WILDLEX

In addition to banning large-scale pelagic driftnets by U.S. vessels and nationals, the Driftnet Act established a mechanism to deter the use of driftnets by foreign vessels in international waters. Under this mechanism, the U.S.

A fisheries officer noticed that the defendant (Yates) had scores of undersized red grouper on board. This was a violation of federal conservation regulations, which prohibited fishermen from retaining grouper under a certain length.

The defendant is the owner of the Marshall 201, a vessel spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard within the U.S. EEZ surrounding Baker and Howland Islands. The vessel had no permission to fish in the zone. Nevertheless, the vessel carried 130 tons of tuna presumably harvested from U.S. waters.

The plaintiff is American Pelagic, a company whose President and sole shareholder, purchased a large boat, the Atlantic Star, in 1996 to transform it into a massive fishing vessel. In 1997, NMFS issued both a valid Atlantic mackerel permit and a Northeast Multispecies fish permit to the vessel.

On the 18 July 2015, the conservation service team of the Dja Biosphere reserve arrested the accused, Ondoua Jean Paul & Boulana Patrice in Nkan village, South region. Ondoua invited Boulana to the market on that day for them to sell the leopard skin. On returning, they were arrested by Ecogardes.

The accused were charged with the unlawful exportation of controlled wildlife products:14 rhino horns on the first count and a leopard skin on the second count, as well as money laundering on count 3.

This is an appeal case were the accused was aqutted and the convictions on the three counts of Unlawful Possession of Prescribed Trophy without a certificate of ownership were set aside for lack of proper evidence provided to the court.

In January 2018, military officials of the gendarmerie post of Socambo received reliable information on an ongoing illegal trafficking activity.

In September 2015, MBARGA Robert set traps in the forest that caught one Leopard. He ate the flesh and removed the skin and the skull to sell. He was arrested by the police. Upon arrest, he didn’t have a National Identity Card. After interrogations, he and the seized items, were all transmitted to the State Attorney for prosecution

The 6 appellants were convicted, in a magistate court, of unlawful possession of and dealing in elephant ivory and skin and leopard skin in contravention of the Wildlife and National Parks 28 of 1992.