OTTAWA,
Ontario, August 7 2008 -- Canada's Environment
Minister John Baird today congratulated
Canadian and American enforcement officers
for a big victory in the battle against
international elephant ivory smuggling.
After a multi-year,
cross-border investigation, a major ivory
smuggler was sentenced to five years in
a federal prison in the United States and
ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 US.
"When it comes
to environmental protection, Canada is taking
the lead through a $22 million investment
to increase enforcement efforts to stop
illegal activities like these," said
Minister Baird."I am pleased to see
the cooperative success of both Canadian
and U.S. officials which has resulted in
one of the most significant sentences ever
for ivory smuggling in North America."
Former Montréal
resident, Tania Julie Siyam, 32 years old,
pleaded guilty to charges in U.S. District
Court, Akron, Ohio. Siyam smuggled African
elephant ivory from Cameroon to the U.S.,
both directly into and through Canada.
The $100,000 fine will
be given to the African Elephant Conservation
Fund which supports projects that enhance
sustainable conservation programs to ensure
effective, long-term conservation of African
elephants.
Wild populations of
African elephants, the main source of ivory,
have dropped by approximately 75% in the
last 40 years. They are protected by the
Convention on the International Trade of
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES), which strictly controls international
trade in ivory, and thousands of other threatened
species and their products and derivatives.
Canadais one of 172
CITES member countries work closely together
to stop the illegal trade of endangered
plants and animals.
The public is invited
to report incidents of smuggling wildlife
to Environment Canada toll free at 1-800-668-6767.
For more information on the CITES in Canada,
please visit www.cites.ca.
Chris Day
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
