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DEPUTY ENVIRONMENT MINISTER'S CONFESSION: ILLEGAL ANIMAL TRADE EXISTS BUT WE HAVEN'T UNCOVERED ANY ACTUAL EVIDENCE
Kristine Aghalaryan
11:35, February 23, 2015
While Armenia's Deputy Minister of Nature Protection Khachik Hakobyan
confesses that Armenia has a problem regarding the illegal trade of
endangered animals, the official also confesses there has been no
evidence of Armenia's involvement in the matter.
Hakobyan made the statement to reporters at a recent seminar in
Yerevan that explored ways to stem such illegal trade in animals.
He added that this is the reason why Armenia signed the CITES (the
1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora) in 2009.
The Ministry of Nature Protection, the body tasked with monitoring
such trafficking in Armenia, confesses that it only heard about the
problem through the pages of the press.
"Naturally, we followed up at the ministry and beefed up the monitoring
procedures," Hakobyan told Hetq.
When asked if the ministry had taken steps to return illegally imported
animals to Armenia to their countries of origin, Hakobyan replied
that law enforcement bodies were dealing with the matter and that, if
professional assistance was necessary, the ministry would get involved.
When asked to evaluate the work of the ministry, the body tasked with
coordinating the implementation of CITES regulations in Armenia,
Hakobyan answered, "I believe its activities are satisfactory and
should improve day by day. Proof of the process is this four day
seminar."
http://hetq.am/eng/news/58677/deputy-environment-ministers-confession-illegal-animal-trade-exists-but-we-havent-uncovered-any-actual-evidenc.html
Kristine Aghalaryan
11:35, February 23, 2015
While Armenia's Deputy Minister of Nature Protection Khachik Hakobyan
confesses that Armenia has a problem regarding the illegal trade of
endangered animals, the official also confesses there has been no
evidence of Armenia's involvement in the matter.
Hakobyan made the statement to reporters at a recent seminar in
Yerevan that explored ways to stem such illegal trade in animals.
He added that this is the reason why Armenia signed the CITES (the
1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora) in 2009.
The Ministry of Nature Protection, the body tasked with monitoring
such trafficking in Armenia, confesses that it only heard about the
problem through the pages of the press.
"Naturally, we followed up at the ministry and beefed up the monitoring
procedures," Hakobyan told Hetq.
When asked if the ministry had taken steps to return illegally imported
animals to Armenia to their countries of origin, Hakobyan replied
that law enforcement bodies were dealing with the matter and that, if
professional assistance was necessary, the ministry would get involved.
When asked to evaluate the work of the ministry, the body tasked with
coordinating the implementation of CITES regulations in Armenia,
Hakobyan answered, "I believe its activities are satisfactory and
should improve day by day. Proof of the process is this four day
seminar."
http://hetq.am/eng/news/58677/deputy-environment-ministers-confession-illegal-animal-trade-exists-but-we-havent-uncovered-any-actual-evidenc.html