Fw: [primate-net] live animal trade - the road from DRCongo to USA

[Guest guest]

Forwarded to various news groups by request ...

 

While I haven't been following the details of these moves, it does seem a

bit odd that AZA is involved in these kinds of transactions ...

 

Jane

 

-

JAT434

lukuru

Thursday, May 25, 2006 7:02 AM

[primate-net] live animal trade - the road from DRCongo to USA

 

 

Earlier this month my attention was drawn to a press release and the

resulting media blitz related to a story trumpeting the " success " of a group

of six American zoos who " rescued orphaned monkeys " under the auspices of

the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Old World Monkey Taxon

Advisory Group (TAG). These six zoos -

San Diego Zoo, California;

Wildlife World Zoo, Litchfield Park, AZ;

Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, Florida;

Houston Zoo, Texas;

San Antonio Zoo, Texas; and

Denver Zoo, Colorado -- each stepped forward to " rescue " the

wild-caught monkeys from, as they told it, being sold as food or destined to

live in substandard, solitary conditions as exotic pets as part of the

hobbyist trade. As the tale was revealed, these 33 orphaned monkeys,

ranging in age from approximately one to five-years-old, were imported to

the Republic of South Africa (RSA) after being found as bushmeat trade

orphans in the markets of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These

monkeys were portrayed as bushmeat trade refugees lucky to escape their

homeland. My initial reaction was that these six complicit zoos should

immediately have their AZA accreditation revoked and a stiff financial

punishment imposed. But, this would never happen because the entire

activity was conducted under the banner of the AZA! Isn't this just an

exemplification of greedy Western zoos taking advantage of an opportunity to

pillage the natural resources of the DRC?

So I decided to visit the CITES Management Authority here in Kinshasa and

ask how this could have happened. The CITES Management Authority for DRC is

dually responsible as the Direction des Ressources Fauniques et Chasse, in

the office of the Ministère de l'Environnement, Conservation de la Nature,

Eaux et Forêts (the Environment Ministry). Tackling domestic and/or

international live animal trade is one of the challenges facing conservation

bodies in the DRC. Ideally, the CITES Management Authority in DRC is

charged with the responsibility for controlling this trade. But they need

support and cooperation.

 

Over the course of two days I learned that first an Import Permit had to be

issued by CITES, Republic of South Africa (RSA) to receive the monkeys that

originally left the DRC. All of the CITES transactions are then registered

in the headquarters office in Geneva, Switzerland.

In Africa, the individual behind this particular incident of animal trade is

named Mr. Mike BESTER. He is well known (i.e. notorious) for trafficking

animals out of central Africa and the CITES Authorities in Kinshasa know his

name. To conduct his deals he uses national collaborators to import and

export. In RSA he uses a South African man called Mr. ULU-AVARIES who

applies for the Importation permits. The destination in RSA is the Bester

Birds and Animal Zoo Park. However, the address used on the Export Permit

application was: 95 President Street, Potchefstroom, North West Province,

RSA.

Mr. ULU-AVARIES then provided the CITES Import permit to Mr. BESTER. So,

CITES was involved in this from the very start … their participation enabled

this to go forward! In DRC Mr. BESTER uses a Congolese business man named

Mr. Martin BYART. According to the Export Permit, Mr. BYART runs a wildlife

export business here in Kinshasa, called BYART BIRDS. There was no address

recorded on the documentation. Coincidentally, on 22 September 2005 the DRC

Environment Minister inaugurated a new facility for breeding and raising

wildlife. This new 100 hectares farm is in the township of NSele and is

called the " BYART Breeding Farm " . Mr. Martin BYART is the director of the

farm.

 

With the CITES Import Permits for RSA, Mr. BESTER could then have Mr. BYART

apply for CITES Export Permits. This was done without incident. I asked

why the DRC authorities were not alarmed by the large number of monkeys

being taken by this one person … that clearly this activity was for

commercial purposes. Since there was already CITES authorization to import

to the RSA, the DRC officials felt that it was indisputable. In fact, they

consider that since the species of monkeys concerned are classified in

Appendix II of the CITES Convention, there is no problem on permitting them

to be merchandised. Additionally, the exporter is one of the wildlife trade

operators formally recognized by the Environment Ministry. Since there was

both a CITES permit issued for export and import and all transportation

conditions were met, no avenue existed to interrupt this live animal

transaction.

