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Wildlife smuggling in New Zealand

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The jewelled gecko, Naultinus gemmeus, has been a target for wildlife smugglers.

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.

In 1997 over 600 Australian birds were being smuggled through New Zealand destined for Europe, the United States, and Japan.[2]

Notable prosecutions

Prosecutions from smuggling wildlife can be made under the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989. Some prosecutions for attempted smuggling include:

  • In 1993 a light plane was used to smuggle 31 Australian birds, including two cockatoo species, into New Zealand. In "Operation Icarus" the police made a number of arrests with the eventual conviction of six people in New Zealand and another six in Australia.[2]
  • Freddie Angell was a recidivist wildlife smuggler who spent four years in jail for wildlife smuggling.[3]
  • A German tourist was fined $12,000 for attempting to smuggle Northland green geckos out of the country in his underwear.[4]
  • Two Czech botanists were convicted in 2004 of attempting to smuggle 363 wild plants, including 93 endemic orchids.[5]
  • 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.[6]
  • 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.[7]
  • Two Germans were jailed for four and a half months in March 2011 for attempting to smuggle jewelled geckos out of the country,[8] and in May 2012 a German man was jailed for 16 weeks after being found guilty of hunting and possessing four jewelled geckos.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Multi-agency effort to catch wildlife criminals
  2. ^ a b TRAFFIC Oceania (April 1997). Trade in CITES-Listed Birds to and from New Zealand (PDF). Traffic Oceania. ISBN 9780958700818. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  3. ^ The Hidden World of Smuggling
  4. ^ "Convicted Gecko smuggler gets [sic - error in title on source page]". New Zealand Government. 1 February 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  5. ^ "TRAFFIC Bulletin Vol. 20 No. 1 (2004)" (PDF). TRAFFIC. 2004. p. 28. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  6. ^ "Tourist caught smuggling wildlife in underwear". New Zealand Customs Service. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  7. ^ Eriksen, Alanah May (30 June 2010). "Thousands for stolen geckos on European black market". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  8. ^ Fox, Rebecca (7 May 2011). "Time to hit smugglers". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  9. ^ Clarkson, David. "Andreas Hahn Pleads Guilty To Gecko Charges". The Press. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
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