North Korea's wildlife trade targets endangered animals

Illegal wildlife trade in North Korea is a shadowy yet thriving enterprise. Beneath the state’s stringent regulatory framework, a dark undercurrent flows – one where endangered species become mere commodities.

This silent crisis has been investigated by experts at University College London (UCL). The research reveals the stark reality of a nation where economic desperation and government complicity intertwine to ravage biodiversity.

The study is the first in-depth examination of North Korea’s wildlife trade. Researchers interviewed defectors, including former hunters, middlemen, and buyers, exposing a network of illegal trade that stretches from the country’s dense forests to the bustling markets of China.

The findings are chilling: endangered species are being hunted, skinned, and sold while the state profits from their suffering.

The rise of black markets

The collapse of North Korea’s economy in the 1990s reshaped the country’s social and economic fabric. A once-centralized distribution system crumbled, pushing citizens into the shadows of the black market.

Food shortages forced families to fend for themselves, and in the absence of state support, wildlife became both a lifeline and a lucrative trade.

Hunting, a desperate act of survival, turned into a thriving underground economy. Deer, wild boar, and red fox became prime targets, not just for their meat but for their skins and bones. These products were not only consumed locally but also sold to middlemen, who then smuggled them across the border to China.

Dr. Joshua Elves-Powell, the study’s lead author, connects economic hardship to the surge in wildlife exploitation.

“The widespread harvesting of North Korea’s wildlife, driven by the economic limitations of the North Korean state and the shortages of food, medicine and basic goods experienced by many of its citizens, is an important threat to the biodiversity of North Korea and the wider region,” he said.

China’s role in the wildlife trade

Wildlife trade in North Korea doesn’t end within its borders. China has become a voracious consumer of North Korean wildlife products.

The study reveals that middlemen capitalize on economic desperation, offering substantial sums for tiger bones, bear bile, and deer antlers.

One former hunter, now a defector, described how deer antlers from large stags could fetch a price that would sustain a family for months. Some antlers, smuggled into China, were ground into medicinal powders and sold as luxury health supplements.

The study also exposes the intricate network of middlemen who facilitate this trade. These brokers navigate a labyrinth of border patrols and bribes, disguising wildlife products as everyday goods.

Despite international sanctions, the illicit flow of animal products continues, driven by insatiable demand and unchecked corruption.

State-sanctioned wildlife exploitation

North Korea’s wildlife trade laws ostensibly protect endangered species. Yet the state itself is a key player in the trade of protected animals.

The study uncovers how government-run farms raise otters, pheasants, and Asiatic black bears, ostensibly for domestic consumption but ultimately to fuel the black market.

Bear bile farming, a practice condemned globally for its cruelty, continues unabated. North Korea began farming bears in the 1970s, a practice that later spread to China and South Korea. Despite mounting international pressure, the country persists, extracting bile to supply a market that prizes its medicinal properties.

One defector recounted how households were forced to submit animal skins to meet state quotas. Failure to comply could result in severe repercussions. Even children were tasked with raising rabbits, their skins later harvested to produce winter clothing for the military.

Traditional medicine drives wildlife exploitation

Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) reveres wildlife products for their supposed healing properties. In North Korea, the use of deer antlers, bear bile, and badger oil extends beyond folklore. It is an industry that thrives amid scarcity and desperation.

Participants in the study reported that deer antlers, once reserved for high-ranking officials, are now sold to the highest bidder. Smuggled antlers are processed into powders and pills, marketed as potent health supplements in China.

The trade in badger oil, used to treat ailments ranging from skin conditions to joint pain, is another thriving enterprise. Asian badgers, once common, have become targets of relentless hunting.

One participant described how wildlife like badgers were captured, killed, and traded for their oil, the resulting product sold as a cure-all in local markets.

North Korea’s vanishing wildlife

In North Korea, the sable is a creature of myth and memory. Once abundant in the country’s forests, this small carnivore is now all but extinct.

The study details how sable skins, once a common sight in markets, have become so rare that traders refer to them as “ghost pelts.” The report paints a grim picture of a species driven to the brink by relentless hunting.

Sables, valued for their luxurious fur, were trapped, skinned, and smuggled into China, where their pelts fetched exorbitant prices. The trade was so lucrative that some hunters risked their lives crossing frozen rivers to transport their illegal haul.

Amur tigers and leopards face a similar fate. Their skins, bones, and claws are traded as status symbols, used in traditional medicine or displayed as trophies. One defector recounted how a single tiger pelt could fetch a price that would feed a family for a year.

The dark side of wildlife breeding

Wildlife farms in North Korea are a paradox — legal yet inherently cruel. Bears are caged for bile extraction, otters are bred for their pelts, and deer are farmed for their antlers.

The study highlights how these state-run farms operate under a thin veneer of legality. While their stated purpose is to provide a sustainable source of animal products, in reality, they supply a black market that thrives on animal suffering.

Coypu, a non-native species introduced for its fur, now roams the countryside, an invasive consequence of escaped farm stock. Meanwhile, rabbits, raised under Kim Il Sung’s directives, are now a staple in state-run farms.

One defector described how children in schools were tasked with raising rabbits, their skins later collected by government officials. The meat, considered a “gift” from the state, was a rare protein source in a country where food is perpetually scarce.

Wildlife trade threatens biodiversity

The consequences of North Korea’s wildlife trade extend beyond its borders. Amur tigers, rebounding in parts of China, risk being poached if they cross into North Korea.

Deer populations, already decimated, may soon disappear entirely. Dr. Elves-Powell emphasized the need for regional cooperation.

“China can counter this threat by continuing to reduce domestic demand for illegal wildlife and putting diplomatic pressure on its economically dependent neighbour to disengage from state-sanctioned illegal wildlife trade,” he stated.

China’s role is pivotal. Despite being a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the country remains a major market for North Korean wildlife products.

Strengthening border controls and enforcing stricter penalties for smugglers could significantly curb the flow of illicit goods.

Wildlife trade and protection laws

The study concludes with urgent recommendations for North Korea and its neighbors. First, the researchers call for immediate enforcement of existing wildlife protection laws, targeting both state-run farms and private traders.

Second, they advocate for a total ban on bear bile farming, a practice that has been condemned by conservationists for decades. North Korea’s continued participation in this trade not only endangers its bear populations but also tarnishes its international reputation.

Third, the study recommends that China strengthen its efforts to curb demand for illegal wildlife products. Without a crackdown on black market networks, North Korea’s endangered species will continue to vanish, one animal at a time.

Finally, the report emphasizes the need for international pressure. Diplomatic efforts, coupled with targeted sanctions, could compel North Korea to curb its exploitation of wildlife. Yet, as long as economic desperation persists, the allure of quick profits from animal products may prove too strong to resist.

In a land where economic hardship, cultural tradition, and state control converge, North Korea’s wildlife is running out of time. The silent extinction continues, unnoticed, unchecked, and utterly devastating.

The study is published in the journal Biological Conservation.

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