SPAIN: Police Raid Europe's Largest Turtle Farm In Mallorca, Shut It Down

Spanish authorities have dismantled the facility, which contained 1,100 animals and 14 of the 50 most endangered turtle species.

Spanish Civil Guard has just shut down what it calls the largest illegal turtle hatchery in Europe, on the island of Mallorca.

According to police the farm contained 1,110 turtles and tortoises. This haul included 14 of the 50 most endangered turtle species in the world, according to Europol, the European law enforcement agency.

This number is due to grow, as more than 200 of the females are gravid, or due to soon lay eggs, authorities noted.

Besides adults and hatchlings, the raid also turned up 750 eggs.

Video from Spanish authorities shows turtles housed in plastic tubs in crowded conditions on the farm, which was also populated with opaque tubs of water and barren dirt pens.

Code-named Operation Coahuila, the foundations of the investigation and subsequent raid were laid in February 2017, when police report that they discovered a shipment of illegal turtles at the Palma de Mallorca Airport in the Balearic Islands of Spain.

The turtles found in this shipment did not correspond to what was declared on the package, the police say.

Many of the turtles in the February shipment were species at high risk of extinction and protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

A long investigation ensued leading the Spanish Civil Guard eventually to the hatchery, located on the island of Mallorca.

So far, three suspects have been arrested. Two of the suspects were Germans and the third suspect is the owner of an exotic pet store in Barcelona.

Three others are also under investigation. If the detainees are unable to present documents showing their legal ownership, they will likely be charged for the crimes of smuggling of protected species.

They also face charges of money laundering.

Of the 1,100 turtles, there were 62 species recorded. The farm contained radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata), native to Madagascar, which are critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

They are also listed on Appendix I of CITES.

Captive-bred radiated tortoises, and other species listed on Appendix I of CITES, are only allowed to be sold internationally for commercial purposes if the breeding facility is approved and registered with CITES.

The farm in Mallorca is not listed on the CITES registry of captive-breeding operations.

Other species seized included box turtles (Cuora sp.), considered at high risk of extinction in Southeast Asia.

There were also species endemic to Mexico, the United States and Canada, the Civil Guard noted.

Turtle and tortoises are trade for their shells, meat, and leather. They are also bred to be sold as pets.

The trade in turtles and tortoises is one of the driving factors in their demise leading them to extinction all over the world, says Max Maurer, director of membership and public outreach at Turtle Conservancy, who adds that he is not passing judgment on the suspects, who deserve the chance to make their case in court.


Tourism Observer

UGANDA: Poachers To Be Sentenced To 20 Years Or Finned $60,000

As elephant population rises in Uganda, registering one of the high rising elephant populations in Africa, government is instituting measures to jealously guard these endangered spices.

Among the new ‘tough measures’ to be included in the amended Uganda Wild Life Act are maximum jail terms of up to 20 years and fines ranging up to UGX 200 million (USD 60,000) for poachers.

The Investigator has established that the motion amending the Wild Life Act is ready for tabling on the floor of parliament. Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Executive Director Dr. Andrew Seguya confirmed that the bill is already at the first Parliamentary Council.

Uganda has been hailed the world over for protection of elephants amidst their decrease in the continent. According to recent statistics of Aerial surveys seen by The Investigator, elephant populations in Uganda’s national parks have shown tremendous increase. The surveys were done across Africa by the Wild Life Conservation Society and the Uganda Wildlife Authority with funding from Paul G Allen as part of the Great Elephant Census.

“It is very encouraging to see elephant numbers increasing in Uganda as a result of effective protection in several parks, despite the rampant poaching and ivory trafficking across much of Africa,” said Dr Paul Elkan, a WCS Senior Conservationist involved in the surveys.

We can report that basing on Paul Elkans’ recommendation, government is not sitting back but strengthening more tight measures for elephant protections. Elikan said after the survey: “The strong Ugandan Government leadership, targeted investment in field based anti-poaching and anti-trafficking action, and trans-boundary elephant protection efforts will be critical to these sustaining efforts and addressing the poaching problems in Queen Elizabeth.” In 2015 Uganda faced one of the highest deaths of elephants in recent years due to poaching with poachers killing 6 elephants in Queen Elizabeth National Park alone.

