From the www.huntingreport.com

Urgent News On Marco Polo Shipments From Tajikistan

(posted August 21, 2009)

US hunters expecting a Marco Polo trophy to be shipped from Tajikistan should contact their shipping agent and operator immediately to put the shipment on hold. The Hunting Report has learned that over a dozen Marco Polo trophies from Tajikistan have been detained by US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) in at least two ports of entry and that they may be confiscated. The reason is that the hunting licenses accompanying the export documentation are for an invalid hunting date.

All the trophies in question have hunting licenses that were issued for the month of April 2008, which does not correspond with the appropriate hunting season dates for Marco Polo. The question that the Tajik authorities have not cleared up is whether this was only a typographical error or the result of the president of Tajikistan closing the hunting season in 2008, which was never officially announced. Many of the trophies in question have been in limbo for more than 45 days now.

If US Fish & Wildlife does not receive a satisfactory clarification from Tajikistan soon, they may well move forward with confiscation of the trophies. In fact, I am told that USFWS agents in Chicago are already moving forward with official seizures there. Although one shipping forwarder I spoke with told me he thought the Service would allow the hunters to return the shipments for re-export, John J. Jackson, III, of Conservation Force says that if the Service decides the shipments are illegal due to invalid hunting licenses they are more likely not only to confiscate the trophies but also prosecute the hunters for Lacey Act violations.

I am still investigating this matter and hope to have a complete report in the next issue of The Hunting Report. For now, all US hunters need to put their Marco Polo trophy shipments from Tajikistan on hold and leave them in the country of origin until this situation is cleared up. Doing that will allow affected hunters to avoid innumerable hassles, including possible Lacey Act prosecution as charges for that violation can only be applied upon the import of the trophy. Affected hunters will also need to determine whether their CITES permits or US import permits are about to expire and apply for new ones, in case this situation is not resolved soon. - Barbara Crown, Editor.

Seloushunter

This is downright crazy, re-export!!! and at who's expense??? most likely the hunter. Most people save up a lifetime to go on these type of hunts, and now there are people that are trying to get involved and throwing a new loop hole, just to crush someone elses dreams. Sounds like a case of "Obamaitis". God help us...

I had read this report the other day. My thought is this will be a perfect example of reason being tossed out the door.

Each of the hunters will be able to prove they were there either thru their visas or flight records. I'll be interested to see how our guys on this side of the border handle it.

I just hope they don't put the trophies in the same warehouse as the polar bears.

Can you imagine hunting something like a Marco Polo or any of the Argalis and then not being able to get them home? Tragic.