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SUMMER
HOLIDAYMAKERS WARNED: BE CAREFUL BUYING EXOTIC SOUVENIRS
Summer holidaymakers should be careful to ensure the souvenirs of
their
travels abroad don't violate
UK
and
international laws,
Biodiversity
Minister Jim Knight warned today.
Mr Knight said that travellers needed to take special care that the
souvenirs
they brought home did not contain products derived from
animals
or plants protected by the Convention on International Trade
in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
"It's great to bring home mementos of the summer holidays - but
holidaymakers
should make sure they're aware of the laws dealing with
the
trade in endangered species," he said.
"The illegal trade in souvenirs for tourists threatens some of the
world's
most endangered animals and plants. Trade controls exist to
protect
these species, and travellers' shopping decisions can help
them
survive.
Stopping the trade in these products helps to protect
important
endangered
species - often the very animals and plants that people
are
actually travelling to see. It can be tempting to buy exotic
souvenirs like reptile-skin
handbags
and ivory carvings while on holidays abroad, but travellers
should
be aware of international controls.
"Some products made from endangered species are easily identifiable
-
but
others can be more difficult to spot, making it harder to know
which
goods to avoid buying as souvenirs or gifts. It's important for
global
travellers to inform themselves of the issues surrounding
trade
in endangered species."
More than 800 species of animals and plants are currently banned from
international
trade, including tigers, most populations of rhinos and
elephants,
and whales, and a further 33,000 are strictly controlled,
including
many turtles, corals, reptiles, orchids and cacti.
HM Revenue & Customs has responsibility for enforcing the sanctions
on
importing endangered species or their derivatives. Between 1 April
and
31 December 2004
over
775,000 items were seized under CITES,
including
over 7,000 live animals and birds.
Banned goods include products made from tiger, leopard and jaguar
skins;
traditional medicines containing tiger bone, rhino horn, or
other
highly endangered plants and animals. Strictly controlled items
include
tortoiseshell goods; and jewellery made from endangered
coral.
Mr Knight said that if travellers were considering bringing back
exotic
souvenirs from abroad, before travelling they should check
with
Defra about which products were legal, and the permits that may
be
required.
"If you try to import controlled goods without valid permits, or
try
to
bring banned goods into the country, your goods will be seized and
in
more serious cases you could face further penalties," he said.
Travellers can also check while they are abroad by contacting the
CITES
Management Authority of their host country, if applicable.
Contact
details can be found at http://www.cites.org.
A brief guide to some of the most common products travellers are
likely
to come across is available at
http://www.ukcites.gov.uk/travel/default.htm.
Notes
1. The '
Washington
'
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora, more commonly known as CITES, aims
to
protect certain plants and animals by regulating and monitoring
their
international trade to prevent it reaching unsustainable
levels.
The Convention entered into force in 1975, and the
UK
became
a
Party in 1976. There are more than 150 Parties to the Convention.
2. The CITES Secretariat is administered by the United Nations
Environment
Programme (UNEP).
3. CITES regulates international trade in over 30,000 species, of
which
approximately 25,000 are plants. These species are listed in
three
appendices.
4. In 1976 the Secretary of State for the Environment designated the
Royal
Botanic
Gardens
,
Kew
, as the
CITES Scientific Authority for
plants.
With over 200 years of botanical expertise RBG Kew helps
implement
CITES on a national and international level, providing
Defra
with scientific advice on plant species in trade.
5. Statistical information for seizures of under CITES can be found
in
the HM Revenue & Customs Spring Report at www.hmrc.gov.uk."
Trade
Hotspots Around The World
Sri Lanka
and the
Maldives
Watch out for shops selling entire turtle shells, or bracelets,
earrings
and hair clips made from "tortoiseshell".
These can not be
brought
back to the EU. Some of the corals for sale will require an
export
permit to be brought back home.
The
Philippines
Remembering your holiday with a sea shell is tempting, but some come
from
endangered species, like the giant clam . You will need an
export
permit to bring one home.
India
,
Nepal
and
Pakistan
Skins from leopards, jaguars, tigers and other protected cats are
quite
often available in smaller shops and frontier markets.
These
can
not be brought back legally into the EU.
You may also come
across
garments using 'Shahtoosh'. This wool comes from a critically
endangered
species of Tibetan antelope and again international trade
is
banned.
Africa
Ivory
and elephant product souvenirs can be found for sale in shops,
hotels
and markets, in many African (and Asian) countries.
Only in
the
case of
Zimbabwe
, can these
be brought back to the EU.
(Travellers
may return home with a limited number of ivory or
elephant
hide products so long as they are for personal use only and
not
resold. There are maximum allowances per person and the seller
must
give you a personal effects export permit issued by the
Zimbabwean
Government which you will have to show to UK Customs on
your
return.) This does not apply to any other country where all
trade
is banned and elephant and ivory products should be avoided
altogether.
Each year UK Customs make many seizures from holidaymakers and
business
travellers returning from
Egypt
,
Kenya
,
Nigeria
, the
Seychelles
,
South
Africa
and
Tanzania
.
Watch out too for succulents from
South
Africa
and
orchids. (NB
Madagascar
doesn't
ban the trade in their wild plants) Many of these
are
banned from trade. Others
will require an export permit.
Far East
, especially
Thailand
and
Indonesia
Flower markets offer protected species of orchids or carnivorous
plants
for sale. Cut flowers bought from reputable stores may be
exempt
from controls. Watch out too for anything made from snake and
lizard
skin - many species are protected by CITES. It may be illegal
to
bring some products such as briefcases, handbags and shoes back to
this
country. Others will require
an export permit.
Mexico
Be wary if you are offered cacti by anyone other than a reputable
nursery.
Many species are banned from trade and even seeds from
Mexican
species originating in
Mexico
(NB this
is an important
distinction)
require an export permit.
Cuba
and the
Caribbean
Travellers should be aware that most of the hard coral species (i.e.:
those
commonly sold as souvenirs) that occur in Cuban and
Caribbean
waters
are listed on CITES. This
includes species described as Black
coral,
Cable or Bush coral, Hump coral, Fire coral and Lace coral.
As
with the shells of the Queen conch, these all require a CITES
export
permit to be brought back. The
same goes for many of the
reptile
skin products that you may be offered, as well as many
orchids.
Elsewhere
This is not an exhaustive list - many of these products can be found
at
almost any tourist destination. Even
in
Europe
, coats and
bags
made
out of jaguar, leopard or other protected cat species may be
available,
as can jewellery made of tortoiseshell and ivory and
traditional
medicines derived from rhinos and tigers.
More Information
For more information, and to check whether you can bring back a
particular
item, contact Defra's Global Wildlife Division on 0117 372
8749.
(25/7/05)
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