According to Andrew Seguya, Uganda’s elephant numbers plummeted in the 1970s and 1980s because of widespread poaching and limited resources for the then Uganda National Parks. Elephants became confined to protected areas due to poaching pressures and numbers dropped drastically.

“But with improved protection since the 1990s and the creation of UWA, together with support from Government, donors, and conservation partners, elephant numbers have now increased to over 5,000,” said Seguya. According to the recent aerial surveys, there at close to 2000 elephants in Murchison falls National Park alone while Queen Elizabeth National Park has close to 3000 elephants.

Seguya attributes the increase in elephant population in Murchison Falls National Park to increased vigilance by the rangers and tight boundary controls. Uganda was labeled by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) in 2012 as one of the eight countries of primary concern in the ivory trade because of the volume of illegal ivory that had passed through Uganda.

While it is encouraging that elephant numbers are increasing, poaching remains a big challenge in Uganda and there is a need to remain vigilant. The discovery of illegally killed elephants in Queen Elizabeth Park recently means that Uganda is still not completely secure from poaching but the new survey results provide encouragement for conservationists when nearly every other country in Africa is showing drastic declines in numbers of elephants.

Elephants’ biggest enemies are the poachers (illegal hunters) who hunt it for its lucrative ivory. The current Act has weak laws and minimal fines for poachers. Government has through UWA amended the Act to have the poachers deterred due to the tight laws.

Under the new amended Act, poachers (illegal hunters) caught will be sentenced to pro-longed jail terms ranging up to 20 years. While fines will be increased from the current UGX 1 million (USD250) to UGX 200m (USD$60,000)

Stiffer punishments also await those involved in the illegal trade of wildlife products. The Investigator has learnt that under the proposed new wildlife Act any vehicle or cars used in transportation of ivory or wildlife products and any house or building used to keep or store the contraband will be surrendered to the state. Tourism State Minister Godfrey Ssubi Kiwanda acknowledged that the current Act needs amendment to address the poachers.

While meeting district leaders and parliamentarians from districts boarding the Murchison Falls National Park of Masindi, Nwoya, Kiryadongo, Bullisa, Nebbi and Oyam Kiwanda urged the leaders to engage their communities in desisting from poaching and encroaching on gazette park lands.

“As government plans to engage the surrounding park communities into better livelihoods and economic well being, we appeal that you (leaders) talk to them to desist from poaching,” said Kiwanda.

The leaders who included; Buliisa MP Stephen Mukitale Birahwa, Masindi Woman MP Jalia Bintu, Ongiertho Emmanuel (Jonam MP), Byahuka Geofrey Matongo the Bullisa district Vice chairperson and Simon Agaba Kinene the Buliisa district chairperson urged government to improve on the insfrastructure with and outside the parks so as to engage the locals better.

Tourism State Minister Kiwanda appealed to the leaders to sweet-talk the communities to reveal where they get their snares and poaching gears. “We are ready for peace talks. Lets engage the small scale industries making these traps, help us,” said Kiwanda.

UWA boss Dr. Andrew Seguya noted the in three years they (UWA) had seized over 7 tons of snares from poachers in Murchison Falls National Park alone.

“We have over seven tones of illegal gear used to trap wild animals in the park. We shall dispose them off as scrap to metal recycling. Others like wires that cannot be recycled will be cut into small pieces and buried,” said Seguya. He said the confiscation of such a huge volume of poaching gear had led to the reduction of illegal killing of wild animals in the park.

UWA assistant director, Murchison Falls Conservation Area, Tom Obong Okello said after the procurement process has been cleared the seized gears will be escorted to the recycling plants in Jinja by UWA guards to avoid them sneaking back into the community hands.

UGANDA: International Treaty On Illegal Wildlife Trade

Government is seeking to domesticate an international treaty in order the tackle illegal wildlife trade currently costing the tourism sector billions in foreign exchange and reducing numbers of endangered plants and animals.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), also known as the Washington Convention, is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals.

Mr James Rutaro, the commissioner for conservation ministry of Tourism, said at the end of a training workshop of law enforcement officers held in Entebbe recently, that due to weak laws, it has become difficult to prosecute culprits involved in illegal wildlife trade.

