TORONTO: Carbo Herbal Supplies Inc. and its Director, Mrs. Qin Zhou, pleaded guilty, to six counts under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA), for unlawfully importing protected species of turtles and tortoises without the proper permits. The company and its Director were fined $12,500 and $6,250 respectively, for a total penalty of $18,750 and ordered to forfeit all items seized during the investigation.
Two sea containers originating from Hong Kong were imported by Carbo Herbal Supplies Inc. in October 2013 and July 2014. Upon their arrival into Canada, the containers were inspected by Environment Canada enforcement officers in Vancouver and Toronto. The first shipment contained 945 turtle plastrons (bottom part of the shell), 2,454 turtle shells and 52 bags of turtle shell fragments, concealed within 815 cartons. Similarly, upon inspection of the second sea container, there were 224 bags of turtle shell fragments among 842 cartons.
The invoices accompanying the shipments did not list any of the animal parts. With the assistance of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, located in Drumheller, Alberta, parts were identified as belonging to five species of turtles and three species of tortoise, all of which are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
