The draft law is designed to increase criminal responsibility for catching and trading, including keeping, transporting and selling of wild animals, including Siberian tigers, leopards, and other rare and endangered species. It also applies to illegal harvesting (catching) of aquatic biological resources listed in the Russian Federation’s Red Data Book or those protected by Russia’s international treaties. The draft law provides that the above will be considered exclusively as criminal offences. It proposes that relevant amendments be made to Russia’s Criminal Code.
The amendments also establish criminal liability for smuggling valuable wildlife and aquatic biological resources, as well as their parts and derivatives, across the customs border of the Customs Union within the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), as well as across Russia’s state border with Customs Union member states within the EurAsEC.
The draft law also suggests making several amendments to Russia’s Code of Administrative Offences.