SARCA
SOUTHEAST ASIAN REPTILE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

Further recognizing the need of buyers and wider stakeholders to have traceability in their reptile skin supply chains, SARCA  has built a tag traceability system leveraging new technology and the SARCA monitoring application, to provide industry-wide chain-of-custody. SARCA has a prototype tag that, through a barcode and QR scanning system, can provide traceability from point of capture by hunters through to tanning and the final skin buyer.

 

Each step of the supply chain can be documented by the SARCA monitoring application, with a system that allows for large amounts of metadata to be collected at each stage. The system records all hands through which an animal or skin passes and records data such as biological attributes of the animals, the name of the harvester and region of capture, and a large amount of other critical data. SARCA is completing a pilot of the tag transparency system in Malaysia in 2021, to prove the concept with a large sample of skins.

 

Combining the tag traceability system with performance against the Responsible Reptile Sourcing Standard provides a potentially powerful and value-add tool to further enhance the sustainability credentials of the trade.  SARCA is investigating an industry approach to funding and managing such as system to ensure that the full array of industry players in production countries stand to benefit, thereby maintaining the livelihood and conservation benefits of trade.

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