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

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20

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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!