Wildlife smuggling in New Zealand
New Zealand has a number of rare and endangered species and there have been cases of wildlife smuggling.
The Wildlife Enforcement Group, a group of three government departments, collectively investigate smuggling to and from New Zealand. The three agencies are the New Zealand Customs Service, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Department of Conservation.[1]
New Zealand is a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) which was set up to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES is administered by the Department of Conservation.
Prosecutions
Prosecutions from smuggling wildlife can be made under the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989. Some prosecutions for attempted smuggling include:
- Freddie Angell was a recidivist wildlife smuggler who spent four years in jail for wildlife smuggling.[2]
- Two Czech botanists were convicted in 2004 of attempting to smuggle 363 wild plants, including 93 endemic orchids.[4]
- In January 2010 a German man who tried to smuggle 44 live geckos and skinks out of the country in his underwear was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail. He was caught trying to board a flight at Christchurch Airport with the animals.[5]
- In March 2010 two people were jailed for 18 weeks after taking jewelled geckos from the Otago Peninsula. They were arrested after a German man was found in Christchurch with 16 geckos in tubes in his backpack. He was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison.[6]
- Two Germans were jailed for four and a half months in March 2011 for attempting to smuggle jewelled geckos out of the country.[7]
See also
References
External links