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Archived FotoFreo 2006 webpage. See also the FotoFreo 2008 website.
BLACK MARKET
2006 Festival Photographer: Patrick Brown
Project Outline
Black Market
From the pristine jungles of Cambodia to the great national parks of India and Nepal,
Asian wildlife is being plundered and trafficked on an unprecedented scale.
Booming markets created by globalisation and the ease of smuggling has boosted this trade
to new and uncontrollable levels. It is estimated that wildlife traders export
25,000-30,000 primates every year - along with 2-5 million birds, 10 million reptile
skins, and more than 500 million tropical fish.
 The exploitation of wildlife is
centuries old. Thirteenth-century Cambodia boasted thriving markets for tigers, panthers,
bears, wild boars, stags and gibbons. China has long pillaged the animal world for its
supposed medicinal benefits, and today remains one of the trade’s biggest players.
With the arrival in Asia of European colonialists, and soaring demand from Japan, Taiwan
and South Korea, the killing rose to the record levels we see today.
Some animal parts have been embued with near-magical properties. Superstitious Chinese
believe eating the flesh of a tiger will give them some of the animal’s strength,
while tiger’s penis is highly prized as an aphrodisiac. Countless other animal
parts--rhinocerous horn, shark fin, bear gall bladder, monkey brain--have been credited
with similar potency. Scientific studies have proved these beliefs wrong, yet the trade of
animals continues largely unchecked, fueled by ignorance, greed and corruption.
The animal trade is now so large it could have irrevocable consequences for life on our
planet. More and more species now stand at the verge of extinction. The disappearance of
key animals such as tigers disrupts the food chain, which in turn affects the balance of
nature. In India, environmental abuse and the annihilation of animal life has turned lush
jungles into empty deserts. Similar nightmare scenarios are being played out across the
globe.
Attempts to halt the animal trade have so far been too little, too late. One big problem
is catching the traders, many of whom are known to anti-trafficking authorities, but who
operate unhindered due to official corruption and inertia. Small-time operators - usually
impoverished locals forced into poaching and trading animals on the black market - are
caught and jailed, but the powerful traders remain at large.
The problem seems insurmountable. But one way of curbing this rampant killing is to
educate future generations. We must remove antiquated and false beliefs about the potency
of animal parts, thereby decreasing the demand for them. Remove the consumer, and we are
one step closer to halting this destructive and unnecessary trade.
Patrick Brown, Bangkok January 2004
PROJECT OUTLINE
"I was first asked to get involved with the "Black Market" project over two
years ago, by the project manger Adam Oswell. I had very little understanding of how big
the problem was and how desperate the situation is until I began to research the subject.
The "Black Market" project aims to bring awareness to the issue of the illegal
animal trade, it is a global issue occurring at a local level, that if not addressed by
the highest levels of governments worldwide, will be irreversible. The US Congress
believes the illegal animal trade sits between human trafficking and the illegal drug
trade in terms of size, but no one truly knows how widespread the trade is. It is a story
that is not highlighted often enough, especially from Asia where the majority of the trade
occurs.
"Working on this project naturally made me angry and outraged. Though, more often
than not, I would end up feeling sad and frustrated. The wildlife trafficking business is
huge, but only the ignorant and often desperate poachers get caught; some even get the
death penalty. But the big boys, the wealthy traders in control, never get busted. The
world is only just beginning to realise how much these people have plundered our
planet’s natural wealth, and how in many cases the damage is irreversible.
"Working closely with wildlife and environmental organizations I was able to get
access and information essential in illustrating the primary and mostly unseen aspects of
the animal trade. Through the help of these people I came to realize that the black market
trade is incredibly huge and very well organized. This really struck me at Bangkok
airport, where I photographed the interception of over 500 pangolin, or scaly anteaters.
Each was smuggled in a specially designed case so that it wouldn’t die in transit.
This was so the pangolins could be boiled alive in oil upon arrival at restaurants in
China. In Vietnam, too, the size of the bear farm industry appalled me. One farm I visited
had 290 bears, six of which were "milked" for bile every day. The place made
hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
"I feel that, so far, the work I have done on this project has only barely scratched
the surface. Many other aspects will need to be covered to give a broader understanding of
the issue, including a closer look at the world of the consumers, focusing on China,
Taiwan and Japan. Other major smuggling routes also need to be covered, including Tibet
and Mongolia. Due to the lack of coverage of this issue and the undeniably vital attention
it needs, I feel a continuation of this project may help to bring about some increase in
the awareness of the existing problems."
Patrick Brown
Exhibition showing at the Fremantle Prison, March 25 - April 25
Open Daily, 10am - 5pm
051111
Archived FotoFreo 2006 webpage. See also the FotoFreo 2008 website.
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