Tougher penalties on cards to fight wildlife smugglers

Manfred Bachmann used little tubes such as the black one at the top of this picture to conceal the geckos for smuggling. Photo / Supplied

The Government will consider tougher penalties for wildlife smugglers after a judge suggested a stronger deterrent was needed for people attracted by the big profits for our endangered species.

The call from Judge Jane Farish came as she was sentencing one of three foreigners who collaborated to smuggle endangered geckos out of New Zealand. The 16 jewelled geckos they tried to smuggle are estimated to be worth about $192,000 in the black market in Europe.

Yesterday, in the Christchurch District Court, German national Manfred Walter Bachmann, 55, was sentenced to 15 weeks' jail by Judge Farish. He had faced a maximum of six months in prison on each of the two charges against him. He will be deported after serving his time.

Thomas Benjamin Price, 31, of Switzerland, yesterday admitted possessing the protected geckos, while Gustavo Eduardo Toledo-Albarran, 28, from Mexico, admitted hunting them in an expedition on the Otago Peninsula. Both are likely to face short jail sentences.

Judge Farish told Bachmann at his sentencing: "Given the value of these creatures ... perhaps the penalty needs to be increased to deter you and other people from thinking it's appropriate to come here and steal these valuable creatures from our country."

Last month, another German national, Hans Kurt Kubus, 58, was jailed for 14 weeks and fined $5000 for trying to smuggle 24 geckos and 20 skinks out of Christchurch.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said there was merit in looking into stronger penalties for smugglers, and she would be asking the Department of Conservation (DoC) to investigate what measures could be taken.

"The fact that we have had a couple of cases in a relatively short time is some indication that perhaps those penalties are not sufficient of a deterrent".

In the latest smuggling plot, Toledo-Albarran and Price arrived in New Zealand early last month and planned an expedition to Otago Peninsula, where Toledo-Albarran spent numerous hours gathering the 16 jewelled geckos - at least nine of which were pregnant.

The pair packed the geckos in lengths of plastic tubing, sealed with cotton wool and insulation tape and containing only small breathing holes, for export out of the country - a method Judge Farish labelled "pretty appalling".

Senior DoC investigator Stuart Williamson said: "Who knows how long they were going to be in those tubes until they got to their intended destination?"

The geckos were handed to Bachmann for his role in the smuggling operation, and he was caught with them in his backpack after authorities received information. He claimed he had been duped into his part in the smuggling, but Judge Farish rejected this.

A fourth person thought to be involved has not been identified.

BLACK MARKET
* New Zealand's geckos are sought-after by collectors in the illegal animal trade, particularly in Europe.
* The conservative "street value" of jewelled geckos taken from Otago Peninsula last month for smuggling is $12,000 each.
* All of New Zealand's native green and brown geckos, including the jewelled gecko, are "absolutely protected" under the Wildlife Act.