FIRST PROSECUTION UNDER AMENDED ENDANGERED SPECIES

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 002081 SIPDIS SIPDIS OES FOR BCATES USTR FOR AMATTICE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ECON ETRD ETTC EWWT SN SUBJECT: FIRST PROSECUTION UNDER AMENDED ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT REF: SINGAPORE 1046 ¶1. Singapore on June 16 sentenced an Indonesian national to five months in prison and a fine of S$20,000 (US$12,500) for possessing a species of turtle protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The offender will spend an extra two months in jail because he is unable to pay the fine. This was Singapore's first case tried under its recently-strengthened Endangered Species Act (reftel). The amended Act gives the Agri-Food Veterinary Authority (AVA) new powers to search and seize transshipped and transit cargo as it passes through the Singapore Free Trade Zone, i.e., outside of the country's customs territory. (Note: Such shipments account for 80 percent of Singapore's cargo traffic. End note.) ¶2. Singapore authorities arrested the Indonesian on June 13 after an informant alerted them that his boat contained over 2,500 endangered South Asian Box turtles. The Box turtles were destined for Hong Kong, but the Indonesian had stopped in Singapore to offload a shipment of non-CITES-scheduled turtles. Despite AVA's efforts, almost all the turtles died before AVA could return them to their natural habitat. CHARBONNET