restaurants. Ming Pao, Hong Kong, 8 January 1995 (in Chinese).
Chen, K.S., Chen, W., Wang, G.K. and Huo, C.Y. 1991 Chinese Freshwater Fish Menu. Chinese Business Publication, Beijing (in Chinese).
Iverson, J.B. 1992 A Revised Checklist with Distribution Maps of the Turtles of the World. Privately Printed, Richmond, Indiana.
Jenkins, M.D. 1995 Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles: The Trade in Southeast Asia. A Traffic Network Report, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Selangor Malaysia.
Layton, L. 1991 Songbirds in Singapore. Oxford University Press, Singapore.
Martin, E.B. and Martin, C.B. 1982 Run Rhino Run. Chatto & Windus, London.
Melville, D.S. 1982 A preliminary survey of the bird trade in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Bird Report 1980: 55-102.
Nash, S.V. 1993 Sold for a Song: the Trade in Southeast Asian Non-CITES Birds. Traffic International, Cambridbe.
Obst, F.J. 1986 Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins. Macmillan Company of Australia Pty. Ltd., Melbourne.
Rashid, S.M.A. and Swingland, I.R. 1990 Interim report on the freshwater turtle trade in Bangladesh. Asiatic Herp. Res., 3: 123-128.
Romer, J.D. 1978 Annotated checklist with keys to the chelonians of Hong Kong. Mem. Hong Kong Nat. Hist. Soc., 12: 1-10.
Romer, J.D. 1979 Annotated checklist with keys to the snakes of Hong Kong. Mem. Hong Kong Nat. Hist. Soc., 14: 1-23.
Weldon, S. 1994 Raid nets dozens of protected creatures. Hong Kong Standard, Hong Kong, 26 October 1994.
Ye, C., Fei, L. and Hu, S. 1993 Rare and Economic Amphibians of China. Sichuan Publishing House of Science & Technology, Chengdu.
Zhang, Y.X. 1987 Threats and conservation of Crocodile Lizard in Yiu Shan. Great Nature, 4:18-19.
Zhao, E. and Adler, K. 1993 Herpetology of China. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Repeiles, Oxford, Ohio.
Zhao, E., Zhou, T. and Ye, P. 1990 A new Chinese Box Turtle (Testudinata: Emydidae) - Cuora zhoui, p.213-216. In Zhao E. (ed.), From Water onto Land. China Forestry Press, Beijing (in Chinese with English abstract).

Table 1 The numbers of live birds, mammals and snakes imported for food from China to Hong Kong

Table 2 The number and species inspected at the China/Hong Kong border crossings

Table 3 Birds Imported into Hong Kong (AFD trade data, Nov. 1993 - Oct. 1994)

Country of Origin¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Number of Birds ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡% Total
Indonesia (Indon.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡15,149 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡30.9%
Vietnam (Vietn.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡12,390¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡25.2%
Malaysia (Malay.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡5,822 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡11.9%
Netherlands (Nethe.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡5,572 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡11.4%
Mozambique (Mozam.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡4,617 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡9.4%
Botswana (Botsw.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡3,300 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡6.7%
Singapore (Singa.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡857 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡1.7%
Taiwan ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡610¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡1.2%
Germany (Germa.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡308 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.7%
Belgium (Belgi.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡180¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.4%
Thailand (Thail.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡165 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.4%
Bophuthatatswana (Bophu.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡108 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.3%
Tanzania (Tanza.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡104¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.3%
China ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡48 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.1%
South Africa (S.Afri.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡40¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.1%
Total ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡41,106

Table 4 Birds Exported from Hong Kong (AFD trade data, Nov. 1993 - Oct. 1994)

Country of Destination ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Number of Birds ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡% Total
Indonesia (Indon.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡174,523 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡36.8%
Italy ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡128,653 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡27.1%
France ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡47,296 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡10.0%
Japan ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡36,921 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡7.8%
Portugal (Portu.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡23,784 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡5.0%
Netherlands (Nethe.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡13,604 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡2.9%
Belgium (Belgi.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡13,188 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡2.8%
Malaysia (Malay.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡9,284¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡2.0%
Thailand (Thail.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡6,930 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡1.5%
Saudi Arabia (Sau.Ar.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡4,004 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.8%
South Africa (S.Afri.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡3,437 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.7%
Kuwait ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡3,311¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.7%
Germany (Germa.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡3,035 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ 0.6%
Singapore (Singa.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡2,740 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.6%
USA ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡1,255 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.3%
Vietnam (Vietn.) ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡1,227¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.3%
Brunei ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡785¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.2%
Canada ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡12 ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡0.0%
Total ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡473,989