Environment Canada Investigation
intoIllegal Importation of 30,000 Pieces
of African Elephant Ivory Leads to Prosecution
Richmond, British Columbia - October 12,
2007 - Yuk Ming (Peter) Ho of Richmond,
British Columbia received a $9,000.00 fine
yesterday after pleading guilty in Richmond
Provincial Court to illegally importing
over 30,000 pieces of Africanelephant ivory.
Mr. Ho was also ordered to pay a further
$9,000.00 to TRAFFIC, (a division of the
World Wildlife Fund,) to support programs
for the conservation of the African elephant,
and to forfeit all of the ivory seized during
the investigation whichwildlife officers
have estimated to be worth over $100,000.00
at the retail level.
The penalty reflected the level of endangerment
of the species involved as well as the commercial
nature of the amount involved in the case.
This is the largest Canadian ivory case
investigated by Environment Canada's Wildlife
Enforcement Division in recent years.
The items seized by Environment Canada
included various carvings, jewelry and other
crafts which were all derived from African
elephant.
Environment Canada's investigation established
that while Mr. Ho was in Hong Kong in February,
2005 he sent himself the parcel in question
using a false name and Hong Kong address.
The small carvings were initially detected
by Canada Border Services Agency Officers
at the International Mail Centre in Vancouver,
who then referred the items to Environment
Canada for identification and investigation.
The investigation was greatly assisted by
the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Conservation in Hong Kong, who worked
in tandem with Environment Canada to verify
information regarding the export of the
ivory involved in this case.
Endangered species of animals and plants,
including African elephant, are listed under
the Convention on International Trade of
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES). African elephant and their parts
are therefore protected under Canada's Wild
Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation
of International and Interprovincial Trade
Act (WAPPRIITA) and its regulations.
Environment Canada is the lead agency responsible
for implementing CITES on behalf of the
Government of Canada. CITES sets controls,
through a permit system, on the international
trade and movement of animal and plant species
that are endangered, or have been, or may
be, threatened due to excessive commercial
exploitation.
Micheline Brodeur
Senior Communications Advisor
