I don't think you ever could completely I'm afraid.
Only in wealthy countries, slim6y. Being able to afford to purchase, keep and care for any pet is a luxury that you won't often see in developing countries. In fact, in a lot of the poorer countries, any animal that is not human is simply seen as a source of protein.
Having said that, some of the more 'switched on' locals are now discovering that there is money to be made from the live animal trade...
The thing that REALLY bugs me about this article is that the animals were wild caught! Harsh penalties 'though... quarter mil fine and 20 yrs... whoosh...
Nic
Smuggling of native Australian species is rife and always will be while there is a strong demand for our animals overseas. This is not something that receives a lot of attention from law enforcement authorities and the agencies that do give it some priority are not equipt with the coercive powers necessary to carry out sophistocated operations. Trust me.
Also the associated risks are low when compared with other illegal commodities such as drugs and weapons so it is seen by some as a relativley safe way to make some extra cash.
I think the export bans need to stay though, otherwise there will be even more pressure on wild populations.
11 depressa @ 1800ea, 2 x varanus pilb. @ 800ea, 2 x Nww @ 5k ea, more like 30k than the 8500 quoted. why is it only australian authorities that quote tenfold prices?
a few members are happy he ditched his cell and didn't fess up his arrangements with aussie herpers. who showed him good spots for red depressa and V.pilbs? whose place did he visit 2 days before leaving who inadvertantly made the call to a tennesee herper who snitched him in? (hint : the same qld person he dropped off a cache of nww as part of an arrangement )
still, it's an anxious wait for sentencing, he may still roll for a soft result.
The reality is, licensed breeders could export captive bred animals that they have legally produced. The entire process could be documented and managed, like it is out in the real world.
This thread was about smuggling wildlife out of Australia, not in.
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