Wildlife traders eye EU from new member states

Wildlife traders in countries poised to join the European Union have stocked up on illegal or endangered species hoping to sell them in the West on entry into the bloc on May 1, the World Wildlife Fund warned.

According to the report, more than a thousand endangered Kleinmann's Tortoises were smuggled into Poland and Malta between 2000 and 2002, many in preparation for sale to the EU.

There is also evidence that the threatened Saint Lucia Amazon Parrot and the Madagascar Tortoise are being illegally kept in the Czech Republic - species that can fetch several thousand euros on the EU black market, the report said.

Dealers in animals such as tortoises, parrots, snakes and lizards may exploit trade control differences between existing European Union countries and the 10 new members to smuggle protected species into western Europe, the WWF warned.

"Changes in border controls could pave the way for increased illegal trade in some of the world's most endangered species," said Cliona O'Brien, WWF wildlife trade officer, in a report by wildlife group Traffic, which monitors illegal wildlife trading.

"EU members already face many challenges in controlling illegal trade, and it's likely that new members will also struggle as they become gatekeepers to the EU," O'Brien said.