Endangered and Protected Species – 29 of 2002 Unofficial Copy 1011 ENDANGERED AND PROTECTED SPECIES ACT 2002 ______ ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Part 1 – PRELIMINARY 1. Short title and commencement 2. Interpretation Part 2 – FIELD OF APPLICATION 3. Appendices and Schedules of species Part 3 – ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIJI ISLANDS CITES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY AND THE FIJI ISLANDS CITES SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL 4. Establishment of the Authority 5. Meetings of the Authority and the Council 6. Functions of the Authority 7. Establishment and functions of the Council 8. Secretariat to the Authority and the Council Part 4 – PERMITS 9. Export permits 10. Import permits 11. Re-export permits 12. Permits for introduction from the sea 13. Power to grant permits 14. Validity of permits 15. Keeping of records 16. Application forms 17. Specimen bred in captivity Part 5 – TRANSIT AND TRANSHIPMENT 18. Transit and transhipment of specimens 19. Prohibited and restricted goods 20. Exemptions Endangered and Protected Species – 29 of 2002 Unofficial Copy 1012 Part 6 – REGISTRATION OF TRADERS, ETC 21. Registration of persons to trade in specimens 22. Registration of captive breeders, etc Part 7 – ENFORCEMENT 23. Offences 24. Offences by directors, etc 25. Detention of suspects 26. Power of seizure and entry 27. General penalty 28. Confiscation and forfeitures 29. Reporting of breach Part 8 – MISCELLANEOUS 30. Act binds the Government 31. Donations 32. Appeals 33. Delegation of powers 34. Act in addition to other laws 35. Regulations 36. Transitional and savings Endangered and Protected Species – 29 of 2002 Unofficial Copy 1013 ACT NO. 29 OF 2002 I assent. [L.S.] J.I. ULUIVUDA President [23 December 2002] AN ACT TO REGULATE AND CONTROL THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE, DOMESTIC TRADE, POSSESSION AND TRANSPORTATION OF SPECIES PROTECTED UNDER THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) AND FOR RELATED MATTERS ENACTED by the Parliament of the Fiji Islands – Part 1 – PRELIMINARY Short title and commencement 1.- (1) This Act is cited as the Endangered and Protected Species Act 2002. (2) This Act commences on a date appointed by the Minister by notice in the Gazette. Interpretation 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires – “Appendix” means the Appendix I, II, or III (as amended from time to time) to the CITES listing endangered and protected species; Endangered and Protected Species – 29 of 2002 Unofficial Copy 1014 “artificially propagated” means live plants grown from seeds, cuttings, divisions, callus tissues or other plant tissues, spores or other propagules under controlled conditions; “authorised officer” means or a public officer or class of officers designated under section 8, a police officer or a customs officer; “bred in captivity” means bred an offspring (including eggs, born or otherwise produced) in a controlled condition of parents that mated or transmitted their gametes in a controlled condition; “certificate of artificially propagated” means a certificate of registration issued under section 22 to undertake artificial propagation of plant species mentioned in section 3; “certificate of captive-breeding: means a certificate of registration issued under section 22 to undertake captive breeding of animal species mentioned in section 3; “certificate of origin” means a permit issued under section 9 to export any specimens of species of a kind listed in Appendix III but the species is not intended to be listed in Appendix III by the Fiji Islands; “CITES” means the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; “CITES Secretariat” means the secretariat of the CITES; “controlled condition” means any controlled condition in a non-natural environment that is intensively operated, controlled or manipulated by human intervention to produce or grow selected species or hybrid including tillage, fertilization, weed control, irrigation, or potting, bedding or protection from weather or any other nursery operations; “Council” means the Fiji Islands CITES Scientific Council established by section 7; “country of origin” means the country in which a specimen has been taken in the wild or born or bred in captivity or artificially propagated or introduced from the sea; “customs laws” has the same meaning given in the Customs Act; “domestic trade” means a sale, purchase, manufacture or any other commercial activity within the Fiji Islands relating to any specimens; “endangered species” means any species mentioned in section 3 which can no longer be relied upon to reproduce itself in number to ensure its survival; Endangered and Protected Species – 29 of 2002 Unofficial Copy 1015 “exporter” means an exporter for the purposes of this Act; “indigenous species” means