German Man Caught with 40 Tons of Philippines Corals

[The Publisher]

A German arrested in the United States now awaits trial on charges of having tried to smuggle not a suitcase or two of contraband coral but 40 tons of it harvested off the coast of the Philippines.

Gunther Wenzek, owner of CoraPet in Essen, Germany, appeared in federal court last Friday in Alexandria after his arrest Wednesday at Washington's Dulles International Airport. He had been on his way to the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Fla.

The indictment alleges that Wenzek tried to smuggle the coral through the port in Portland, Ore., in 2007.

The coral came from the Philippines, which bans all coral exports. U.S. laws ban importation of wildlife harvested in violation of foreign laws.

Wenzek is expected to face trial in Portland, where a grand jury had indicted him in July 2008.

The indictment had been sealed so as not to tip off Wenzek before his trip to the Global Pet Expo.

According to the indictment, Wenzek over the years has sold coral to retailers in the United States.

"An investigation was launched in 2007 after Wenzek tried to ship a container loaded with fragments of endangered coral from reefs off the Philippine coast to Portland," the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement. "After this initial shipment, agents subsequently seized two full containers of endangered coral shipped by Wenzek to a customer in Portland. These two shipments made up a total of over 40 tons of coral."

Officials first began looking into Wenzek earlier in 2007 when a federal customs agent in Portland came across a shipment whose manifest stated it was rock, broken gravel and coral sand.

The agent felt it looked more like chunks of coral and sent it back to the Philippines but kept some for analysis — which later turned up an endangered species of coral.

Studies in recent years have concluded that coral around the world could become extinct by the end of this century if seas continue to warm.

Officials said that prosecuting the case was important to protect coral reefs and marine life in general.

"Preventing the further decline of coral reefs is of paramount importance in preserving our marine environment and fisheries," said John Cruden, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Andrew Bruckner, a biologist from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, added that "the removal of dead coral and live rock is of major concern for coral reefs, including those reefs protecting coastal communities from storms" by providing a natural barrier.

"These corals are the fundamental building blocks of the coral reef ecosystem," he added. "Unsustainable collection of coral frequently results in the loss of important nursery areas, feeding grounds, refuge for fish and invertebrates, and increased erosion of reef systems."

[Dsix36]

Officials said that prosecuting the case was important to protect coral reefs and marine life in general.

Just shot the a**hole and get it over with. That will be a serious wake up call to others also.

[acelockco]

Just shot the a**hole and get it over with. That will be a serious wake up call to others also.

Shoot him? That is too easy, I say hang him by the balls!

[NITROHOWARD]

Now don't hold back, how do you really feel?:d

[AsiaDiveParadise]

I wonder how he got all those corals and where exactly.

[The Publisher]

I too would like to know where and how he acquired 40 tones of coral!

More info below:

The corals seized have been identified as corals from the scientific order Scleractinia, genera Porites, Acropora, and Pocillopora, common to Philippine reefs. Due to the threat of extinction, stony corals, such as those seized in this case are protected by international law. Philippine law specifically forbids exports of all coral. Moreover, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) bars importation of the coral Wenzek tried to import to customers in the United States, absent a permit.

“Protection of coral reefs continues to play an important role in the Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement efforts both domestically and internationally, said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Preventing the further decline of coral reefs is of paramount importance in preserving our marine environment and fisheries.”

Andrew Bruckner, a biologist from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement said, “The removal of dead coral and live rock is of major concern for coral reefs, including those reefs protecting coastal communities from storms. These corals are the fundamental building blocks of the coral reef ecosystem. Unsustainable collection of coral frequently results in the loss of important nursery areas, feeding grounds, refuge for fish and invertebrates, and increased erosion of reef systems.”

Karin J. Immergut, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, said, “We will not allow criminals to profit from the illegal devastation of the world’s coral reefs. We will scour the globe for those responsible for this devastation and bring them to justice.”

“We appreciate the support from fellow law enforcement on this very important investigation,” said Paul Chang, Special Agent in Charge of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Region, based in Portland. “Stopping the type of criminal activity alleged in this case ranks among our highest priorities because of the very significant impact it has on the dwindling coral reefs of the world.”

The Lacey Act prohibits import, export, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition or purchase of fish, wildlife, or plants that are taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of any federal, state, tribal or foreign law.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney, Dwight Holton from the District of Oregon and Senior Trial Attorney J. Ronald Sutcliffe of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from the Eastern District of Virginia.

[acelockco]

by the balls!