Ivory: Sales
(asked on 18th July 2017) - View Source
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions there have been for the illegal trade in ivory in each of the last five years.
A number of offences controlling the international trade in endangered species are created by the COTES Regulations 1997.
Regulation 3: offences concerning false statements or notifications.
Regulation 4: offences of altering or wrongfully using a permit, certificate or import notification.
Regulation 6: contravening conditions or requirements of permits or certificates.
Regulation 8: offences of purchasing, acquiring, selling any specimen of a species for commercial purposes.
Although it is not possible to identify the number of prosecutions of particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the COTES Regulations 1997 and Section 170(2) CEMA 1979 during each of the last five years. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.
| 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 |
Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 { 3 } | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 { 4 } | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 { 6 } | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 { 8 } | 23 | 52 | 33 | 32 | 56 |
Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 { 170(2) } | 755 | 699 | 826 | 856 | 749 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System |
It is not possible to separately identify offences which concern the illegal trade in ivory or ivory products from other unlawful international trade in endangered species.