The
Border Force National Museum in Liverpool has done just that: picked up seized
goods and the tools by which they were trafficked to show them to the public. The
exhibition called
has
in display a variety of specimens such as White Rhino horns which were smuggled
in a sculpture or hornbill skulls which were traded over the internet.You
could also find some of the most imaginative tools to hide goods such as a pair
of ski boats or a drug suit.
The
website of the exhibition contains much more information about trafficking in
general, with some specific cases related to wildlife. In particular, one of
the cases highlighted is the discovery of Lear's Macaws in the possession of a bird
breeder back in 1998 who smuggled them all the way from Slovakia hidden in a
petrol tank (or so have I been told).
Lear's Macaw are amongst the most
critically endangered birds, with a wild population of about 150 birds. Their
natural habitat is limited to a small area in north East Brazil. They are
listed in CITES Appendix
I since 1987.
Below
you will find a link to the piece of news (BBC) telling the whole story:
Even
though the three Macaws were intended to be reintroduced in their natural
environment in Brazil, it seems that they finally died.
This
exhibition makes me think of the huge room that I recently visited at Madrid’s
Airport, where Customs authorities store thousands of specimens and their parts
which have been seized or confiscated.
I
am positive Spain is not the only country which accumulates python skins,
corals, ivory carvings, hairs of elephant tail, stuffed leopards and turtle shells.
During our visit, I remember an officer of the CITES Management Authority stating
that this room is hardly ever visited/used, and made a plea for the appropriate
authorities to put it to a good educational use.
Understanding
that the economic situation is not the most appropriate, I believe an
itinerary exhibition of some of the items seized all over Europe, even if temporary,
could positively contribute to raising awareness of the problem that illegal
traffic represents for the survival of these iconic species (and for those that
are less iconic, bien sûr). After all the EU is one of the major importers...
I
am equally positive that with the right amount of will and knowledge, resources
could be found at EU level to support a project in which the Customs
authorities join their forces to make their “horror collections” available for
such a cause.
The
political will seems to be there for many countries and international
organizations that wish to raise the profile. Many organisations such as Foundation
GoodPlanet with the exhibition “Wild
and Precious” or WildAid with its
celebrity-based campaigns are currently doing so much to stop demand of endangered wildlife.
Why not use those seized specimens for a good cause?
I leave here my little
contribution in case someone would like to pick it up.
Nice evening to everyone.
NOTE:
the picture of the Lear’s Macaw is taken from www.ARKIVE.org solely for
educational purposes. Rest of the pics, mine.
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