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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri

Time: 11:49 am

Results for endangered species

40 results found

Author: Abbott, Brant

Title: The Economics of Endangered Species Poaching

Summary: The poaching of endangered species is a global problem. In Africa elephants are poached for their ivory and rhinoceroses are poached to produce medicinal products from their horns (Fischer 2004). In North America grizzly bears are poached because their body parts are valuable, particularly gall bladders (Unknown 2004). In southwestern British Columbia there have been increasing occurrences of bald eagle poaching for the value of their feathers, but one poacher was only fined $1450 (Keating 2007). In a letter to the editor an outraged citizen called for greater penalties for those caught poaching as a means of deterrence (Foss 2007). This brings up an important point that has not received enough attention in the economics literature: poaching is a criminal activity and poachers make the same economic decisions as other criminals. The focus of this paper, therefore, is to examine the interaction between the economic decision making of poachers and the dynamics of endangered species. The literature regarding endangered species poaching has evolved largely in the context of the African elephant. One of the general goals of this literature has been to understand the impacts of an international trade moratorium on the survival of an endangered species. A common method by which researchers have contributed to the understanding of this subject is to examine the static impact on quantity poached that results from a policy change. For example, Fischer (2004) and Bergstrom (1990) develop static models to analyze policy changes. While such analyses provide valuable insights, a more complete approach would be to assess how policy changes would effect the population dynamics of the species. Under certain circumstances, policies will have ambiguous effects on the quantity of the resource that is poached, but this does not necessarily imply that the impact on the species population will also be ambiguous. It may still be possible to determine how the potential steady states of the species population will change. Two notable examples of work that examines changes in both the amount of poaching that occurs and the steady state resource population are Bulte and Damania (2001) and Kremer and Morcom (2000). Bulte and Damania examine the role of captive breeding in endangered species conservation in the context of imperfect competition. Kremer and Morcom investigate the possible impacts of storage on endangered species equilibria. Both studies use dynamic frameworks and provide results regarding steady state populations to give a complete account of the impact of policy on the vitality of the endangered species.

Details: Victoria, BC: Resource Economics & Policy Analysis Research Group, Department of Economics, University of Victoria, 2008. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 25, 2018 at: https://web.uvic.ca/~repa/publications/REPA%20working%20papers/WorkingPaper2008-08.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: International

URL: https://web.uvic.ca/~repa/publications/REPA%20working%20papers/WorkingPaper2008-08.pdf

Shelf Number: 117146

Keywords:
Animal Poaching (Econometric Models)
Endangered Species
Ivory
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Made In China: How China's Illegal Ivory Trade is Causing a 21st Century African Elephant Disaster

