Edmonton Man Pleads Guilty to Exporting Endangered Wildlife to the United States

EDMONTON, Alberta, September 13, 2004 – Joe Lian Ho LUAH plead guilty in Edmonton Provincial Court today to four indictable counts of illegally exporting Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus), an endangered freshwater fish species, from Canada into the United States.

The illegal exportations constituted violations under Canada’s Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA). This legislation is used to meet Canada’s international obligations to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Fines totaled $30 000 for the four offences, and an additional fine of $30 000 was also imposed for recovery of benefits accrued through these offences as provided in the WAPPRIITA legislation. A significant portion of the damages will be donated to the Calgary Zoo in support of their planned conservation and endangered species exhibit through the Environmental Damages Fund.

The Environmental Damages Fund is an account that holds funds received as compensation for environmental damage. The fund is used to remediate damage to the environment and to deter other parties from causing damage in the future.

These convictions were the result of a 22 month multi-agency investigation involving Environment Canada, RCMP Technological Crime and Commercial Crime Sections, United States Fish & Wildlife Service, California State Fish & Game Department, and Unites States Customs Service. These offences involved the legal importation of Asian Arowana into Canada under the CITES permitting system, and then illegally exporting these fish from Canada into the United States to meet the high black market demand for these ornamental fish. The fish were received in the United States by individual customers and by other persons who acted as distributors. Prosecution of individuals in the states of California and Texas by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is continuing.

Asian Arowana are an ancient fish, highly prized in the Asian culture as an emulation of the Dragon, and are a symbol of good luck and fortune. They occur in three different colors, and several different grades. A total of 72 Asian Arowana were illegally exported from Canada. The fish are valued at between $1000 to $5000 CDN each.

For additional information on the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act refer to:
http://www.cites.ec.gc.ca/eng/sct4/index_e.cfm

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