Peter Fraser 67 years of Bardsey Place, Longbenton appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates Court yesterday (06/04/2016) where he pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation and 7 offences contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. The offences all related to the illegal trade in birds’ eggs.
In November 2015 the National Wildlife Crime Unit received information from the RSPB that a man was offering a Tibetan Snowcock egg for sale on Ebay. The species is included on Annex ‘A’ to the COTES Regulations and the sale of such species is prohibited. The NWCU was able to identify the seller as Peter Fraser. Officers examined Fraser’s trading records and found that he was predominantly trading in replica birds eggs, however records showed that he had also offered real birds’ eggs for sale, including a number of species included on Annex ‘A’. Records held by the Animal and Plant Health Agency revealed that they had no record of Fraser having been issued with permits to sell such species. His Ebay records also showed that he had sold other real birds eggs including Smew, Velvet Scoter and Pochard, which he advertised as originating from Iceland.
In January this year officers from Northumbria Police and the NWCU executed a search warrant at Fraser’s home address, where they found hundreds of replica eggs and art materials used to decorate eggs. Officers also found some real eggs, which Fraser identified as Tibetan Snowcock and Himalayan Monal, both Annex ‘A’ listed species.
Fraser was interviewed by the officers and he admitted selling several Annex ‘A’ species, including Tibetan Snowcock, Himalayan Monal, Hawaiian Nene Goose and Cabot Tragopan, without the required permits. He claimed that the eggs had come from captive bred birds. He acknowledged that he had sold other real eggs that he had advertised as having originated from Iceland, however he admitted that these had actually been replica eggs and that they had not come from Iceland. He told the officers that by giving them the Icelandic provenance, he thought he would make more money. He admitted that this was misrepresentation.
Magistrates told Fraser that he had made financial gain from his activities and that it was only right that he should receive a financial penalty. He was fined £660 and ordered to pay costs and victim surcharge of £155 (Total £811). Magistrates gave him the maximum credit for his early guilty plea.
Records indicate that a single Snowcock egg had been sold by Fraser to a buyer in Belgium for £351.