Summary: China has the largest illegal ivory trade of any nation in the world. It is the most significant global destination for illegal ivory. Ivory traders are now thought to be stockpiling elephant tusks and ivory products for lucrative sales to the hundreds of thousands of foreigners expected to attend the Beijing Olympics in the summer of 2008. China’s long failure to crack down on its massive illegal ivory trade makes a mockery of its claims to be hosting a “Green Olympics”. Chinese nationals, companies – some government owned – and organized crime syndicates are implicated in the smuggling of vast amounts of illegal ivory and the consequent elephant poaching afflicting much of Africa. Countries affected include Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mali. Indications suggest that Chinese involvement in illegal ivory trade extends to other African elephant range states as well. With Chinese investment and human presence in resource extraction operations across Africa skyrocketing, demand for ivory will overwhelm the ability of range states to conserve their elephants from poaching gangs connected to Chinese ivory buyers, often in collusion with corrupt government officials. China’s massive illegal ivory trade is not an accident. Failure by the Government of China to ensure meaningful enforcement of CITES regulations that prohibit the import and export of ivory resulted in illegal ivory flooding onto the domestic market in the 1990’s. China’s demand for ivory is directly responsible for the renewed poaching crisis facing many African elephant populations, as this report shows. After CITES increased protection for Africa’s rapidly disappearing elephants by banning international trade in ivory products in 1989, China neglected to fully enshrine those legal protections in domestic law for 17 years. Over that period its government did little to enforce CITES regulations prohibiting ivory imports or exports. Major failures included a vast loophole enabling traders to register ivory which they had “forgotten” to register at the time of the 1989 CITES ban as “pre-convention”, in effect enabling smuggled ivory to be legalized and then moved onto China’s flourishing domestic market. Illegal ivory seized by Chinese government agencies is also alleged to have disappeared into government ivory stocks. Numerous traders have confirmed that government ivory stocks continued to be sold to them in the 1990’s and 2000’s, including via government owned companies. Even the ruling Communist Party of China is reported to have held ivory stocks which were sold to traders. Organized smuggling syndicates have proliferated across Africa in recent years as Chinese companies and nationals pour into the continent, extracting its rich resources to fuel the explosive growth in manufacturing on the Chinese mainland. Whether working for oil companies in Sudan and Angola, or logging companies in west and central Africa, some Chinese nationals are tempted into working for the lucrative underground ivory trade. Africa’s elephants are paying the price for China’s failure to enforce the CITES ban. Recent commendable efforts by China’s government to suppress the illegal ivory trade have resulted in some high-profile seizures as well as restrictions on ivory product sales. Yet the government has now legalized dozens of companies thought to be implicated in illicit trade. Further, it undermines its own efforts to crack down on illegal trade by auctioning off confiscated poached ivory to domestic traders. Worse, China is now seeking legal approval from CITES to take part in future ivory auctions in order to expand its domestic trade. The Chinese government’s determination to host a “Green Olympics” in 2008 will be badly tainted if it continues to protect a domestic ivory trade that is fueling widespread poaching and illegal trade across several continents. The country’s very belated efforts to ratchet up enforcement operations against large-scale smuggling and commercial trade in ivory are not enough to prevent a 21st century African elephant disaster, driven by Chinese consumer demand. Instead the Government of China can affirm its commitment to CITES and to protecting endangered species by taking immediate action to ban the domestic trade in ivory. By simplifying enforcement procedures and empowering enforcement personnel across the nation, ivory trade can be eliminated within China’s borders. A precedent already exists. In 1993 China banned domestic rhino horn trade after rhino poaching in Africa and Asia and the flow of horns to China had reached crisis levels. China’s successful action to save the world’s rhinos demonstrated high level political will to protect the wildlife of other nations. Today, China’s people face two key questions with regard to another beloved endangered species: the African elephant. First, where does all the ivory in China come from, almost 18 years after international trade was banned? And second, does the Government of China have the political will to ban the domestic ivory trade that is helping to push many African elephant populations towards extinction?

Details: London; Washington, DC: EIA, 2007. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2011 at: http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/Report--MadeInChina--Species--May07.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: China

URL: http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/Report--MadeInChina--Species--May07.pdf

Shelf Number: 122567

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Organized Crime
Poaching
Wildlife Crime (China)

Author: Fröhlich, Tanja

Title: Organised environmental crime in a few Candidate Countries

Summary: The study at issue investigates organized environmental crime in the five Accession Countries: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland. The study encompasses: a numerical evaluation of cases of organised environmental crime in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland; an analysis of the legal environment concerning organised environmental crime in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland; a review of the enforcement structures concerning organised environmental crime in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland. The following sectors are covered: illegal commercial trade in endangered species and their products; illegal pollution, dumping and storage of waste, including transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste; illegal commercial trade in ozone depleting substances; illegal dumping and shipment of radioactive waste and potentially radioactive material; illegal logging and illegal trade in wood; and illegal fishing.

Details: Kassel, Germany: BfU, 2003. 625p.

Source: Final Report: Internet Resource: Accessed March 2, 2012 at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/crime/pdf/organised_candidate_countries.pdf

Year: 2003

Country: Europe

URL: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/crime/pdf/organised_candidate_countries.pdf

Shelf Number: 124362

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Environmental Crime (Czech Republic) (Estonia) (Hu
Illegal Fishing
Illegal Logging
Offenses Against the Environment
Organized Crime
Pollution

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers: How Wal-Mart's Shopping Practices Encourage Illegal Logging and Threaten Endangered Species

