VZCZCXRO1391
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGP #2081 1780812
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 270812Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0419
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6028
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