“Cites is the only convention that is supposed to regulate trade in wildlife specimen across the globe and there are over 172 parties that have signed this convention with the view to help cross border trade including illegal wildlife trade,” Mr Rutaro said.

Uganda appears at position 111 of parties, having acceded to CITES on July 18, 1991

Mr Rutaro added that by Uganda domesticating the treaty, it will have the advantage of working with other parties to arrest any specimen that would have left the country and enforce penalties as it is required by the Cites convention.

“It’s only when we have domesticated this convention that will have to enforce the law in the courts of Uganda short of which will be challenged that that law does not exist ,” he added.

A country incorporates a treaty by passing domestic legislation that gives effect to the treaty in the national legal system “The process of domesticating the treaty is now with Cabinet and we have already submitted a cabinet memorandum seeking approval,” Mr Rutaro said, adding that this comes as Uganda mulls amending the Tourism Act of 2008.

He said it is now Cabinet and Parliament to create the necessary legal framework, adding that wildlife remains Uganda’s tourism kingpin product.

NAMIBIA: Anti-hunting Lobbyists Cost Namibia Heavily – Tourism Minister

Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, says that anti-hunting lobbyists cost the Namibian government US$650 000 last year after pressurising the United States government on the legal auction of a black rhino hunt.

Shifeta said the hunt received negative publicity from people who did not understand the principle of conservation through sustainable utilisation.

“The permit sold for US$350 000, but could have generated more than US$1 million, which was in fact the offer on the table as confirmed by Dallas Safari Club, but which was withdrawn shortly before the auction due to pressure from anti-hunting lobbyists.

“One could therefore say that the lobby groups cost Namibia’s Rhino conservation initiative US$650 000, as the total proceeds from the auction were earmarked to go to the Namibia Game Products Trust Fund and would have been distributed among a number of rhino conservation projects,” said Shifeta at the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA).

Shifeta explained that scientists from his ministry select mature, post-reproductive Black Rhino that have previously been identified as overtly aggressive and which pose a serious threat to herd growth and sustainability for the hunt.

“Such animals often charge and kill younger bulls, cows and also calves. These facts are well substantiated, and are very much at the core of our ministry’s strategic effort to reduce natural herd mortality,” said Shifeta.

Meanwhile, the hunt for the identified black rhino was delayed due to the hold-up for more than a year of the issuing of an import permit for the Black Rhino trophy because of pressure by animal rights activists on the U.S. government.

“During that period the bull, which had been scientifically select to be hunted had killed another black rhino. The non-hunters did in fact not only cost our country’s conservation efforts hundreds of thousands of US dollars, but also the life of an additional Black Rhino,” said Shifeta at the AGM, which ended at a local hotel yesterday.

Shifeta explained that Namibia is a pro-wildlife country with a progressive national constitution that has formally enshrined the sustainable utilisation of living natural resources.

“We are a hunter-friendly nation with a very proud hunting heritage, and our trophy hunting community is well respected by our government and fellow Namibians as an essential and integral part of Namibia’s wildlife conservation, tourism, agricultural and business sectors,” the minister said.

He said trophy hunting currently provides more on-the-job training and promotional opportunities, as well as pays better salaries than any other form of agricultural land employment options, and invests heavily in a variety of social upliftment and educational programmes in rural areas throughout Namibia.

Namibia is firmly established as one of Africa’s most popular hunting and tourism destinations, and all reports indicate that 2015 was again an excellent year for the local hunting and conservation community.

However, Shifeta warned that trophy hunting was currently threatened by a number of factors, exacerbated during the last five months by the unfortunate saga of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe. This anti-hunting sentiment, said Shifeta, is fuelled by rabid anti-hunter sentiments based on emotion rather than fact. These had spread like wildfire on both social media and international news.

“The hype has humanised the lion and demonised the hunters. Zimbabwe, like Namibia, has a sound wildlife management policy in place, which provides rural communities with an incentive to protect their valuable natural living resources. It is up to each and every one of us to raise our voices as enthusiastically as the anti-hunting community does, in order to promote the concept of sustainable hunting as the ultimate conservation triumph,” he said.

Namibia is recognised as a world-leader in conservation, with specific focus on rare and endangered species such as the Black Rhino. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has granted Namibia an annual export quota of up to five hunter-taken Black Rhinos.

