What’s new in the Czech Republic regarding CITES
Ondřej Klouček, Silvie Ucová, Barbora Kaminiecká, Jana Hrdá
Ministry of the Environment of the Czech RepublicNature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic
• Current state with the Rhino horn case in the Czech Republic
• CZ legislation concerning internet trade in CITES specimens – experience after 5 years
• Breeding of selected Annex A species and their trade via internet
• DNA parentity tests for proving legal origin of CITES specimens
• Case of „Dolphin show“ in the Czech Rep.
Overview of presentations
Poaching of rhinos in AfricaPoaching of rhinos in Africa
3 Rhinos per day...
South Africa – Ceratotherium simum simum CITES II purpose hunting trophies Annual quota – 100 – 160 specimens
Source of rhino horns …
Rhino hunting trophiesRhino hunting trophies
• „Pseudo-hunting“ of rhinos for commercial purposes
• Involvement of bona- fide hunters in illegal trade in rhino horns
• Connection to Vietnamese community
Rhino horn case – recent developments
• One of the biggest Vietnamese community in the EU
• SAPA Market – Little Hanoi in Prague
Area of 35 ha7-10 000
Vietnamese traders
Why the Czech Why the Czech Republic?Republic?
• Hiring of hunters – without hunting experience and gun licence, often without permanent address…
• to hired persons the travel and accommodation expenses in SA and hunting licence are covered
• close cooperation with hunting farms in SA
• “Hunters” give up their trophies after the hunt…
Basic features of pseudo-Basic features of pseudo-huntinghunting
Applications for hunting permits recieved by S.Africa's DEA
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Viet Nam Thailand China Czech Rep Poland USA Russia
2010 2011 2012
• In total 22 rhino horns seized within the operations in cooperation with Germany and Slovakia (cost up to 100 million CZK)
• In July 2013 big operation of Police and Customs took place – 7 house checks, 15 people taken into custody
• Found special saw for cutting horns
• Investigation is ongoing
Pseudo-hunting
• Real hunters, members of hunting association with gun licences hired
• Connection to Czech farm in SA (Limpona Safari)
• New travel and cargo agency established by VT
• House checks of hunting trophies
Involvement of bona-fide hunters
• Buffalo horn cups presented as formed from rhino horns
Involvement of bona-fide hunters(April 2013)
• Rhino horns smuggled in coils with electric wire to Vietnam
Involvement of bona-fide hunters
(December 2013)
Based on data of legal imports of rhino trophies R. P. – 4/2013 in SA, checked 1/2014
horns stolen from the car, cape at taxidermist(reality: horns confiscated on export from PRG in 2013!) M. T. – 5/2013 in SA, checked 2/2014
horns OK, cape at taxidermist J. M. – 3/2013 in SA, checked 3/2014 by SEI
horns OK, cape not inspected
Inspections
Based on information about issued hunting licenses
J. Š. – 10/2013 in SA, no rhino, no hunt V. N. – 10/2013 in SA, no rhino, no hunt V. M. – 3/2012 in SA, no inspection yet M. Z. – 3/2012 in SA,
rotten horns - destroyed,cape on the wall
Other inspections
• Czech Authorities refuse to confirm data on CZ hunters because of big risk to abuse hunting trophies for commercial purposes
• SA decided to STOP issuing export permits for CZ
• Rhino hunting trophies as a source for black market
• CZ supports ban on trade with rhinos or its functional regulation by EU law
Summary
Thank you for your attention!