No. 786                                      Geneva, 10 March 1994


CONCERNING:


                     Trade in Geochelone spp.


1.The  Secretariat  is  aware that several Management  Authorities
  have   issued   export   permits  and   re-export   certificates
  authorizing trade in specimens of Geochelone elegans, Geochelone
  gigantea  and Geochelone pardalis (all of which are  Appendix-II
  species),  declared  as  bred in captivity  and  indicating  the
  country of origin as Myanmar, Seychelles, the United Republic of
  Tanzania or the United Arab Emirates.

2.For the countries noted above:

     a)    to  the  Secretariat's knowledge, wild  populations  of
     these  species  either do not exist or, in cases  where  they
     exist,  their commercial trade may be prohibited as a  result
     of more restrictive legislation; or

     b)    the  Secretariat  is  not satisfied  that  there  exist
     commercial  captive-breeding operations  for  these  species,
     although  information on such operations has  been  requested
     from those countries by the Secretariat.

3.Several  re-export certificates for trade in specimens of  these
  species  have  indicated that the specimens are  pre-Convention,
  without  noting  their date of acquisition, in contravention  of
  Resolutions Conf. 5.11 and Conf. 8.5.

4.The Secretariat has received information from experts indicating
  that  it is not possible to breed in captivity the large numbers
  of  specimens  of G. elegans that are being exported,  and  that
  such  specimens  are  believed to be  wild-caught,  having  been
  illegally imported from other countries.

5.In addition, the Secretariat has discovered the existence of one
  forged Zairian permit for the export of wild-caught specimens of
  G. gigantea, a species which does not occur in Zaire.

6.Considering  the  above information, the Secretariat  recommends
  that   the  Parties  not  accept  export  permits  or  re-export
  certificates for trade in captive-bred or wild-caught  specimens
  of  G.  elegans,  G.  gigantea and  G.  pardalis  without  first
  checking  with  the  Secretariat as  to  the  validity  of  such
  documents.