CITES: 'Charge traders of baby gorillas'

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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/10/20/nation/hrlimbe & sec=nat

ion

 

Sunday, October 20, 2002

‘Charge traders of baby gorillas’

 

By HILARY CHIEW

 

PETALING JAYA: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

(CITES) secretariat is urging the Government to prosecute those responsible

for facilitating the trade of four baby gorillas between Malaysia and

Nigeria.

 

“At the early stage, (we) encouraged Malaysia and Nigeria to conduct

investigations with a view to prosecute anyone found to have violated their

national laws relating to the implementation of CITES and other relevant

legislation. We continue to do so,” said senior enforcement officer John

Sellar from the secretariat’s legislation and compliance unit.

 

“The information that the secretariat possesses provides reasonable grounds

to suspect that such violations are likely to have occurred in both

countries.

 

“We have been advised by Malaysia and Nigeria that they are attempting to

gather evidence of such violations and to identify those responsible,” he

said.

 

He said the secretariat would continue to help in the investigation and

intended to monitor its progress although it had no authority to compel any

parties to take any action.

 

Malaysia and Nigeria are parties to the inter-governmental treaties designed

to manage trade of wild flora and fauna sustainably.

 

However, Sellar stressed that there were certain obligations that applied to

all signatories, particularly in penalising trade that violated the

convention and seized specimens traded, adding that Malaysia and Nigeria

were well aware of their duties.

 

“Malaysia has responded to requests by the secretariat and to advice we have

offered. We have no reason to think that it will not continue to do so,”

said Sellar in an e-mail interview recently.

 

On the next course of action, he said the secretariat was discussing with

the CITES Management Authority of Malaysia, which is the Wildlife and

National Park Department, on what might be best for the future of the

gorillas where advice was being sought from a number of experts.

 

“We do not believe it is appropriate at this time to discuss any ‘terms’

relating to their future,” he said when referring to one of the three

proposals by the Malaysian Government which suggested an agreement with the

selected breeding facility to share the offspring of the four in future.

 

“Our focus is upon finding a suitable facility to accept the animals as soon

as it is practical and acceptable (to do so).”

 

The secretariat’s initial investigation had confirmed that the animals were

smuggled out of Nigeria on falsified documentation.

 

He pointed out that it was inappropriate to speculate on the gorillas’

country of origin while investigations had yet to be completed.

 

“This does, however, make identifying a suitable facility to receive the

animals more complicated,” he added.