Two men found guilty of trafficking whale teeth

The former director of a whaling museum and an antiques dealer have pleaded guilty to illegally importing hundreds of sperm whale teeth from the UK.

The former director from Hawaii bought many of the teeth from the antique dealer who purchased the teeth in Britain and then smuggled them into the US by hiding them among other goods he was importing. They were then resold to collectors of scrimshaw - an art form in which designs are etched into whale bone.

Although both men have pleaded guilty to violations of the Endangered Species Act, the Mammal Protection Act and the Lacey Act, which forbids the import or export of wildlife that is illegally transported or sold, they have made thousands of pounds in profit.

The arrests came as part of a nationwide investigation, but many of the collectors who bought the teeth have not been found. It is believed the teeth came from whales that were killed by Russian fishermen before the Endangered Species Act became law.

Under US guidelines, the dealer will likely get up to 3 years in prison, while the buyer will get approx a year. Wildlife smuggling is a multibillion-dollar illegal industry and is the second-largest black market, behind only narcotics.