§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to tackle the trade in bushmeat(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) internationally. [25811]
§ Mr. MorleyIn the UK our concern about the effects of the bushmeat trade on endangered species led in early 1999 to our drawing the issue to the attention of the UK's Tropical Forest Forum, encouraging it to establish a UK Bushmeat Working Group. The group, supported with funding from the Department, brings together all those in the UK with an interest (Government Departments, conservation NGOs, the timber trade and others) and ensures that information on actions and opportunities for addressing the bushmeat problem is pooled and disseminated as widely as possible. We shall continue to support this initiative.
Internationally, many animals hunted and traded as bushmeat are listed in the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Any international trade in these animals, their parts or derivatives is therefore either banned completely or controlled by means of a permitting system. Due to increasing international trade in bushmeat and its impact on listed species, the Department raised the issue within CITES in April 2000. We were successful in our proposal that a CITES Bushmeat Working Group be established, and the Department provided £55,000 towards this. To support the group's work we have commissioned research to analyse existing knowledge and expertise on the bushmeat trade in west and central Africa, highlight gaps in data and understanding, and make recommendations for further action. We intend presenting the results of this research to the next meeting of the working group. The CITES conference taking place in November 2002 will assess the group's progress and consider any further action required.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the extent of the trade of bushmeat into the United Kingdom. [25810]
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§ Mr. MorleyMany animals hunted and traded as bushmeat are listed in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Any international trade in these animals, their parts or derivatives is therefore either banned completely or controlled by means of a permitting system. Other animals which may be defined as bushmeat, such as small game animals, may be traded legally under Community rules. Since April last year 1,136 seizures of illegally imported animal products have been made of which 55 have been identified as bushmeat.