“Only post-reproductive males are hunted, and the revenue derived from such hunts is reinvested in Rhino management, including addressing challenges such as poaching, which is a real threat to Rhinoceros all over the world, and increasingly so in Namibia,” noted Shifeta.

LAOS: Laos' Jungle Sin City

IT'S nine in the morning and the gaming tables are still going strong.

As croupiers take bets from the overnight die-hards, several exhausted gamblers sleep nearby, one still clutching a wad of betting slips.

Welcome to the Kings Romans, a sprawling casino complex topped by a giant golden crown that bursts into view from a sleepy river bank on the Laos' side of the Mekong River.

The Chinese-owned casino in Ton Pheung district, Bokeo, is the centrepiece of a 10,000-square metre "Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone" set up by communist-ruled Laos with investment from its giant neighbour.

The other Golden Triangle nations, Thailand and Myanmar sit just across river, an intersection that has long hosted illicit activities – from drugs and human trafficking to weapons smuggling and the sale of rare species.

The casino is an attempt by the Laos government to cash in on an activity that is banned in China yet loved by its people: gambling.

And the good times are rolling as a Chinese crackdown on gambling and other vices pushes pleasure-seekers to more permissive nations nearby.

The two-storey Kings Romans casino is dwarfed by its rivals in the regional gambling hub of Macau and even in Southeast Asian neighbours Cambodia and Vietnam.

But – open seven days a week, 24 hours a day – Kings Romans receives a steady stream of Chinese gamblers who have made their way south with pockets and briefcases filled with cash.

"Chinese players really are among the greatest gamblers in the world," a hostess responsible for welcoming customers enthused during a recent visit.

"They can stay one or two days at the same gaming table non-stop, it's incredible," she added, unwilling to give her name in a zone dominated by murky interests and where discretion is the watchword.

Slice of China

Venturing inside the SEZ feels like stepping into mainland China. The clocks are all set to Beijing time, Mandarin and other Chinese dialects are commonplace and the main currency is the yuan.

Few of the employees are Laotian. Most are Chinese or from Myanmar.

For impoverished, landlocked and isolated Laos, the zone is a much needed source of income.

Chinese money runs throughout the Laos economy. It is the nation's biggest investor with rail, roads and hydropower among China's main interests.

But observers say the inflow of cash has come at a cost – including serious environmental damage and the displacement of landless poor to make way for mega-projects.

Observers say the SEZ has now become a place to wash dirty money from China as well as local criminal networks, with fears the 99-year lease will only cement that status.

The Golden Triangle has long been known for its drug production. In previous decades it produced some of the world's most sought after heroin.

In more recent years many of the drug syndicates have switched to lab-produced crystal meth and other synthetic highs, according to a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report.

"Cash-based commercial activities such as casinos, currency exchange shops or even just restaurants offer better opportunities to introduce in the legitimate economy money obtained through illegal activities," warns Giovanni Brossard, from the UNODC.

Laos has moved to crack down on money laundering, Brossard notes, with laws against the crime and by setting up a financial intelligence unit within the country's state bank.

"Yet so far no single money laundering case has made it to court," he says.

"Sauteed tiger meat"

Alongside gambling a whole host of other bacchanalian industries have sprung up to cater to punters looking to play away from prying eyes in their homelands.

Sex workers openly ply their trade on the sidewalks or at the myriad massage parlours.

"People love to come here with friends and book private rooms," explains a Chinese member of staff at a disco near the casino.

"Most are men and they bring in girls."

Conservationists say the SEZ also caters to those with illegal culinary tastes.

A recent probe by campaign group the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) found visitors could openly buy products from endangered species including tigers, leopards, elephants, rhinos and bears.

Restaurants offered sauteed tiger meat, bear paws and live pangolins on their menus.

"One business kept a live python and a bear cub in cages, both of which were available to eat on request," the NGO's investigators found.

As a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Laos is supposedly committed to stopping illegal wildlife trafficking and clamping down on the illegal ivory trade.

But the convention is widely flouted.

Animal rights workers say both Laos and China have a responsibility to ensure the special economic zone does not become a haven for the illicit wildlife trade.

"The Chinese businesses and consumers are exploiting weak enforcement in Laos, but the Laos government can't pretend they are ignorant of what is going on," says Debbie Banks, from EIA