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LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian customs said they seized more
than 1,600 parrots and canaries that were being transported from
Lagos international airport to Kuwait without a permit, in one
the biggest wildlife trafficking seizures in years.
The seizure is a sign of positive change in the fight against
illegal wildlife trade, as Nigeria is a major hub in the global
trade in protected species, Mark Ofua, West Africa spokesperson
for the international non-governmental organization Wild Africa,
told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Customs agents seized ring-necked parakeets and green and yellow
fronted canaries, two protected species, at the airport on July
31, the agency said in a statement late Monday.
Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES.
The statement by the customs agency said the shipment were not
accompanied by a CITES permit and other documents required to
prove the birds were legally obtained.
Nigerian customs said an investigation to find those responsible
for the illicit cargo is ongoing, and that the birds will be
handed to the National Parks Service for rehabilitation and
release into the wild.
Ofua said Nigeria’s porous borders, widespread corruption, and
weak enforcement make it a key transit point for ivory, pangolin
scales and other wildlife products destined for Asia.
Global illegal wildlife trafficking is valued at $8–10 billion
annually, he added.
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