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Do not buy their life

An exhibition “Do not buy their life” was opened yesterday, 12 March, at 2 p.m. in the Museum of Natural History (Lai 29 A).

The exhibition provides a dramatic insight into the grave impact of world-wide trade in, including illegal hunting of, species of wild flora and fauna, which has driven many species to the verge of extinction.

Today, rare species of flora and fauna as objects of illegal purchase and sale rank second after drugs. Yearly profit from such illegal business is estimated at USD 20 billion. For example, the price for a trained falcon on the world market reaches EEK 1.5 million and a hide of the Ounce costs EEK 850 thousand.  

Keeping of pets and growing of rare plants is increasingly popular and people are willing to pay very high prices for them. Therefore, the number of rare plants and animals purchased and sold yearly is dangerously high: up to 600 million tropical fish, 5 million birds, 10 million orchids and 8 million cactuses.

General concern about the excessive use of rare species lead to the signing of the Washington Convention in 1973. Estonia acceded to the Convention in 1992.
 
The Washington Convention is more commonly known to the public as CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The objective of the Convention is to regulate and control international trade in species of wild fauna and flora as well as the export and import of such species for other purposes.  

According to Helle Liht, Project Co-ordinator, the aim of the exhibition dedicated to CITES is to inform the public about the species which are in danger of extinction and also about the restrictions imposed on trade in such species.  

The exhibition will remain open until 10 April 2002.

The exhibition was arranged within the framework of the Ministry of Environment’s project on implementation of CITES, financed by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. 

Additional information: Helle Liht, Co-ordinator of the Project on implementation of CITES, tel.: 6737579, 050-45403
Triin Neemre, Senior Officer of Nature Conservation Department of the Ministry of Environment, tel.: 626 2882