U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at Washington Dulles International Airport lately made two seizures after vacationers arriving from Vietnam arrived with prohibited objects.
The first traveler, who arrived on August 1 and was destined to Fairfax, Va., was referred to a secondary baggage examination. CBP agriculture specialists and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) inspectors found prohibited pork, but in addition discovered 77 dry seahorses, 5 jars of snail ointment, and 5 lifeless snakes.
The import of the seahorses, snakes, and snail ointment with out the required permits or documentation violated a number of legal guidelines and rules, together with provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the Lacey Act.
Additionally, uncertified pork merchandise from Vietnam are prohibited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of the potential introduction of the damaging African swine fever and swine vesicular illness.
The second traveler, who arrived on August 4 and was destined to San Francisco, was referred to a secondary baggage examination. CBP agriculture specialists and USFWS wildlife inspectors found 4 prohibited pork merchandise and 50 small bins of a business natural liquid drugs that listed its components as snake oil.
CBP agriculture specialists seized all prohibited merchandise and turned them over to USFWS inspectors. The USFWS regulates the importation of wildlife, together with snake oil and different wildlife components and merchandise.
“Though we may consider some animal-based products to be unusual, people in other parts of the world may consider them to be normal. However, travelers visiting the United States should understand that Customs and Border Protection is committed to protecting our nation’s agricultural industries and enforcing our wildlife and import laws which may result in the seizure of their animal-based products,” stated Christine Waugh, CBP’s Acting Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. “CBP agriculture specialists continue to work side-by-side with our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners to educate travelers by holding them accountable when they arrive with illegal or prohibited products.”
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the U.S. Endangered Species Act regulate the worldwide commerce in wildlife and animal-based merchandise.
“Travelers can help protect wildlife and themselves by knowing what they are allowed to bring with them, whether traveling to or from the United States. All wildlife items that are imported to or exported from the U.S. — parts, products, or live animals — must be accompanied by proper documentation and declared,” stated Ryan Noel, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement within the Northeast Region. “We are grateful for our close collaboration with partners like U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help prevent the exploitation of our fish and wildlife resources and safeguard public health through vigilance at our ports of entry.”
According to CITES, illicit wildlife commerce stays a world concern and is the main trigger pushing sure species to extinction.
The worldwide commerce in wildlife is estimated to be within the billions of {dollars}. Animals and crops are being exploited for all kinds of shopper items, together with reside and taxidermied specimens, meals merchandise, jewellery, clothes and accessories, musical devices, vacationer souvenirs, and plenty of extra merchandise. CITES is likely one of the main worldwide cooperation agreements that regulates lawful wildlife commerce with the aim to safeguard wildlife from over-exploitation.
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