6 countries face sanctions over animal smuggling

GENEVA (AP) ? Delegates to a U.N. conservation meeting are threatening sanctions against six countries unless they approve legislation to fighting the illegal animal trade.

The multibillion-dollar illegal trade in wildlife is a growing problem, and environmentalists say a big reason is nations' failure to enact stiff penalties for traffickers or enforce wildlife laws already on the books.

The subject was a major topic Thursday at a weeklong meeting in Geneva of the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

The six countries ? Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Nepal and the Solomon Islands ? were told they must approve laws imposing penalties for wildlife smugglers and other provisions on how to handle confiscated wildlife.

Delegates to the meeting said the countries would have 60 days to draw up the required legislation.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/6-countries-face-sanctions-over-animal-smuggling-123937699--finance.html

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