Man sentenced 39 months for smuggling endangered parrot eggs

A Thai man was sentenced to 39 months in prison on Friday for smuggling 72 eggs from an endangered parrot species into Hong Kong. The conviction occurred at the District Court under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.

The 35-year-old was intercepted at the airport on January 25 last year, after arriving from South Africa via Ethiopia. Customs officers discovered a thermal bag containing the eggs in his carry-on luggage, connected to power banks. Initially, he falsely declared the eggs as belonging to the Cockatiel, a species not listed in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Further inspection by the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) officers revealed the eggs were from various CITES-listed endangered parrots. Forensic testing confirmed that 43 eggs belonged to Appendix I species like the military macaw and grey parrot, and 29 to Appendix II species including the white-fronted amazon and blue-and-yellow macaw. The total value of the seized eggs exceeded HK$1.2 million.

The man was charged with illegal import of endangered species and was convicted yesterday (Jan 17) at the District Court, having been sentenced to 39 months behind bars.

Parrot populations have been decimated by illegal trade, which incentivises poaching worldwide. With the exception of four species, all parrots have been listed on the CITES Appendices.

In Hong Kong, their international trade and local possession are regulated under the Ordinance, violating the Ordinance can lead to a fine of up to HK$10 million and 10 years’ imprisonment, with the illegal specimens forfeited.