AR-News: (NZ) Growth in illegal plant smuggling

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

Jan 20, 2004


The Wildlife Enforcement Group is calling for more awareness of illegal plant 
trading, as smugglers earn tens of thousands of dollars selling endangered 
New Zealand orchids overseas.
Two men from Czech Republic have been charged under the Trade in Endangered 
Species Act after allegedly trying to smuggle a number of threatened and 
protected orchid species taken from national parks out of New Zealand.
The Wildlife Enforcement Group's investigator, Peter Younger, says there's a 
huge demand because many of New Zealand's orchid species are unique. He says 
the illegal trade in plants doesn't attract the same attention as other 
endangered species.



full story:
http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,249822-1-7,00.html



"The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.",
Albert Einstein

          /\  /\            
>' .' < 

Male meat-eaters have a 50% chance of dying of a heart attack. Vegetarian men 
have a 4% risk. US vegetarians have cholesterol levels 14% lower than 
meat-eaters; vegans (those who don't consume meat or dairy products) have levels 35% 
lower. JAMA, 1995;274:894











    
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