New Zealand's geckos may receive international protection from the threat of smuggling.
Unlike the tuatara, geckos are not included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
But Wildlife Enforcement Group spokesman Col Hitchcock says there would be a push to have them added
to the species covered by the agreement at a CITES meeting next year
Heightened security since the September 11 terrorist attacks and improved mail monitoring seem to have made a dent in the illegal gecko smuggling trade out of New Zealand, Mr Hitchcock said.
Reptile collecting is fashionable in North America, Europe and Japan where geckos are regarded as the perfect "low-maintenance" pet for wealthy apartment dwellers in crowded cities.
New Zealand gecko species are highly prized for their variety and because they are unique in giving birth to live young, said Mr Hitchcock, one of the three-member team set up by the Customs Service, Conservation Department and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to crack down on gecko smuggling.
"The common North Island green gecko can fetch US$3000 ($6780) a pair in the United States market. Rarer South Island species, such as the Harlequin which is only found on Stewart Island, can go for US$15,000 ($33,000) each on the black market," he said.
Smugglers frequently mail their live consignment, despite the risk that the geckos would not survive the trip.
In January last year, a German tourist was picked up at Auckland Airport trying to smuggle two green geckos out of the country in his Y-fronts. Last November a European gecko consignment was caught.
"September 11 has had an effect right across the board. The security went sky high and has remained high," said Mr Hitchcock.
Since the November interception, improved mail monitoring systems had been introduced.
"We don't believe we've missed any since then. But it's the age-old problem. You can't check everyone and everything," Mr Hitchcock said.
While it is illegal to catch, possess, buy, sell or trade geckos under the Wildlife Act, the reptiles have no protection outside New Zealand.
- NZPA
nzherald.co.nz/environment
