Smuggled coral saved at aquarium
BBC News 26 Jan 10;
Officials at Manchester Airport faced a "race against time" to save more than a tonne of live rock coral brought in illegally from Indonesia.
UK Border Agency officers made the discovery in a freight consignment after realising the coral had been wrongly described on the documentation.
The coral was transported to the Blue Planet Aquarium at Ellesmere Port to keep it alive.
The importation is under investigation, the UK Border Agency said.
Rock coral are protected under the Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species (CITES).
On display
A Border Agency spokeswoman said: "Following the discovery, UK Border Agency officers seized the coral and began a race against time to transport the coral to a specialist aquarium, the Blue Planet Aquarium at Cheshire Oaks.
"Thanks to the fast action of the officers, the corals have survived and will be on display to visitors at the aquarium shortly."
The UK Border Agency is now making further inquiries with the Indonesian authorities.
Colin Brown, the agency's assistant director of border force at Manchester Airport, said: "The illicit trade in endangered animals is a serious contributory factor to the threat of extinction faced by many endangered species.
"Anyone tempted to trade in protected creatures and plants should think again, and companies need to make sure they have the right paperwork before they import exotic animals into the UK."
