Holidays fuelling wildlife trade

Elephant products were among the more common wildlife souvenirs

More than 600,000 Britons have brought wildlife souvenirs back from holidays abroad since 2001, a survey indicates.

The figure is based on a YouGov poll of 2,301 adults for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw).

Ifaw is asking tourists to think twice before buying items containing animal material; it may come from threatened species, and importing may be illegal.

The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) is to raise awareness of the issue among its members.

The Ifaw survey found that about 1.5% of British holidaymakers brought back wildlife souvenirs, with coral-based goods being the most common.

Elephant items, animal teeth, claws or jaw, and wild animal skins were also purchased regularly.

"Most of these souvenirs are being bought unwittingly, simply because travellers are confused by the complex laws governing trade in wild animals or because they just aren't aware of them," said Ifaw wildlife campaigner Nikki Kelly.

"Worse still, wildlife souvenirs are often sold so openly abroad that many tourists mistakenly believe they must be legal."

Trade in products from animals at risk of extinction is controlled by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), and individual countries may also have their own laws preventing export.

Information gap

Nearly two-thirds of the 2,301 British adults polled by YouGov felt they had not been given enough information by travel companies on the issue; only 15% had received any information.

Abta aims to improve this situation by linking up with the Ifaw campaign.

"Many tour operators have notices in their brochures already, but we are raising awareness a bit more," said Abta spokesman Sean Tipton.

"We have a weekly newsletter going out to all our members in which we will be pointing up the issues; we'll also be circulating Ifaw's leaflets, and encouraging those companies which haven't already done so to put notices in their brochures," he told the BBC News website.

UK customs officials intercept thousands of illegally imported items each year.

In 2003/4, HM Revenue and Customs seized more than 2,000 live animals and 4,500 parts of animals whose trade is prohibited under Cites. A further three million samples of traditional medicines containing prohibited species were also seized.