Illicit Trade in Caviar 1. The Secretariat wishes to express its gratitude to those Parties that responded to its request for information concerning problems experienced in regulating the trade in caviar following the inclusion of all Acipenseriformes in Appendix II of the Convention, other than those already included in Appendix I. Attention is drawn to the following observations and Parties are encouraged, wherever possible, to communicate relevant information to their law enforcement agencies. As expected, intelligence indicates that unscrupulous traders are attempting to exploit the exemption for pre-Convention specimens under Article VII, paragraph 2, of the Convention by fraudulently declaring illegally obtained stocks as having been obtained prior to 1 April 1998. Parties are encouraged to employ the greatest possible care in processing applications to trade in such specimens, as this is the most effective means of combating these illicit activities.
Intelligence indicates that smuggling of illegally obtained caviar is prevalent.
One known method of such smuggling is in private motor cars, by private persons posing as tourists travelling from countries in the general area of the Caspian Sea to western Europe. The Secretariat is aware of non-party States having been approached by illicit traders who sought to exploit their lack of knowledge of the Convention to obtain documents to move illegally acquired consignments of caviar.