With increasing competition in the charter market and an increasing consumer demand for more exotic locations, this summer looks set to be one of the busiest for Northern Ireland's ports and airports. Hundred of thousands of local people will travel to destinations around the globe in pursuit of sun, sea, sand and.... souvenirs.Unfortunately, every year, increasing numbers of holidaymakers find themselves in trouble with Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on their return home, because the "innocent" souvenirs they purchased on holiday are actually illegal.

WWF Northern Ireland - part of the global environment network - launched its Souvenir Alert campaign to help inform local travellers about the dangers they, and some of the world's rarest wildlife, can face from holiday shoppers. Souvenir Alert draws attention to the fact that over 800 species of animals and plants are currently banned from international trade and a further 25,000 are strictly controlled by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Yet every year tourists attempt to return home with endangered species or with products manufactured from them. These include corals, reptiles, shells and orchids as well as products made from tigers, rhinos, turtles and elephants. Despite the international legislation, HM Customs have made many grisly seizures over the past few years.

Jim Kitchen, Head of WWF Northern Ireland commented, "Several thousand animals, plants and wildlife products are seized by UK Customs officials each year. Officers in Northern Ireland have confiscated such items as handbags made from cobra skins, tiger bone medicines and even stuffed crocodiles. Ignorance is the main reason for purchasing such items. Tourists simply do not realise that by buying wildlife souvenirs, they may be reducing the numbers of a species already threatened with extinction."

Paul O'Hagan of Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland added, "Like other forms of smuggling there are people who unwittingly break the law by bringing back what they consider to be perfectly innocent seashells or coral, but there are also those who are happy to smuggle protected species for profits. It is frightening to think what people will try to smuggle and the risks they will put themselves - and others - through, to make money."

If caught in possession of a souvenir made from a protected species on return to the UK, travellers can expect to pay heavy fines or in serious cases be given a prison sentence. The list below will help highlight what to avoid in some popular destinations.

Top destinations and what to avoid buying

• Greece: Tortoiseshell, ivory, coats made from spotted cat furs and other wildlife trinkets
• Turkey: Stuffed native birds, corals, sponges and shells
• Spain: On Spanish beaches, there are often opportunities to have photos taken with baby chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are an endangered species and paying to have your picture taken with them means that you are supporting their illegal capture for this trade
• USA: Native wild birds are protected in the US and even possessing a feather is illegal. Walruses and other marine mammals, as well as products derived from American black bears and polar bears have import and export restrictions. Reptile skin products may also need a permit
• Kenya: Shells, corals and orchids have import and export restrictions. These are to be avoided, as are products made from lizards, tortoises, birds of prey, ivory and crocodile skin. Carvings made from native timber make excellent souvenirs as they support the local economy. Just ensure that they are not carved from overexploited timbers. 'Good woods' to buy include neem, jacaranda, mango and grevillea
• Mexico: Cacti and native birds such as parrots are illegal to import into the UK, unless you have the correct permit. Also ensure that any leather products you purchase are not made from endangered species
• Thailand: Some species of orchids growing in tropical rainforests are so rare, they are protected by international law. Orchids taken from the wild are likely to require permits
• Australia: Most of Australia's wildlife is protected and violators of the law can expect heavy penalties. Avoid purchasing live native animals, insects and marine shells
• Hong Kong: Ivory is widely available but is illegal to import into the UK. Some Chinese medicines are manufactured from endangered species, such as turtle, bear, rhino and tiger, and their purchase should also be avoided
• The Carribean: The rich marine environment here is tempting to many souvenir hunters. Tortoiseshell jewellery, turtle oil, black coral jewellery and other products made from marine species are for sale, but due to their protected status you risk paying heavy fines if you try to import them into the UK

Jim Kitchen continued, "We all love going abroad and bringing home a souvenir of the places we visit but we have a duty not to destroy what we have gone to see. Ideally, the only things you should bring back are photographs and memories. By buying souvenirs made from endangered species you are increasing demand for those items and therefore supporting the extinction of the world's rarest species. If you must buy souvenirs, chose carefully and if in doubt, don't buy."