(IN): Czech duo may be part of insect smuggling racket

[Guest guest]

Azam, thanks for these posts as this case is important, as is the one that

should be titled ³Ian Baker, American Writer, Rips Off Nepal² - details

here:

 

http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews & id=64329

 

What these two cases indicate is that folks that know better often do wrong

in the areas of animal protection, and often for personal gain. Whether you

are a personality associated with NatGeo or a well-known scientist, or as in

the case below, a medical team purporting to help the poor Nepalese Monkey

overcome a mysterious disease, beware, there are laws in India and Nepal

that some western folks refuse to obey. Read below for a case where

researchers were allowed to conduct tests on Rhesus Monkeys at a local

temple under the guise of helping these animals, and we only find out later

that the plan was to begin an export of these Nepali icons to medical labs

in the USA:

 

http://www.stopmonkeybusiness.org/pressclippings.html

 

Let¹s hope the general public takes note...

Jigs in Nepal

 

 

AZAM SIDDIQUI <azam24x7

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:12:42 +0530

aapn <aapn >

(IN): Czech duo may be part of insect smuggling racket

 

Link:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Czech_duo_may_be_part_of_

insect_smuggling_racket/articleshow/3216655.cms

 

*Czech duo may be part of insect smuggling racket*

10 Jul 2008, 0539 hrs IST,TNN

 

KOLKATA: The arrest in Darjeeling of two Czech nationals — who introduced

themselves as a scientist and a forester and collected several rare species

of butterflies and insects without permission from the forest department —

has literally opened a can of worms.

 

Forest officials fear that they trespassed into Singalila National Park with

a motive. And they might be part of a global network that trades in

endangered varieties of butterflies and insects that fetch millions of

dollars in the international market.

 

According to the forest department, one of the arrested, Peter Svacha, even

has a website on which he has posted offers to sell some rare butterflies.

Svacha and his companion Emil Kucera — who claimed to be a forester — were

remanded in jail custody till July 21 by the Darjeeling court on Wednesday.

 

Forest officials seized 60 butterflies, over a dozen rare varieties of

beetles and moths from them after their arrest from a Darjeeling hotel on

June 22. The catch, made at the national park in Darjeeling, is estimated to

be worth Rs 10 crore in the international market. It has been sent to the

Zoological Survey of India for analysis.

 

Investigators are proceed-ing cautiously because the accused scientist is

apparently well known and finds mention on several websites.

 

Seshmani Gurung, defence lawyer for the duo, said: " I could not attend the

hearing because of the ceasework at court. I will advise my clients to write

to the political party that has called the strike in government offices and

to the Bar council to open the court for proceedings. "

 

While the butterflies are listed in Schedule I, the beetles are included in

Schedule II of the Wild Life Protection Act. Neither Svacha nor Kucera had

clearance or permission to collect butterflies from Singalila National Park.

 

" But they were carrying all the necessary equipment, which shows they had

come with a purpose. It can't be that they were not aware that permission

had to be sought. The two had insect catching nets, an axe, a saw, a lamp

and glue. They were even carrying preservatives. We suspect the butterflies

and insects would either have been smuggled to China or to some European

country from the Czech Republic, " said Utpal Nag, assistant divisional

forest officer of Darjeeling. " Both are well aware of the forest rules and

regulations in India and had done an extensive study on Indian biodiversity.

This could be the tip of an iceberg. "

 

Darjeeling and the Dooars are considered among the richest in the world in

terms of biodiversity. The area is home to 120 rare species of butterflies

that have a huge market in at least 16 countries including China, US and

Tibet. Last year, a German national was caught collecting insects from

Darjeeling.

 

" Bio-piracy is rampant in the eastern Himalayas. Just 3-4 cases have come to

light in the last 10 years while the rest went unnoticed. Usually foreigners

operate in the area posing as scientists. This is a cause for concern, " said

Deepankar Ghosh, senior coordinator of WWF India.

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks Jiggy,

 

Let us unearth or bring into light all the relevant data/ statistics/

research that we probably can and contribute to the enforcement agencies who

are working hard to expose this international nexus in wildlife trade.

 

Thanks for the links which you have posted the crimes may involve different

species but the modus operandi and the objective could be the same- Illegal

Wildlife Trade.

 

Here are the contact details of the West Bengal Forest Department in case

any of us would like to share some info with them in confidence can do so by

contacting them:

http://westbengalforest.gov.in/contact.htm

 

We should be thankful to the Forest department of West Bengal for puting up

such a brave fight with perhaps one of the strongest lobby of gentlemen.

