Part of the seized consignment of more than a tonne of live coral sent from Indonesia to the UK Click photo to enlarge © UK Border Agency   Manchester, UK, 28 January 2010—UK Border Agency officials at Manchester Airport have intercepted a consignment from South-East Asia containing more than one tonne of live coral.

The corals involved are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which requires strict conditions to be met before certain species can be traded internationally.

The corals were mislabeled and lacked the necessary paperwork from the importer, a trader based in Manchester.

The cargo had been flown more than 11,000 km from Indonesia, a country which supplies many of the tropical fish and other reef organisms popular in the marine aquarium industry.

“This seizure demonstrates the Agency takes its role in enforcing international agreements and prohibitions designed to protect the natural environment very seriously,” said Colin Brown of the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

“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,” he added.

UK investigators will be contacting their Indonesian counterparts to find out further details about the shipment. In the meantime, the corals will be put on display at a local aquarium.

Anyone found guilty of smuggling endangered species into the UK faces up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine.

In the UK Wildlife Inspectors employed by Animal Health have been taking a proactive role in supporting the UKBA. In particular, three Wildlife Inspectors trained in the identification of reptiles, corals and plants have been assisting the staff at Manchester Airport and were able to identify the mislabelled coral and living rock.