Under a recently enacted law – the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018 – it is essential to include the reference number of certificates alongside any catalogue description, listing or advertisement.
Crucially for both auctioneers and dealers, it is insufficient to say that a licence has been secured or applied for.
Annex A species
Article 10 certificates are required when selling ‘unworked’ or post-1947 specimens of the most endangered flora and fauna – those on Annex A on the register provided by the European Council or Appendix I on the list provided by CITES.
Unworked narwhal tusks, sawfish rostrums, whale teeth (without scrimshaw), most marine turtle shells and post- 1947 Brazilian rosewood furniture all require Article 10 certificates from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) before they can be sold.
The change to the COTES, that came into force in October, is among those mentioned by Kim McDonald of Taxidermy Law in his CITES briefing in this issue.
Meanwhile, as reported on the same page, antiques trade bodies are launching a survey ahead of a planned judicial review of the Ivory Act that will come into law later this year.