Summary: Despite Wal-Mart’s newfound corporate emphasis on sustainability, undercover investigations in China by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) have found that Wal-Mart is turning a blind eye to illegal timber sources in its supply chain which threaten some of the world’s last great natural forests. Wal-Mart’s ‘no questions asked’ sourcing policy is having particularly dangerous consequences for the high conservation value forests of the Russian Far East and the endangered species dependent on them, including the world’s largest cat, the Siberian tiger. EIA’s investigators see Wal-Mart’s footprints around the globe, but nowhere more so than in China, which produces 84% of Wal-Mart’s wood products. The Chinese manufacturing sector relies on large quantities of high-risk timber imported from the world’s illegal logging hotspots. In the north, thousands of train cars of wood cross the Russian- Chinese border daily from Russia’s vast Far Eastern forests. Experts estimate that 35-50% of the logging in this region is illegal under Russian law. EIA investigations into Wal-Mart’s links to this highly criminalized trade have revealed the company’s inattention to the legality of its raw materials. During 2007, undercover investigators met with eight Chinese manufacturers that supply Wal-Mart with wood products ranging from baby cribs to toilet seats. All suppliers independently attested to Wal-Mart’s strong influence and their emphasis on price as the dominant consideration for raw material procurement. All of them used wood from the Russian Far East, most exclusively so.

Details: Washington, DC: EIA, 2007. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2012 at: http://www.illegal-logging.info/uploads/walmartreport.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.illegal-logging.info/uploads/walmartreport.pdf

Shelf Number: 125317

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Logging
Offenses Against the Environment
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crime

Author: Fischer, Carolyn

Title: The Complex Interaction of Markets For Endangered Species Products

Summary: Economic models of trade in endangered species products often do not incorporate four focal arguments in the policy debate over trade bans: 1) law-abiding consumers may operate in another market, separate from illegal consumers, that trade would bring online; 2) legal trade reduces stigma, which affects demand of law-abiding consumers; 3) laundering may bring illegal goods to legal markets when trade is allowed; 4) legal sales may affect illegal supply costs. This paper analyzes systematically which aspects of these complicated markets, separately or in combination, are important for determining whether limited legalized trade in otherwise illegal goods can be helpful for achieving policy goals like reducing poaching.

Details: Washington, DC: Resources for the Future, 2001. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper 02-21: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-02-21.pdf

Year: 2001

Country: International

URL: http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-02-21.pdf

Shelf Number: 125691

Keywords:
Economics
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Poaching
Wildlife Crime

Author: Nowell, Kristin

Title: Wildlife Crime Scorecard: Assessing Compliance with and Enforcement of CITES Commitments for Tigers, Rhinos and Elephants

Summary: International commercial trade of elephants, rhinos and tigers – and their parts and products — is almost universally prohibited by CITES, the international endangered species trade convention, however the enforcement of this restriction remains weak. Illegal trade in ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts is of major conservation concern. While CITES mainly prohibits or regulates international trade, it has continued to expand its role to prevent illegal trade at the national level through the adoption of various “Decisions” and “Resolutions”. This is critical to ensure illegal trade at national levels does not lead to international trade dynamics that undermine the conservation of elephants, rhinos and tigers, in addition to the effectiveness of the Convention itself. The approach to each species group differs, but all include national measures to control not only international, but also internal trade in the species’ parts, derivatives and products: • For tigers, it is recommended that internal trade be “prohibited” (Res Conf. 12.5 Rev. CoP15 ); • For rhinos, it is recommended that such trade be “restricted” (Res Conf. 9.14 Rev. CoP15); • For elephants, “unregulated domestic sale of ivory [is to] to be prohibited” under the Action Plan for the Control of Trade in Elephant Ivory Decision 13.26 Rev. CoP15 Annex 2). Other common themes include strengthening law enforcement; coordination with other countries; improved data collection; enacting deterrent legal penalties for illegal trade; and raising public awareness, especially among user groups. Tigers, rhinos and elephants were the subject of renewed and substantial concern at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP15) in 2010 and the 61st meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (SC61) in 2011, specifically in regard to the scale of illegal trade. This report, produced to coincide with the 62nd meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (in July 2012), selects 23 range, transit and consumer countries from Asia and Africa facing the highest levels of illegal trade in elephant ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts (Annex 1), and evaluates their progress since CoP15 towards compliance with and enforcement of CITES commitments for these three species groups. Countries are scored green, yellow and red to signal recent implementation effort, and indicate whether governments are moving in the right direction to curb illegal trade in these species groups, or to indicate whether they have made little progress. Recent actions underpinning the country scores are discussed, and recommendations are made for all countries to improve compliance and enforcement, but with focus on key countries identified in this assessment as urgently needing to show progress. It is important to note that illegal internal trade in these three species groups persists in virtually all of the selected countries, however this report seeks to differentiate countries where it is actively being countered from those where current efforts are entirely inadequate. It should also be noted that a green score of all three species groups does not mean that the country in question is free of wildlife crime. In many cases there are widespread problems concerning illegal trade in other species, such as reptiles and primates. Moreover, some of these countries are performing poorly in terms of other conservation governance indicators and threats to the three species groups, such as the integrity of protected areas.

