 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Paris (AFP) June 18, 2010 More than five tonnes of bushmeat from primates, crocodiles and other rare or protected animals are smuggled in luggage through one of Europe's busiest airports every week, a study published on Thursday said. Thirty-nine percent of bushmeat confiscated during a 17-day special operation by customs officials at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport came from creatures protected by the Convention for the Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it said. "Our results estimate that around 270 tonnes of potentially contaminated, illegal bushmeat is passing unchecked through a single European airport per year, posing a huge potential risk to public health," said lead author Anne-Lise Chaber of Britain's Royal Veterinary College. The sweep netted smuggled meat from 11 species, including guenon and mangabey monkeys, the blue duiker forest deer, two types of pangolin and both Nile and slender-snouted crocodiles. The largest single haul was 51 kilos (112 pounds) of meat carried by a single passenger who had no other luggage. Much of the bushmeat came from the Central African Republic, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the study, published in the journal Conservation Letters. Illegal traders based in Paris take orders in advance and arrange for delivery of the goods to customers, investigators learned. "Our results show that this is a lucrative, organised trade feeding into a luxury market. A four-kilo (nine-pound) monkey will cost around 100 euros (120 dollars) in France, compared with just five euros in Cameroon, said co-author Marcus Rowcliffe of the Zoological Society of London. The illegal trade also raises serious questions about the risk of bringing in germs and other pathogens, the researchers said. "Surveillance methods need to be more robust and deterrents more severe if we're to have any chance of halting illegal trade," Rowcliffe said. Bushmeat is easy to smuggle, and customs officials are given no financial incentives to intercept the contraband, as they are for drugs and counterfeit goods, he said.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
Illegal Bushmeat Trade Rife In EuropeLondon, UK (SPX) Jun 18, 2010 More than five tonnes of illegal bushmeat is being smuggled in personal luggage each week through one of Europe's busiest airports, reveals new research published in Conservation Letters. Working alongside customs officials at France's Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and The National Veterinary Sc ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook