Court convicts a butterfly thief
Copyright 2000 Post-Courier (PNG)
December 12, 2000
A CANADIAN man has been found guilty in his own country for illegally trading in unique Papua New Guinea insects, including the endangered Queen Alexandra’s birdwing butterfly.
The court’s decision has been welcomed by wildlife agencies in Canada and PNG as unique and one that should serve as a deterrent for other illegal traders wanting to exploit PNG’s rich flora and fauna.
The Vancouver Provincial Court found last Friday that Gilles Deslisle of Quebec was guilty of two counts of receiving and paying for the butterfly specimens from a Northern Province man between 1997 and 1999.
Several other charges involving the purchase of other insect species from East Sepik Province did not get any conviction because the court had found there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Deslisle.
The Post-Courier was informed that had the PNG Office of Environment and Conservation played its part well, Deslisle would have been found guilty on the other charges as well.
Wildlife Canada’s wildlife investigator John Dyck said outside court that since there was a backlog of cases there, Deslisle would not be sentenced until April 6, 2001.
“We will be asking for a fine in the neighborhood of $US50,000 and a court order preventing Deslisle from possessing or in any way dealing in wildlife for at least five years,’’ he said.
“It is extremely significant that Deslisle was convicted of an ‘indictable offence’ as this ensures that he will have a criminal record in Canada and will make it extremely difficult for him to travel abroad.’’
Mr Dyck said it was now up to relevant PNG lawyers to look into the possibility of having Deslisle prohibited from travelling to PNG based on his conviction.
“I think that would send a very strong message to Deslisle as well as others who might be tempted to attempt similar transgressions,’’ he said.
Mr Dyck said he believed the court was likely to order that the butterflies be forfeited to the Canadian Government but suggested PNG lawyers should look at having the specimens returned to PNG, where they belong, for display in museums or for educational purposes.
Environment and Conservation director Dr Wari Iamo could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Deslisle was convicted on the evidence given in the Canadian Court by Northern Province villager Russell Hauro and former Oro Conservation Project director Tom Diwai.
The Oro Conservation Project was funded by AusAID for the preservation and breeding of Queen Alexandra’s butterfly but ceased when the project term expired last year.
The butterfly, which is only found in the Popondetta plains in Northern Province, is classified internationally as an endangered species, meaning there should be “no legal trade whatsoever’’.
It was alleged in court that in the past two years, Hauro was paid between $US200 and $US300 for a butterfly, which fetched an estimated US$10,000 and US$20,000 when sold on the black-market.
After a two-year investigation involving the governments of PNG and Canada, Deslisle was arrested and appeared before a Canadian court in May.
Canadian authorities had been keeping him under surveillance for some time before his arrest because they believed there had been smuggling of various species into Canada.
Mr Diwai, who now lives in Australia, welcomed the news of Deslisle’s conviction yesterday.
“This conviction is absolutely unique, it’s good news,’’ he said.
“It’s a very significant win and now it’s over to Papua New Guinea authorities to get their act together.’’