Canadian and U.S. Wildlife Officers Break-Up Major Endangered Species Smuggling Ring

Environment Canada's Wildlife Enforcement Division along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries officers announced on September 26, 2007, that they had dismantled a major smuggling organization of queen conch meat, an internationally protected endangered species. The smuggling operation is believed to have been responsible for illegally importing and/or exporting 119,978 kilograms (263,953 lbs, the equivalent of nearly seven fully loaded semi trailers) of queen conch (Strombus gigas) meat from several Caribbean and South American countries to Canada and the United States.

Between November and December 2006, over 27 metric tonnes of falsely declared queen conch meat were detained by Environment Canada wildlife officers: in Montréal, 9,886 kilograms (21,750 lbs.), and Halifax, 17,672 kilograms (38,880 lbs.). This is the largest ever confiscations of smuggled endangered species in this country. Additionally, 955 kilograms (2,100 lbs.) were seized by U.S. officials in Buffalo, NY in March 2006.

According to documents filed in Canadian and American courts in September 2007, it is alleged that between 2004 and 2006, 119,978 kilograms of protected queen conch meat from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras, and Colombia was shipped to Canada using false descriptions to avoid detection by officials. Once in Canada, the meat was either sold on the local market or re-packaged, sometimes as 'whelk meat' (a non-endangered cold water species), and shipped to the United States. Charges have been laid in Canada and the U.S. against persons and companies located in Florida, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia. The investigation is continuing.

Twelve charges under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) were laid against Pacific Marine Union Corp. of Vancouver, BC and its CEO, Zamorro Gabriel Shone, also of Vancouver, BC.

Based on average weight per specimen, the meat of between 798,000 and 1.05 million individual conchs were illegally imported into and/or exported from Canada. DNA testing was used to positively identify the detained shipments from 2006 as being queen conch.

Queen conch, also known as pink conch, is protected under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Operation Shell Game, an 18-month long investigation, involved federal wildlife officers in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Florida. Canadian and U.S. border officials also contributed to the investigation.

CITES is an international agreement that regulates the trade of certain wild animal and plant species, including their parts, organs and derived products. In Canada, CITES is implemented by the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act. Under that Act, offences are punishable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $300,000 or imprisonment up to five years, or both. In the United States, the Lacey Act provides for penalties upon conviction of up to five years imprisonment and fines up to twice the profit made, in this case over $1 million U.S. dollars.

For more information:
Backgrounder full article (PDF)

For more information, please contact:

Sheldon Jordan
Director, Quebec Region
Environment Canada, Wildlife Enforcement Division
(418) 649-6124

James Gale
Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Region
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
(404) 679-7057