As far as I was able to discover, there were actually at least three permits

issued relative to this exportation ... but it seems likely that there were

more. All three permits were issued in January 2005. The exporter then has

six months to make the move. Following, I have identified the number on the

permits I know about, the species authorized for export, and the number of

animals of each species in parenthesis ... exactly as it was written on the

forms.

 

Permit # 1126:

Cercopithecus l'hoesti (1);

Cercopithecus talapoin (4);

Cercopithecus neglectus (8);

Cercocebus aterrimus (5).

 

Permit #1127 :

Cercopithecus ascanius (11) ;

Cercopithecus nictitans (1) ;

Cercopithecus pogonias (1).

 

Permit #1128

Colobus angolensis (1) ;

Colobus guereza (1) ;

Cercopithecus wolfi (1).

 

Please note that Cercopithecus pogonias does not occur in the DRCongo except

a very limited area along the northwestern border with Congo Republic, this

is probably a misidentification of the mona species we have here. And

Colobus guereza is limited to the northern region of the country.

Note - - there are 34 monkeys listed on these 3 export permits. Imported

into the USA were eight black mangabey (Cercocebus / Lophocebus aterrimis),

eight Schmidt's spot-nosed guenon (Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti), five

DeBrazza's guenon (Cercopithecus neglectus), six Allen's swamp monkey

(Allenopithecus nigroviridis ) and six Wolf's guenon (Cercopithecus wolfi).

San Diego received four Allen's swamp monkeys and one Debrazza's guenon. A

second Debrazza's guenon flunked a tuberculosis test and remained in South

Africa until it no longer tests positive. You will notice that the species

and numbers re-imported from RSA to the USA do not match the export species

and numbers leaving the DRC. This indicates that there was probably

additional permits issued but these were not revealed to me; there were

additional monkeys involved. Thus an unknown number of monkeys must have

died in the process between January 2005 and March 2006.

Once in the RSA, Mr. BESTER than had to find a buyer. The Johannesburg Zoo

refused these monkeys questioning their origin and being unwilling to pay

BESTER's high prices. So, he had to continue his quest. It took some time,

but not too long for the American zoos to take the bait. The AZA liaison

for this transaction commented that she felt the trader was credible ...

" just a businessman who had bought the monkeys in Congo in hopes of making a

profit by selling them in more prosperous South Africa, where the sale of

exotic pets is legal. "

 

Now we get the " good guy " PR spin as the AZA presents a story that might be

more palatable for the general public than the truth. I cringed when I read

that an executive of the AZA was quoted as saying, " Orphaned baby primates

are often taken off of the dead adults and sold in the markets of these

countries. " I wonder if he would agree to rephrase his comment to admit

that these primates were then " sold in the international market of the US

zoos. Another party to this live animal trade stated that she does not put

a price tag on her animals. But we know that the six zoos paid $400,000 to

keep the monkeys under quarantine in South Africa, have them tended by

veterinarians and then flown to the United States. The San Diego Zoo, the

most heavily visited zoo in the nation, paid $80,000 of the total.

 

This unacceptable commercialization of primates on the part of the AZA and

the six American zoos only serves to perpetuate and heighten the trade in

live animals. Yes, I understand that there was a moment when their

conscience made them pause to recognize the ramifications of their actions.

But they glossed over that responsibility by excusing their actions with an

unfulfilled promise to send out a " cautionary word " in animal circles. They

legitimized this live animal commercial trade by proposing to post signs at

the incriminate zoos that will tell the monkeys' story. But what story …

the truth or the PR fabrication.

This is an abomination! There is nothing about this transaction that

relates to rescue or saving species'. This was pure and simple commerce at

the expense of wild primate populations! The AZA is grossly culpable ...

the blood of all the monkeys murdered in the process of the capture of these

imported monkeys and all those who will/have died as a result of this

activity flaming the commercial enterprise in live animal trade. This

undoes so much of what conservation groups and individuals, including park

personnel, sacrifice and even risk their lives to affect. I'm outraged!!!

 

-----

Dr. Jo Thompson, Director

Lukuru Wildlife Research Project

Democratic Republic of Congo

Avenue de la Montagne, No. 1

MaCampagne Commune

Kinshasa

Tel: (+243) 081 075 6403