Japan a hot market for smuggled exotic pets

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Japan a hot market for smuggled exotic pets Experts say the illegal trade is flourishing because of government's lack of experts, lax policing and limited resources

TOKYO - Demand for rare reptiles as pets has made Japan one of the top markets for smuggled exotic animals, and conservationists here are concerned that the law enforcement authorities lack teeth to deal with the problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A gavial, a rare reptile from Indonesia, seized by customs. -- AFP

'The big demand for exotic animals in Japan, particularly reptiles, encourages smugglers to poach rare foreign species,' said Ms Akiko Ishihara of Traffic East Asia Japan, a joint wildlife trade monitoring programme of the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Union.

Japan's customs authority, however, lacks the animal experts who can spot violations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

'I understand their resources are limited, but the government should improve that,' said Mr Masayuki Sakamoto, head of the Japan Wildlife Conservation Society.

No official or reliable private estimate of the size of the Japanese rare animal smuggling market is available, environmentalists say, but there is plenty of evidence that it is a big problem.

In May, three Japanese men were arrested at the airport in Cape Town, South Africa, trying to smuggle out 37 highly endangered armadillo girdled lizards in their hand luggage and pockets.

One of the men had been arrested earlier, in March, trying to smuggle out 57 of the lizards but was released after paying a fine of US$18,300 (S$31,500).

A single armadillo girdled lizard reportedly sells for about 350,150 yen (S$5,500) in Japan and there are believed to be only about 2,000 to 3,000 of them left in the wild due to overhunting for the pet market.

A quick Internet search throws up quite a number of Japanese websites selling protected species, such as the Indian star tortoise.

Not all retailers are scrupulous in ensuring the animals they buy are imported legally.

'The reality is that we don't ask questions,' said a Tokyo pet shop manager, who declined to be named.

Lax enforcement of laws against smugglers also encourages the underground business, Mr Sakamoto said.

'Japan puts a lot of emphasis on catching smugglers of guns and drugs. But the government is not focusing much on Cites,' he said.

A customs official said they were doing their best, but the task was difficult as animal smugglers used increasingly sophisticated methods.

Part of the problem is that an animal becomes more sought after once it is classified as endangered or protected, said Mr Tsuyoshi Shirawa, president of Rep Japan, a pet shop specialising in exotic animals.

'Once certain animals are declared endangered, that is official approval that it is rare. Rare species are the ones that people want,' Mr Shirawa said.

He said the government should relax international trade of professionally bred tortoises, as opposed to poached animals, to satisfy collectors and prevent the illegal trade. -- AFP

 

 

 

POPULAR: Reptiles and fish

 

TURTLES and tortoises are the most popular reptiles in Japan because they are regarded as a symbol of longevity and hard work, said Mr Tsuyoshi Shirawa, president of Rep Japan, a pet shop specialising in exotic animals.

'Many Japanese people live in small houses and apartments, so they cannot keep dogs or other large animals,' he said. 'But turtles can be kept in fish tanks. They don't smell bad or make a lot of noise. That's why turtles, reptiles and fish suit the Japanese lifestyle.'

Some 29,000 live tortoises are imported legally into Japan every year, accounting for about 54 per cent of the international market for the reptiles, said Traffic East Asia-Japan. -- AFP

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