Details: Gland, SWIT: World Wildlife Fund, 2012. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2012 at: http://www.wwf.se/source.php/1486859/WWF%20Wildlife%20Crime%20Scorecard%20Report[1].pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://www.wwf.se/source.php/1486859/WWF%20Wildlife%20Crime%20Scorecard%20Report[1].pdf

Shelf Number: 125903

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
CITES
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Tigers, Elephants, Rhinos
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife Trade

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: Killing with Keystrokes 2.0: IFAW's investigation into the European online ivory trade

Summary: Killing with Keystrokes 2.0: IFAW's investigation into the European online ivory trade surveyed websites in the UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Germany, and found a thriving in trade in ivory items the legality of most of which is questionable. In just two weeks, our survey found more than 660 items with a total advertising value of almost €650,000.00 across a variety of European websites. A shocking 98 per cent of adverts failed to comply with website policies or provide evidence of legality.

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: International Fund for Animal Welfare, 2011. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2012 at http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/FINAL%20Killing%20with%20Keystrokes%202.0%20report%202011.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/FINAL%20Killing%20with%20Keystrokes%202.0%20report%202011.pdf

Shelf Number: 126100

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Internet Crime
Ivory Trade
Wildlife Trade, Elephants

Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environmental Audit Committee

Title: Wildlife Crime. Third Report of Session 2012-13.

Summary: Wildlife protection laws in the UK are fractured and are being inconsistently applied in the courts, according to a report by Parliament's cross-party environmental watchdog. Wildlife legislation has become so complex that prosecutions fail and even specialist enforcement professionals struggle to implement it effectively. Hundreds of birds of prey have been deliberately poisoned with substances such as carbofuran that have no legal use. The Government could easily make possession an offence under legislation that has been on the statute book since 2006. The lack of sentencing guidelines on wildlife offences means that some offenders are being neither punished nor deterred in the courts. The CPS is failing to train its prosecutors to handle complex wildlife cases. The inflexible implementation in UK law of international agreements covering the trafficking of endangered species squanders limited resources. For example, a vet might have to be present when samples are taken from imported endangered species, which includes not only living animals but mahogany furniture. Internationally, the report examines how the rhino, tiger and elephant are being driven to extinction by growing demand for illegal wildlife products in south-east Asia and China. It calls on the Government to exert robust diplomatic pressure in favour of the development and enforcement of wildlife law at the next CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) meeting in March 2013. In particular, the Government should focus attention on the damaging effect of ‘one-off’ sales of impounded ivory, which has been found to actually fuel demand for ivory products, and seek an unequivocal international ban on all forms of ivory trade.

Details: London: The Stationery Office Limited, 2012. 2 volumes

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 9, 2012 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvaud/140/140.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvaud/140/140.pdf

Shelf Number: 126897

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Illegal Ivory
Trafficking in Animals
Wildlife Crime (U.K.)

Author: Raza, Rashid H.

