Fw: Nigeria ban lifted, but when and why?

[Guest guest]

Apologies for multiple postings, but I'm hoping to get some answers by

asking the largest audience possible:

 

I've met with a wall of silence from people at CITES and WAZA, especially

when asking about some curious things found by a professional reporter for

an internationally acclaimed media source.

 

Since no one there has answered, I'm putting this out publicly to see if

anyone out there can help explain WHY/WHEN a ban on Nigeria was lifted, just

in time for the Taiping 4 gorillas to be moved.

 

Specifically, the following email from Dr. Shirley McGreal, outlines the

question no one wants to acknowledge, let alone answer. Thanks for any

input/ideas. Jane

 

 

> Can anyone clarify the status of the CITES Notification 573? This

> notification, reproduced below, was printed on CITES letterhead way back

on

> 30 April 1990. It was listed as being in force on 6 February 2001. See

> http://www.cites.org/eng/notifs/2001/001A.pdf.

>

> However, it now listed as " invalid. " See

> http://cites.org/eng/notifs/all95-90.shtml

>

> IPPL would like clarification on when this notification was withdrawn, and

> whether it was still in force in January 2002 when four infant gorillas

> were exported from Ibadan Zoo, Nigeria, to Taiping Zoo, Malaysia, on

> fraudulent documentation as described in the notification. Further, a baby

> gorilla and baby chimpanzee smuggled from Lagos Airport, Nigeria, to Egypt

> were drowned in a vat of chemicals on 17 September 2001 and we would like

> to know if it was in effect at that time. Both crimes were marked by the

> characteristics referred to in the original notification (e.g. fraudulent

> documents).

>

> IPPL would like to know when, and why, the notification was withdrawn

since

> Nigeria has continued uninterrupted its predatory wildlife trafficking for

> so many years, at least until IPPL uncovered the " Taiping Four " case and

> brought it to world attention. IPPL has as yet been unable to obtain a

> response to enquiries to the secretariat.

>

> If the notification was in effect in January 2002, IPPL would like to know

> 1) whether Malaysia informed the Secretariat that it was considering an

> application to import an Appendix I species, and 2) if so, what the

> Secretariat's response was. Did it advise against issuance of permit or b)

> endorse issuance of permit (obviously highly unlikely). IF Malaysia failed

> to pre-clear the Taiping Four deal with the Secretariat while a

> notification was in effect, this would make Malaysia as culpable as

Nigeria.

>

> Ideally, we would like to see a Freedom of Information Act in every

country

> of the world and in all United Nations agencies!

>

> ============ Text of Notification 573 ===========

>

> http://www.cites.org/common/notifs/1990/573.pdf

>

> Notification to the Parties no. 573

> Lausanne, 30 April 1990

>

> Concerning

>

> NIGERIA

>

> Illegal Trade in CITES Specimens

>

> 1. At the request of the Management Authority of Nigeria and following new

> cases of illegal exports of CITES specimens from that country, the

> Secretariat is urging all Parties to be especially vigilant regarding any

> attempt to import such specimens and to note that Notification to the

> Parties No. 513 of 25 November 1988 is still valid and must be taken into

> consideration. Decree 11/1985, parts of which were attached to that

> notification, has NOT been amended.

>

> 2. As unscrupulous dealers are using forged permits, sending forged

> letters, telexes and telefaxes, making telephone calls purportedly

> emanating from ministerial cabinets, and even transmitting fraudulent

> messages through Nigerian diplomatic missions, Parties are also urged not

> to accept any CITES document from Nigeria without prior confirmation of

its

> validity from the CITES Secretariat.

>

>

> Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman

> International Primate Protection League

> PO Box 766

> Summerville, SC 29484, USA

> Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988

> E-mail - smcgreal, Web: www.ippl.org

>

>

>