Reptile & Amphibian Forums

GRIMSBY TELEGRAPH (Lincolnshire, UK) 12 February 05 Illegal Tortoise Trade Warning (Peter Craig)
Illegally imported tortoises could be being smuggled through Immingham and Grimsby Docks - making as much money as drug smugglers do.
They should not be bought from the back of cars. These are unscrupulous people and have no interest in the animals. Rare breeds are sold on markets in Egypt for as little as £1 but can cost up to £400 a pair here.
One nearly-extinct breed can fetch up to £7,000 on the black market.
The shocking trade in endangered species was revealed when a couple admitted to Louth magistrates they had 30 tortoises for sale illegally.
RSPCA officers and Lincolnshire Police set up a sting operation to catch the husband and wife from Newark.
Their home was raided following reports to police in the Louth area and officers found around 30 tortoises, including a rare Kleinmann breed in a crisps box.
Both Patricia Ann Wade (50) and Trevor Frederick Wade (54), of Bailey Road, admitted keeping illegal tortoises and offering tortoises for sale between August and November 2003.
They were reported to officers after setting up a meeting with a potential buyer in a car near Louth.
Each was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £69 costs.
After sentence, RSPCA inspector Dean Astill-Dunseith said he was disappointed with the fine because he thought a jail term would have deterred others from exploiting endangered species.
"They are second only to drugs in profitability. Although I am disappointed with the sentence, I am glad it has taught them a lesson," he said.
"We would urge anyone who is offered a tortoise for sale to check the paperwork that comes with them and not to be put in the position where it is part of the destruction of a species from the wild.
"They should not be bought from the back of cars. These are unscrupulous people and have no interest in the animals.
"There is no way of knowing how many are brought into the country illegally, but they come in from docks such as Immingham and Grimsby. They are bought very cheaply, less than a £1 at a Cairo market, and then sold for up to £400 a pair.
"A Kleinmann can sell for £7,000 because of its rarity."
The court heard how the RSPCA was alerted when a prospective buyer read an advert in a shop in a Lincoln window and phoned to arrange a meeting with Wade in his car at Wragby, near Louth.
Officers later raided the couple's home.
For the Wades, Anthony Priest said: "They were gullible. They had no idea they were endangered species."
Illegal Tortoise Trade Warning

For those of you thinking that could never happen here think again.

Can you say Burmese Star tortoise.

Also, Those of you who keep kleinmanni here in the states, unless you got them as a confescation connection, they are all illegal.

food for thought.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

You mentioned Burmese stars and kleinmanni. Are saying you most of these guys are illegal? I have wondered how Burmese might be coming in. I thought the Burmese gov doesn't allow export. I'd like to hear your thoughts?
CW

I own an illegal tortoise! I feel like such an outlaw. Should I be on the lookout for the tortoise Gestapo?
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...some guys out there once said: "...when tortoises are all outlawed...only outlaws will still have tortoises..

I believe that was Jeff Gee at Captive Bred Wildlife Foundation. He has (had-?) shirts for sale that said this anyway. . .

...

Hello All -
Considering I own 2.1 burmese stars, and have much financially and emtionally invested in these animals, I also would like to hear about their legal status. Of course, if they were exported without a permit from the Myamar (Burma) after being listed on CITES Appendix II, that would be a violation of CITES. If those animals were later exported into the U.S. (from the third country) that would be a violation of the Lacy Act, since they originally didn't have the permits they should have had from Myamar.
It's my understanding that Myamar has never issued any permits for export, meaning all those G. platynota that have made their way to the Chinese food markets are there illegally. They are also eaten frequently in Myamar, and their shells apparently are used to store cooking oil. They are not even commonly protected in the wildlife refuges; a blind eye is reported often turned to the illicit trade. This is by the same game wardens who occasional will carry out a swift captial sentence in the field for other offences, such as Tiger poaching.
It's quite possible that some of the founding stock of Burmese stars were exported to other countries either (1) prior to Myamar being a signatory party to CITES, or (2) prior to platynota being listed on Appendix II. In either of these two cases, those tortoises and their progeny could (theoritically) be subsequently legally imported into the U.S. from those countries with those legal captive born populations.
Realistically, I agree, most Burmese Stars probably did find their way into this country illegally. However, morally, I believe that it is good to have a healthy captive population since they are dying off the wild, due to large part their lack of protection in Myamar. I don't think that the Chinese in the food markets care if the tortoises weren't exported with the proper permit. However, in Hong Kong, for example, if were to buy one from the food market you'd better be sure that you have the correct paperwork. Thus, at least in Hong Kong, you don't need the correct paperwork to eat them, but you do to breed them or keep them.
Somehow this state of affairs doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the current legal system (CITES and the Lacy act). Of course, even those these are listed as Critically endangered by the IUCN (see www.redlist.org) they aren't listed on the US department of Interior's Endangered Species list.
There obviously is a "gray market" for many of these animals, especially if it's obviously a wild-caught animal. However, over time, it is difficult to prove that the animal, or it's parents, were illegally imported. Thus, the USF&W attaches a very low priority for going after these types of animals. It does become a problem if one every desires to export a Burmese Star from the U.S., since the feds then require a paper trial showing that the animal (or it's parents & grandparents) were legally imported into the U.S.
Please feel free to correct me or to add information to this thread. My name is Scott Alexander and I'm Vice-president of the Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile Society (checkout www.baars.org).
Sincerely,
Scott Alexander
Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile Society