Title: Illuminating the Blind Spot: A Study on Illegal Trade in Leopard Parts in India (2001-2010)

Summary: The Leopard is a widespread species in India. It is protected by national law ( and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, listed inAppendix I). However illegal trade in Leopard body parts (skin, bones, and claws) continues to threaten the survival of the species in the wild. Even though the Leopard is found all across the country there is no reliable estimate of its population. A review of literature regarding population densities of Leopard in Asia indicates that although the species may have a wide geographical range, it is unlikely to occur in relatively high abundance. Leopard-human conflict is a serious problem in India and the subcontinent and is another cause of significant mortality of Leopards. A database of seizures of Leopard body parts in India was compiled from newspaper records, supplemented by records of the State Forest departments for the years 2001-2010. The date and location of seizure, and type and quantity of Leopard parts seized were recorded. No other record of mortality, either natural or due to conflict with people was included. However, it is acknowledged that Leopards killed in conflict may end up in illegal trade. Conflict is a significant cause of mortality of Leopards and its linkages to illegal trade need to be studied in greater detail. During 2001-2010, a total of 420 incidents of seizures of Leopard body parts were reported from 209 localities in 21 out of 35 territories in India (27 States, 7 Union territories and 1 National capital territory of Delhi). Most of the States (20 out of 27) have reported seizure incidents, 123 out of 593 (21%) of districts have reported one or more seizures during the past 10 years. Another key finding is that Leopard skins dominate the illegal market of Leopard body parts: 371 (88.3%) seizure incidents involved only skins. An additional 23 (5.5%) incidents involved skins with other parts such as claws, bones or skulls. Seizures of bones are a very minor fraction whether alone or with other body parts. However, these data only reflect the trade which was detected. In order to estimate the ‘undetected’part of the trade ‘Mark-Recapture open population models*’were used. Panthera pardus Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972) Thus this database exclusively reflects reported incidents of illegal trade of Leopard body parts and probable minimum number of Leopards killed and in illegal trade. These reported seizures account for at least 1127 Leopards poached and in illegal trade. This translates to a recorded seizure of 2.2 Leopards every week. TRAFFIC undertook a study on the illegal trade in Leopard parts in India with an aim to provide, firstly, indicators of the severity of the trade in Leopard parts in India, and secondly, to identify regions where effective and enhanced enforcement measures will help to have a significant impact in curbing this trade.

Details: New Delhi: TRAFFIC India, 2012. 52p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2012 at: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/12_Illuminating_the_Blind_Spot.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: India

URL: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/12_Illuminating_the_Blind_Spot.pdf

Shelf Number: 127023

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Leopards
Wildlife Crime (India)
Wildlife Trade

Author: Kasterine, A.

Title: The Trade in South-East Asian Python Skins

Summary: South-East Asian pythons are heavily exploited for skins, food and traditional Chinese medicines, with nearly half a million python skins alone exported annually. The trade provides cash income for a large, but unknown, number of rural people across the region that collect, breed and process pythons. The high number of skins traded has raised concerns about the conservation impact of harvests upon wild python populations and the potential animal welfare issues associated with this trade. This report describes the trade flows for the five most heavily traded python species from South-East Asia (Python reticulatus, Python molurus bivittatus, P. curtus, P. brongersmai and P. breitensteini). It identifies the main points of value addition in the supply chain and considers aspects of illegality. In addition, it reviews the current understanding related to the sustainability and welfare issues regarding python harvesting for the skin trade and offers a series of recommendations to help guide relevant stakeholders, including CITES, governments, the private sector and NGOs, on improving the mechanisms by which trade operates.

Details: Geneva: International Trade Centre, 2012. 74p.

Source: Technical Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2012 at http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Publications/The%20Trade%20in%20Southeast%20Asian%20Python%20Skins%20for%20web.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Publications/The%20Trade%20in%20Southeast%20Asian%20Python%20Skins%20for%20web.pdf

Shelf Number: 127222

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
CITES
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Pythons
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife Trade

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Vietnam’s Illegal Rhino Horn Trade: Undermining the Effectiveness of CITES

