Amateur
Entomologists'
Society

Trading Policy

The following is the Society's policy for providing facilities for trade in biological specimens as first drafted at March 1997 and subsequently amended (July 2007).

The Society provides facilities through its Wants and Exchange List and its Annual Exhibitions. It does so to fulfil its overall aim of furthering the study of insects, which can only be pursued effectively through the observation of dead and living specimens, together with the aid of books and equipment.

The Society does not believe that trade in invertebrates is generally detrimental to populations in the wild, but recognises that such harm is possible where species are already in serious decline for other reasons, or where they are being over-exploited. The Society further believes that it is preferable for traders to obtain their specimens through captive breeding or bona fide ranching systems rather than through capture from the wild, as an assurance that natural populations and habitats are not being harmed.

In accordance with this policy, the Society's rules for trade through its Wants and Exchange List and at its Annual Exhibition are as follows:-

  1. The Society will at all times uphold its responsibility for ensuring full legal compliance by anyone wishing to use its facilities (i.e. the Society's exhibitions or advertisements in the Wants and Exchange List or other AES Publications) to sell or offer to sell any species for which trading is controlled or prohibited by conservation or other law. The provisions of conservation law generally cover both living and dead specimens or anything derived from them. In the UK, these provisions exist mainly under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) [WCA], the European Union Habitats Directive and the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement Regulation (1997)) [COTES]. COTES covers internal UK trade in species listed under CITES. The above laws allow systems of licensing or certification (and in some cases exemptions) for trade. The Society will not allow any trader to use its facilities for selling or display of any of the species defined in this paragraph except after receipt of the information defined in paragraph 2 below.
  2. If a trader wishes to use AES facilities to display or sell any species listed in Schedule 5 of the WCA as protected from trade, or in CITES Appendices I or II or in Annex IV of the European Union Habitats Directive, he or she must comply with the conditions shown on the AES trading certificate. This involves first obtaining an appropriate licence, certificate or other proof of legality and then sending the completed AES trading certificate to the relevant officer (e.g. Exhibition Secretary or Wants and Exchange editor).
  3. Trade is restricted only in respect of species listed in the current version of the AES trading certificate. Traders are, however, requested to provide their customers with information on the origins of all live and dead specimens offered for sale. The Society suggests that this information should be based on the following categories:
    1. Captive bred, from self-sustaining stock;
    2. Reared from wild-caught immature stages, including gravid females;
    3. Wild-caught (in whatever stage is offered for sale);
    4. Bred from a bona fide ranching scheme;
    5. Specimens from old collections.
    If a trader states that the specimens are derived from categories (d) or (e), he or she must provide the following details, so as to support the statement:
    • for Category (d) - the address of the ranch or ranching agency.
    • for Category (e) - the origin of the collection and (if known) the year in which the specimen was collected.