18 September 2008

Increase of fees for permits and certificates under the Trade in Endangered Species Act

An increase in fees for permits under the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989 (TIES Act) has been announced today by the Department of Conservation (DOC). The TIES Act is New Zealand’s primary legislation to implement its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The fee increase is effective from 16 October 2008.

DOC’s Senior CITES Officer, Wendy Jackson says “Fees for permits and certificates issued under the TIES Act have not changed since 1991, and the increases have been introduced in order to reflect the real cost of issuing the various permits.”

Under the TIES Act, international trade of endangered species is regulated through a system of permitting. Both import and export of endangered species that are covered by the TIES Act require permits issued by DOC, which ensures that trade will not be detrimental to the long-term survival of the species in the wild.

“DOC issues hundreds of permits every year to regulate this trade and ensure that these endangered species are traded sustainably,” Wendy Jackson said.

In order to recover these costs, the fees for all permits will increase. For example, the most commonly issued import and export permits will increase from $40 to $80. These fees are prescribed in the Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 1991, and the increase in fees has been achieved by means of the Trade in Endangered Species Amendment Regulations 2008, which have been notified in the Gazette today.

International trade in endangered species is worth billions of dollars every year. Endangered species may be imported or exported for a number of reasons - exotic birds and reptiles as pets, herbs and plants for medicine, pieces of coral from a holiday, or ivory carvings or fur coats as part of a household move.

For more information about the TIES Act and how New Zealand is working with countries around the world to regulate trade in endangered species, please visit the DOC website: http://www.doc.govt.nz/CITES.

ENDS

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