Summary: The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), along with the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), filed a petition on December 21, 2012 with the U.S. Secretary of the Department of the Interior under the Pelly Amendment, which enables the U.S. President to impose trade sanctions against countries engaged in trade that diminishes the effectiveness of any international program in force with respect to the United States for the conservation of endangered or threatened species. This briefing summarizes the key points from the Petition to certify Vietnam as diminishing the effectiveness of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for trade in rhino products. Rhinoceros populations have been decimated in both Africa and Asia, with three subspecies already extinct and most species and subspecies now critically endangered. To curb the international trade in rhino horn and other parts and derivatives that has led to diminished rhino populations, the CITES Parties have placed all but two populations of rhinos in Appendix I to prohibit international trade for commercial purposes. Populations of the southern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum) in South Africa and Swaziland are included in Appendix II with an annotation limiting trade to hunting trophies and live rhinos to appropriate and acceptable destinations. These efforts helped stabilize and in some cases, increase, rhino populations. However, despite these efforts, rhino populations are again under threat, largely due to rising demand in Vietnam and the failure of Vietnam to implement its CITES obligations. Vietnam is currently the largest market for rhino horn from both legally hunted rhinos in South Africa, whose horns are then illegally traded, and poached rhinos in South Africa and elsewhere. In some cases, Vietnam has refused to implement the recommendations of the CITES Parties or even respond to requests for information from the Parties. In fact, Vietnamese CITES officials continue to deny the role of Vietnam and its nationals in the illegal rhino horn trade, statements that defy all evidence to the contrary. With Vietnamese nationals at the center of the illegal trade, Vietnam is believed to be driving the “rapacious illegal trade in rhino horn.”

Details: Washington, DC: EIA, 2013. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Acccessed March 21, 2013 at: http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/SpeciesRhinoCITES.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Vietnam

URL: http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/SpeciesRhinoCITES.pdf

Shelf Number: 128066

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Illiegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: The Inside Story: Environmental criminals’ perceptions of crime, corruption and CITES

Summary: The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and partners conduct on the ground investigations engaging environmental crime offenders. Investigations document illegal trade, what facilitates it and the emerging trends, which is then presented to international decision-makers. Over the years, EIA’s direct engagement with active environmental offenders has yielded rich insights into their attitudes and perceptions: about what helps them do business and what deters them; the market trends and how these compare to previous years; how they perceive the criminal justice system; what they anticipate for their future business, and for the future of the species which they trade. In source, transit and destination countries, individuals operating at different stages of the illegal trade chain describe similar dynamics: corruption (bribes and payoffs), weakly enforced legislation, the ability to exploit parallel legal markets and loopholes, even how domestic policies stimulate demand for protected species. As valuable as they are, offenders’ perceptions are not currently being taken into account by all the stakeholders in environmental crime. This is compounding a situation where environmental crime is not being fully or effectively addressed. Knowing how and what environmental criminals are thinking should not be the sole domain of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), undercover journalists, individual law enforcement officers or the communities living in areas where crime happens. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), with a membership of 178 Parties, seeks to regulate trade so it does not threaten species, but it does not exist in a vacuum. EIA’s investigations have found environmental criminals are not ignorant about CITES, or about domestic legislation. A species’ protected status or scarcity can mean that criminals ‘bank on extinction’, exploiting higher demand or higher financial ‘value’.

Details: London: EIA, 2013. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2013 at: http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Inside-Story-lo-res.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Inside-Story-lo-res.pdf

Shelf Number: 128161

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Environmental Crimes
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: Criminal Nature: The Global Security Implications of Illegal Wildlife Trade 2013

Summary: In 2008, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) embarked on an effort to fully understand the true nature of wildlife crime around the world. What we found was shocking, and we chronicled our findings in a report becoming one of the first organizations to assert that the illicit trade in wildlife could be a genuine and increasing threat to national and global security. Since that time, the international trade in endangered species has only grown, making the threat all the more real and menacing. Elephants were killed for their ivory in record numbers in 2011 and 2012, and some rhinoceros subspecies have become extinct or are on the verge of extinction. Rangers are regularly killed by poachers, and some of the world’s poorest countries continue to see their wildlife decimated for the black market in wild animals and parts. Meanwhile, the profits realized from the illegal trade in wildlife have surged to levels once reserved for legally traded precious metals. Criminal and violent groups around the world have become the main actors exploiting this global industry.