Just have a look at the kind of support this Czech due have been getting

from worldwide for their misdeeds that stands tall at 807:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?wgircn2 & 1

 

Sadly we stand at a low compared to them at just 93 as of now:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?soswild

 

Some of our Wildlife Friends and AAPN member have also defended the

scientist, I would not take names, you may take note of it while visiting

the petition.

I do not know if the support is out of simple compassion towards mankind or

does it need further probe as another form of conspiracy to see the

exploitation of Asian species rather than help for its protection.

 

Whatever it is we would soon know.

 

regards,

 

Azam

 

 

 

 

 

On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 10:12 AM, Herojig <herojig wrote:

 

> Azam, thanks for these posts as this case is important, as is the one

> that should be titled " Ian Baker, American Writer, Rips Off Nepal " - details

> here:

>

> http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews & id=64329

>

> What these two cases indicate is that folks that know better often do wrong

> in the areas of animal protection, and often for personal gain. Whether you

> are a personality associated with NatGeo or a well-known scientist, or as in

> the case below, a medical team purporting to help the poor Nepalese Monkey

> overcome a mysterious disease, beware, there are laws in India and Nepal

> that some western folks refuse to obey. Read below for a case where

> researchers were allowed to conduct tests on Rhesus Monkeys at a local

> temple under the guise of helping these animals, and we only find out later

> that the plan was to begin an export of these Nepali icons to medical labs

> in the USA:

>

> http://www.stopmonkeybusiness.org/pressclippings.html

>

> Let's hope the general public takes note...

> Jigs in Nepal

>

> ------------------------------

> **AZAM SIDDIQUI <azam24x7

> **Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:12:42 +0530

> **aapn <aapn >

> ** (IN): Czech duo may be part of insect smuggling racket

>

> Link:

>

>

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Czech_duo_may_be_part_of_inse\

ct_smuggling_racket/articleshow/3216655.cms

>

> *Czech duo may be part of insect smuggling racket*

> 10 Jul 2008, 0539 hrs IST,TNN

>

> KOLKATA: The arrest in Darjeeling of two Czech nationals ˜ who introduced

> themselves as a scientist and a forester and collected several rare species

> of butterflies and insects without permission from the forest department ˜

> has literally opened a can of worms.

>

> Forest officials fear that they trespassed into Singalila National Park

> with

> a motive. And they might be part of a global network that trades in

> endangered varieties of butterflies and insects that fetch millions of

> dollars in the international market.

>

> According to the forest department, one of the arrested, Peter Svacha, even

> has a website on which he has posted offers to sell some rare butterflies.

> Svacha and his companion Emil Kucera ˜ who claimed to be a forester ˜ were

> remanded in jail custody till July 21 by the Darjeeling court on Wednesday.

>

> Forest officials seized 60 butterflies, over a dozen rare varieties of

> beetles and moths from them after their arrest from a Darjeeling hotel on

> June 22. The catch, made at the national park in Darjeeling, is estimated

> to

> be worth Rs 10 crore in the international market. It has been sent to the

> Zoological Survey of India for analysis.

>

> Investigators are proceed-ing cautiously because the accused scientist is

> apparently well known and finds mention on several websites.

>

> Seshmani Gurung, defence lawyer for the duo, said: " I could not attend the

> hearing because of the ceasework at court. I will advise my clients to

> write

> to the political party that has called the strike in government offices and

> to the Bar council to open the court for proceedings. "

>

> While the butterflies are listed in Schedule I, the beetles are included in

> Schedule II of the Wild Life Protection Act. Neither Svacha nor Kucera had

> clearance or permission to collect butterflies from Singalila National

> Park.

>

> " But they were carrying all the necessary equipment, which shows they had

> come with a purpose. It can't be that they were not aware that permission

> had to be sought. The two had insect catching nets, an axe, a saw, a lamp

> and glue. They were even carrying preservatives. We suspect the butterflies

> and insects would either have been smuggled to China or to some European

> country from the Czech Republic, " said Utpal Nag, assistant divisional

> forest officer of Darjeeling. " Both are well aware of the forest rules and

> regulations in India and had done an extensive study on Indian

> biodiversity.

> This could be the tip of an iceberg. "

>

> Darjeeling and the Dooars are considered among the richest in the world in

> terms of biodiversity. The area is home to 120 rare species of butterflies

> that have a huge market in at least 16 countries including China, US and

> Tibet. Last year, a German national was caught collecting insects from

> Darjeeling.

>

> " Bio-piracy is rampant in the eastern Himalayas. Just 3-4 cases have come

> to

> light in the last 10 years while the rest went unnoticed. Usually

> foreigners

> operate in the area posing as scientists. This is a cause for concern, "

> said

> Deepankar Ghosh, senior coordinator of WWF India.

>

> --

> United against elephant polo

> http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

> http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui

>

>

>