[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/","headline":"Taxidermy, tortoiseshell and tiger bone. The trade in endangered species and the law","name":"Taxidermy, tortoiseshell and tiger bone. The trade in endangered species and the law","description":"Endangered Species regulation European Council regulation 338\/97 introduced controls on the trade in endangered species within the European Union. In the UK, the police have been given statutory powers to enforce these controls by the COTES (Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997), as amended. These regulations apply in addition to the law [...]","datePublished":"2020-06-10","dateModified":"2025-05-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/author\/coby\/#Person","name":"coby","url":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/author\/coby\/","identifier":17,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/095b94eeb56f604e46bfd6673afa9194.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/095b94eeb56f604e46bfd6673afa9194.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AlexanderJLO London Law","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ajlo-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ajlo-logo.png","width":460,"height":275}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Taxidermy-tortoiseshell-and-tiger-bone.-The-trade-in-endangered-species-and-the-law.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Taxidermy-tortoiseshell-and-tiger-bone.-The-trade-in-endangered-species-and-the-law.jpg","height":853,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/","commentCount":"6","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2024-06-24 07:44:04","description":"Thank you Charles.\n\nBest wishes.\n\nPeter Johnson\nSenior Partner","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Peter Johnson","url":"https:\/\/www.reviewsolicitors.co.uk\/48002929\/peter-charles-johnson"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2024-06-24 05:50:30","description":"Very interesting thank you","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Charles Webster","url":""}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2024-06-24 05:42:30","description":"Thank you for your interest in our blog Lynda.\n\nA CITES certificate would be required before you could sell the item. It may also be required by a museum if you are to donate it to them. It largely depends upon the museum\u2019s policy.\n\nPeter Johnson \nSenior Partner","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Peter Johnson","url":"https:\/\/www.reviewsolicitors.co.uk\/48002929\/peter-charles-johnson"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#Comment4","dateCreated":"2024-06-23 17:24:30","description":"My mother bought a hauksbill turtle in west Africa 1972. Can I sell this or give it to a museum ?","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Lynda Clare Brown","url":""}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#Comment5","dateCreated":"2023-10-04 15:23:49","description":"Thank you for your interest in our blog, Tom.\r\n\r\nThe rules apply to all tortoiseshell items post 1947. See our updated blog https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/tortoiseshell-and-the-law-in-england-and-wales\/\r\n\r\nPeter Johnson\r\nSenior Partner","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Peter Johnson","url":""}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#Comment6","dateCreated":"2023-09-21 13:28:20","description":"Does this apply to items made of tortoise shell made before 1973?","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"t","url":""}}],"about":["Blog","General Interest"],"wordCount":451,"articleBody":"Endangered Species regulationEuropean Council regulation 338\/97 introduced controls on the trade in endangered species within the European Union. In the UK, the police have been given statutory powers to enforce these controls by the COTES (Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997), as amended. These regulations apply in addition to the law under the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to which the UK (along with another 148 countries) is a signatory.Illegal Trade in endangered speciesThe illegal trade in endangered species is a huge worldwide business making profits for the poachers, traffickers and traders alike. Most of the world\u2019s endangered species that are threatened by trade are killed to be made into products, which are then sold illegally.Types of endangered species productsEndangered species products come in many different forms, from traditional Chinese medicines, some of which are made from tigers, rhinos, bears and many other less well known, but equally endangered species of animals and plants, to ornamental and decorative items such as animal skins, taxidermy, ivory, tortoiseshell (made from sea turtle shells) and fashion items such as shahtoosh shawls, made from the wool of the endangered Tibetan antelope.COTES regulationsCOTES makes it an offence to sell, keep for sale, offer for sale, transport for sale, use for a commercial purpose, or purchase anything which claims to be made from a species in Annex A of the EC Council Regulation. How to check if you are buying products from endangered species?If you suspect that you are buying a product which contains endangered animal products you can check the species using the useful database available on the Species+ website,\u00a0which provides information in respect of both COTES and CITES.\u00a0The COTES regulations give the police the power to take action against the illegal trade in the UK and, therefore, contribute to international efforts to stop the illegal trade.At Alexander JLO we have decades of experience of dealing with all aspects of law and will be happy to discuss your case in a free no obligation consultation. Why not call us on\u00a0+44 (0)20 7537 7000, email us at info@london-law.co.uk or get in touch via the contact us button and see what we can do for you?This blog was prepared by Alexander JLO\u2019s senior partner, Peter Johnson on 10th June 2020 and is correct at the time of publication. With decades of experience in almost all areas of law Peter is happy to assist with any legal issue that you have. He is widely regarded as one of London\u2019s leading lawyers. His profile on the independent Review Solicitor website can be found Here   "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Taxidermy, tortoiseshell and tiger bone. The trade in endangered species and the law","item":"https:\/\/www.london-law.co.uk\/endangered-species-trade-law\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]