any species originated naturally in or that are endemic or common only to the Fiji Islands; “international trade” means any export, re-export, or import of species regulated under this Act or any other written law and includes any introduction from the sea; “introduction from the sea” means the transportation or importation into the Fiji Islands of any marine species that were taken, removed or harvested from a marine environment outside the Fiji Islands; “importer” means an importer for the purposes of this Act; “Management Authority” means the Fiji Islands CITES Management Authority established by section 4; and “Authority” has a corresponding meaning; “permit” means a permit issued under Part 4 and includes a permit or similar authority issued by another country in relation to any specimens listed in Appendix I, II or III; “personal or household effects” means any dead specimens, parts and derivatives that are part of the belongings of a private individual, which form or are intended to form part of the individual’s normal possessions; “port” has the meaning given in the Customs Act and includes an airport declared under section 4 of the Customs Act; “protected species” means any species mentioned in section 3; “rescue centre” means any premises, facility or place designated under section 8(2)(f); “re-export” means the export of any specimen that has been previously imported; “Secretariat” means the Secretariat to the Authority or the Council; “species” means any species or subspecies whether or not geographically separate population of the species or subspecies; “specimen” means – (a) any specimens of a species (whether alive or dead) mentioned in section 3; (b) any part or derivative of any species mentioned in section 3 unless the part or derivative is exempted under the CITES; Endangered and Protected Species – 29 of 2002 Unofficial Copy 1016 “state party” means a state which is a party to the CITES; “trade” means any international trade or any domestic trade; “transhipment” has the same meaning in the Customs Act; “transit” means the transit rules and procedures set out in the customs legislation. Part 2 – FIELD OF APPLICATION Appendices and Schedules of species 3.- (i) This Act applies to any endangered or protected species listed – (a) in Appendix I, which lists all species threatened with extinction which are or may be affected by trade; (b) in Appendix II, which lists all species that are not actually threatened with extinction but may become threatened with extinction if trade in those species is not regulated; (c) in Appendix III, which lists all species identified by state parties that require regulation in their jurisdiction to prevent and restrict their exploitation which require the co-operations of other state parties to control trade in those species; (d) in Schedule 1 to this Act, which lists all species indigenous to the Fiji Islands but are not listed in Appendix I and are believed to be threatened with extinction; (e) in Schedule 2 to this Act, which lists all species indigenous to the Fiji Islands but are not listed in Appendix I, II, or III or Schedule I to this Act. Part 3 – ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIJI ISLANDS CITES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY AND THE FIJI ISLANDS CITES COUNCIL Establishment of the Authority 4.- (1) This section establishes the Fiji Islands CITES Management Authority consisting of – (a) the Permanent Secretary responsible for Environment as the chairperson; (b) the Director of Environment; (c) the Director of the National Trust of Fiji; (d) 3 public officers (the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Fisheries and Forests and the Fijian Affairs Board to nominate one each); Endangered and Protected Species – 29 of 2002 Unofficial Copy 1017 (e) 2 members to represent the non-governmental organisations dealing with the protection and conservation of the environment; (f) 2 members nominated by the body that represents those involved in the trade, sale, possession, exportation or importation of species mentioned in section 3. (2) The Minister may appoint members under subsections (1)(d) to (1)(f). (3) A person appointed under subsections (1)(d) to (1)(f) may be appointed for 3 years and is eligible for re-appointment. (4) The members appointed under subsections (1)(e) to (1)(f) are entitled to allowance fixed by the Public Service Commission. Meetings of the Authority and the Council 5.- (1) The chairperson of the Authority or the Council must – (a) convene meetings of the Authority or the Council; and (b) preside at all meetings of the Authority or the Council unless the chairperson is absent, in which case, the members present must select a member to preside at that meeting. (2) If there is equality of votes at a meeting of the Authority or the Council, the chairperson has a casting vote.