Conservatives accuse Government of failing to act on illegal imports
The Conservative Party have accused the Government of failing to act against illegal meat and ivory imports.
A written answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for DEFRA, Lord Whitty, revealed that in 2003 there had been 411 seizures under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Regulations.
These ranged from seizures of live animals and birds, ivory, plants and oriental medicine preparations containing derivatives of endangered species.
However none of the seizures resulted in prosecution.
Lord Rotherwick, Shadow Minister for the Environment, said: “It is shocking that despite 411 seizures of thousands of endangered species, animals, live birds, plants, ivory and other CITES listed species on entry to the UK last year, not one of these seizures resulted in a prosecution.
“Chasing illegal imports is our international obligation but we are failing hopelessly. There is no point in the Government trying to sound serious on an issue when it is so obvious that they are not taking it seriously at all.
“There is no deterrent to importing illegal meats and the Government should be ashamed that this appalling practice is being allowed to go on.”
Illegal animal imports are also of concern to the Environmental Audit Sub Committee on Environmental Crime. In an evidence session last week member Paul Flynn questioned whether seizures could be seen as action against wildlife crime and whether the penalties needed increasing.
Mr Nick Williams of the wildlife management team at the Department for the Environment said that they monitor the information from import and export licences and follow up potential offences. He said that custodial sentences were a step forward and represented a major deterrent.
Mr Mark Fuchter, senior policy manager restrictions and sanctions team at HM Customs and Excise said that it is not clear from the level of seizures that wildlife crime is increasing, but that the driver behind the crime is money.
Mr Charles MacKaym, also from Customs and Excise, said the scale of profits is difficult to ascertain, but that they could be “substantial”.
Committee member Paul Flynn MP expressed concern about the reduction in the numbers of Customs wildlife officers, noting that there are only seven specialist officers for the whole of the UK, but the Customs and Excise officers told the committee that officers had been redeployed centrally and they believe that intelligence is delivered more effectively centrally.
