£56,000 of live corals and clams seized at Manchester airport

[Myka]

Old news, a year old tomorrow. I just stumbled across it now though...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...r-airport.html

One of the largest-ever seizures of live rock corals worth £56,000 has been made at Manchester Airport after it was illegally imported into the country.



Three-quarters of a ton of the endangered species and rare clams were discovered in air freight that had arrived on a flight from Singapore.



The cargo came from Vietnam and had flown more than 6,000 miles before UK Border Force swooped on the consignment.

Sea to air: One of of the largest-ever seizures of endangered live rock coral was illegally imported into the country from Vietnam

Oceans of trouble: The endangered live coral rare clams were discovered in air freight that had arrived in northern England via Singapore



The organisms are protected under the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species.



More than 650 species of live hard corals and around 60 live clams, measuring up to 20cm, were found in boxes labelled ‘marine fish and soft corals’.


None of the items were declared to customs chiefs and they have now been confiscated because they did not have the correct documentation.



Colin Brown, of the Border Force at Manchester Airport, said: 'The illicit trade in endangered animals is a serious contributory factor to the threat of extinction faced by many endangered species.



'This seizure demonstrates the UK Border Force takes its role in enforcing international agreements and prohibitions designed to protect the natural environment very seriously.


Contraband: More than 650 species of live hard corals and around 60 live clams, measuring up to 20cm, were found in boxes labelled ¿marine fish and soft corals¿




'Anyone trading in protected creatures and plants should ensure they have the right paperwork before they import exotic animals into the UK. I also urge holidaymakers to ensure the souvenirs they buy do not contribute to this problem by containing parts of endangered species.'


A spokesman for the Border Force said the corals and clams would be taken to a safe place such as an aquarium, but the location was yet to be decided. Anyone caught trying to smuggle endangered species faces up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine.



In 2008-09, officials seized protected goods, including orchids, turtles, eagles and ivory. A 23-year-old man from Greater Manchester was arrested and later released on bail pending further inquiries.



Corals are marine organisms which catch small fish and plankton using stinging cells on their tentacles. Most depend on sunlight and grow in clear and shallow tropical waters.
Risky business: The coral and clams will be taken to a safe place and the smugglers face up to seven years¿ imprisonment and an unlimited fine




They form coral reefs over many generations - but these make up just a tiny percentage of the ocean’s floor. They are not just an explosion of colour and sea life. Coral reefs are a key source of food, income and coastal protection for around 500m people around the world. The reefs protect communities from storms and they sustain fish which feed people across the globe. But scientists fear for their future and say they are in immediate danger from climate change.



Governments have put restrictions in place on coral farming to try to protect it - meaning it cannot be transported without documentation.



A small piece of coral fetches between £20 and £40 when sold legally but it can go for up to three times as much when traded on the illegal market.

[Myka]

Looking around a bit more I find this...do smugglers like Manchester or is this part of the same story? This one is from Apr 2010.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....-foiled-939711

Coral smugglers foiled

18 Apr 2010 07:30 A BID to smuggle a £50,000 haul of endangered coral through Manchester Airport has been foiled by customs.

The massive consignment of 350 live corals and clams had been sent from Indonesia via Malaysia and included scores of rare corals which are banned from importation into the European Union.



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A BID to smuggle a £50,000 haul of endangered coral through Manchester Airport has been foiled by customs.

The massive consignment of 350 live corals and clams had been sent from Indonesia via Malaysia and included scores of rare corals which are banned from importation into the European Union.

The swoop is the UK's largest ever live coral seizure, according to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). All hard corals and giant clams are strictly regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

The discovery was made in September but details were kept under wraps while customs chiefs investigated. It is understood the shipment was bound for shops which had pre-ordered the coral freight from a specialist wholesaler.

One wholesaler and six marine life traders, including some in Manchester and Cheshire, have been visited by HMRC and issued official warnings for their involvement in the consignment. Nothing else untoward was discovered on any of the premises and any involvement in future illegal imports will leave the companies open to prosecution, HMRC explained.

Experts were called in to identify separate types in the haul, which included the banned-from-trade atalaphyllia jardinei, trachyphyllia geoffroyi and species from the genera plerogyra. They were shipped among a number of legal sea creatures.

Most of the clams and coral survived and have gone to the aquarium at London Zoo, where there are tanks big enough to accommodate them.

Charles Mackay, Head of the HMRC Specialist CITES Team, said: "The vast majority of the aquarium import trade is carried out quite legitimately, however this was quite clearly a blatant attempt to smuggle banned and unlicensed corals into the UK in order to profit from the higher prices they would fetch."

HMRC Head of Detection North West, Linda Paul said: "The illicit trade in endangered animals is one of the most serious global problems of our time. Not only does this crime endanger our planet, but it could mean that some animals disappear for ever."

Brian Zimmerman, head keeper at London Zoo, said it was `disheartening' that people chose to ignore laws that ensured `the survival of the very species they claim to admire'.

The investigation continues.

[Dearth]

Collectors have no respect for preservation


A few years ago several Vietnamese were stopped at US customs in San Francisco airport and were found to have secreted over $10000 worth of SW fish and coral on their persons customs became suspicious when they heard water sloshing under a baby's coat and discovered 3 fish tied to the babies body.

Smugglers know no boundaries

[Myka]

Omg, that's terrible. I don't understand why someone would want something that bad. I don't understand that inhumane hunger.