Guatemalan Wildlife at
the Mercy of Traffickers
By Danilo Valladares*
GUATEMALA (Tierramérica) - The
shortage of resources for law
enforcement and high demand from the
wealthy countries of the North have left
the field wide open in Guatemala for
trafficking of wild animals, many of
which are endangered, warn experts and
environmentalists.
The region of Guatemala most affected by
species trafficking is the northern
province of Petén, bordering Mexico,
where the government declared a
2.1-million-hectare site a protected
area in a bid to optimise conservation
and restore devastated flora and fauna.
Petén has an area of 35,854 square
kilometres and is home to one of the
largest tropical forests in the
Americas, in addition to numerous
archaeological sites of the indigenous
Maya culture.
Although there are control systems in
place there, Julio Madrid, delegate from
the National Council of Protected Areas
(CONAP) in Petén, acknowledged that it
is a difficult task because there are
just 300 rangers for the entire forest.
The smuggling of animals from the area
has become a common activity. "There is
a technical unit for control and
protection that is in charge of the
animals confiscated (from the
traffickers), which are then taken to a
rescue centre," Madrid told Tierramérica.
That was the fate, for example, of the
animals discovered when they were
brought into the United States in
December 2009. The shipment, addressed
to Bruce Edelman Reptiles Imports and
Exports, Inc. in Miami, triggered doubts
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
which then alerted Guatemalan officials.
The shipment included 300 green iguanas
and an indeterminate number of turtles,
frogs and tarantula spiders -- all
threatened species.
The alert from the U.S. led CONAP to
discover that the company Zooservicios,
which sent the shipment, had
authorisation only to trade in iguanas.
Although the iguanas also are at risk of
extinction, the ones confiscated in
Miami were hatched in captivity and
could therefore be sold legally, CONAP
wildlife director Kurt Dutches explained
to Tierramérica.
"There are companies in this country
dedicated to reproducing white-tailed
deer, frogs, iguanas and other animals,
which can be exported under regulation
and prior compliance with the law,"
which establishes authorisation only
"for those animals produced in
captivity" at least second generation,
he said.
The confirmation of the illegality of
the other animals led to the
cancellation in March of Zooservicios's
operating permit.
It wasn't the first time that the firm
had used such a ruse to sell wildlife.
Between November 2008 and April 2009,
Zooservicios had sent 5,112 animals to
Miami, all illegally, according to a
CONAP investigation, which led to a
federal lawsuit filed Jan. 11.
Another case of contraband came to light
Mar. 12, when police found a home in
Guatemala City with more than 70 wild
animals, including macaws, deer,
peacocks, pheasants, raccoons, parrots,
parakeets, toucans and capuchin monkeys.
CONAP reports that Guatemala has 1,600
species of flora and 740 species of
fauna in danger of extinction.
The environmental protection law enacted
in 1996, which created CONAP,
establishes a prison term of five to 10
years and a fine of 1,250 to 2,500
dollars for the crime of trafficking in
endangered species.
According to the authorities, there is a
long list of animals in great demand
abroad, especially in the United States
and Europe, where they are sold as
exotic pets.
Among them are the green iguana (Iguana
iguana), desert iguana (Dipsosaurus
dorsalis), red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis
callidryas), green-eyed frog (Lithobates
vibicarius), as well as snakes,
tarantulas and turtles.
Veterinarian Fernando Martínez, of the
non-governmental Wildlife Rescue and
Conservation Society and the Wildlife
Rescue Centre, told Tierramérica that
300 to 500 animals go through the rescue
centre each year, most of which come
from illegal trade.
"We have seen that there is less animal
trafficking each year," said the expert.
However, he was quick to point out that
it isn't the result of better
enforcement, but rather "the loss of
natural habitat in the reserve, because
every year the farm frontier expands,"
and with it, there is greater
deforestation.
For Martínez, the lack of resources is a
serious impediment to protecting
biodiversity, and, in his opinion, the
government is not concerned enough about
the situation.
Beyond the illegal trade in wildlife,
Julio González, of the non-governmental
MadreSelva Environmental Collective,
said in comments to Tierramérica that
the changes in land use, the expansion
of monoculture farming, hydroelectric
dams and mining are important factors
behind the great loss of biodiversity.
He is calling for reforming the Law on
Protected Areas and the Forestry Law of
1996 in order to safeguard the
environment - and by association, the
lives of human beings.
(*This story was originally published by
Latin American newspapers that are part
of the Tierramérica network.
Tierramérica is a specialised news
service produced by IPS with the backing
of the United Nations Development
Programme, United Nations Environment
Programme and the World Bank.) |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
