オーストラリア：鳥の卵を3404個押収

　鳥と言ってもただの鳥ではなく、だいたいがレアな、コレクター魂を燃え上がらせるような希少種の卵のコレクションを摘発。

BBC Thousands of rare bird eggs seized in Australia　18 July 2024

Lucy Clarke-Billings

「A collection of 3,404 eggs have been seized in Australia after a European operation into the illegal bird trade.

Investigators discovered the haul - believed to be worth A$400,000 to A$500,000 (£207,000 - £259,000) - at a property in Granton, Tasmania on 9 July.」

　まあ、結構な額になる。近年、こうした自然からの（度を越した）収奪は非常に儲けの多い犯罪セクターになっちゃったようで、それがまた動植物を絶滅に追いやってしまってもいる。

「Environmental and wildlife crime has become one of the world’s largest and most profitable crime sectors and continues to grow as it pushes many species to the brink of extinction.」

　この62歳も、そんなふうにあっちこっちからかっぱいできたもののよう。
　…そういう種類の愛好家、いるわな。

「The eggs had been blown - or hollowed out - meaning they only had ornamental value.」

「"[The man] is alleged to have been involved in the collection and harvesting of bird eggs from the wild and trading of both Australian native and CITES-listed bird eggs with people overseas," a spokesperson from the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) said.」

　欧州とも連携してこの手の取り締まりを進めており、56000個もの卵を押収済みだとか。

「A number of search warrants were undertaken resulting in the seizure of over 56,000 eggs.」