A new report shows a number of animal products banned from international trade have been listed for sale on Trade Me.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has today released its Click to Delete report which found 20 auctions on the site for items banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
These included 17 ivory figures and jewellery, one tiger claw and two marine turtle shells.
IFAW also found 13 items under a second CITES category from vulnerable animals which can only be traded under permits.
These included 11 crocodile and python skin accessories, an entire stuffed crocodile, stuffed bear and a bear rug with skull.
"A number of Australian and international online trading platforms have policies prohibiting the sale of protected or endangered species. We urge Trade Me to do the same and ensure that no one profits from the cruel sale of protected wildlife. Currently they are doing nothing to stop people advertising the sale of endangered species and that needs to change," IFAW New Zealand and Australia regional director Isabel McCrea says.
But Trade Me says it does have processes in place to take down illegal products from the site.
The company says it is still working through the report, but it does not want the site to be a place where illegal animal parts and products are traded.
"We've done a lot of work around CITES, and we have a policing team on deck 24/7/365 monitoring what is happening on the site, but it is important to note that we don't check every item," a spokesperson says.
Though it is not clear when the survey was done, or the exact criteria IFAW have based their findings on, around 250,000 items are listed on the website every week, the company says.
It also has some questions about the data, in particular whether it refers to listings or sales.
Items listed on the site can be picked up by the company's alert system and either pulled or assessed as compliant and the auction left to continue.
"When assessing potentially infringing items, it's not always immediately clear whether the item is legal or not. If we're stuck, we have a close working relationship with the Department of Conservation and can seek clarification," the spokesperson says.
The company says it works closely with DOC on their policies and when information is requested about members selling risky items. This has, in at least one case, involved supplying details for evidence in a prosecution.
The company will be requesting the data from IFAW, and could proactively refer the sellers to DOC if the information is reliable.
The report also found a rhino horn listed by an Auckland-based seller on an Australian website for $230,000.
The organisations wants the Government to do more to stop online wildlife crime and make it an offence to offer protected species for sale.
It also says all New Zealand online trading sites should include a compulsory pop-up window warning potential buyers they could be breaking the law if they buy the products.