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: IFAW, 2013. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: accessed August 22, 2013 at: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-Criminal-Nature-global-security-illegal-wildlife-trade.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Africa

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-Criminal-Nature-global-security-illegal-wildlife-trade.pdf

Shelf Number: 129672

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: WildAid

Title: Ivory Demand in China

Summary: Elephants are primarily poached for their ivory, which comes from the tusks of all African and male Asian elephants, and is used for carvings, jewelry, chopsticks, and other crafts. While the use of ivory dates back hundreds of years, scientists believe ivory has been processed on an industrial scale in the last century to supply markets in the U.S., Europe, and recently Asia. In 2007, African elephant populations were approximately 500,000-700,000, while the estimated global Asian elephant population was 30,000-50,000. In 1976, the African elephant was listed under Appendix II of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), designed to control and limit trade, while in 1975 the Asian elephant was listed on CITES Appendix I, prohibiting international trade. However, the CITES regulatory system was subject to widespread abuse and African elephant populations fell from more than 1.2 million to roughly 600,000 by 1989. During the 1980s, a decade referred to as the "Ivory Wars", at least 700,000 elephants were slaughtered throughout Africa as legal trade enabled large-scale laundering of ivory from poached elephants.

Details: San Francisco: WildAid, 2014. 7p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/WEBReportIvoryDemandinChina2014.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: China

URL: http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/WEBReportIvoryDemandinChina2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 133071

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime (China)

Author: De Greef, Kimon

Title: South Africa's illicit abalone trade: An updated overview and knowledge gap analysis

Summary: More than two decades of unsustainable harvesting has had damaging, and potentially irreversible, consequences for South Africa's formerly abundant stocks of the endemic abalone, Haliotis midae. Efforts to combat the illegal trade, including listing the species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix III in 2007, conducting government-led enforcement operations, establishing designated environmental courts to deal with abalone poachers, and developing more inclusive fisheries policies have been largely unsuccessful. This has been due to a lack of adequate resources and long standing socio-political grievances between small-scale-fishermen and the post-apartheid government. In 2010, H. midae was delisted from CITES Appendix III, despite increased levels of illegal poaching, due to difficulties in implementation according to the South African government. Organized criminal syndicates have taken advantage of this socio-political dynamic mentioned above to recruit poachers from local communities who feel disenfranchised by government policy and entitled to extract the easily harvested resource. Furthermore, evidence suggests that poachers are sometimes paid for service in illegal drugs, adding another complex layer of social challenges and addiction along the coast of South Africa. Trade data analysis on abalone reveals a complex network that links poaching to syndicated trade through various countries, some of them landlocked, across southern Africa before eventually reaching Asian markets. Calls for radical governance reform have been made, but change is slow. Nevertheless, there is value in profiling the illegal trade as fully as possible, to draw lessons for dealing with poaching and other forms of wildlife crime more effectively in the future. This briefing paper is a synthesis of current knowledge about South Africa's illegal abalone fishery, drawing on both available literature and unpublished research. The briefing paper is not exhaustive, but offers a comprehensive and up to date overview of the history, drivers, impacts and modus operandi of this country's illicit abalone trade. By profiling the current situation holistically, this briefing paper aims to inform stakeholders and stimulate discussion on recommended solutions and further areas of study as described in Section 4.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2014. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2014 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/USAID%20W-TRAPS%20Abalone%20Briefing%20Paper_Final.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.traffic.org/storage/USAID%20W-TRAPS%20Abalone%20Briefing%20Paper_Final.pdf

Shelf Number: 133738

Keywords:
Abalone
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Fishing
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crimes (South Africa)

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Sin City: Illegal Wildlife Trade in Laos' Golden Triangle Special economic Zone

Summary: This report takes a journey to a dark corner of north-west Lao PDR (hereafter referred to as Laos), in the heart of the Golden Triangle in South-East Asia. Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) have documented how the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GT SEZ) in Bokeo Province, in Laos has become a lawless playground, catering to the desires of visiting Chinese gamblers and tourists who can openly purchase and consume illegal wildlife products and parts, including those of endangered tigers. Despite being a part of Laos territory, the GT SEZ is run by the Chinese company Kings Romans Group. It has a 99-year lease and an 80 per cent stake in the operation. Clocks are run on Beijing time, all business is done in Chinese currency and businesses are Chinese-owned. With its 20 per cent stake in the GT SEZ, the Government of Laos is a complicit partner in what is a free-for-all illegal wildlife supermarket and has granted special benefits to the businesses in the SEZ by declaring it a duty-free area. While Laos' wildlife laws are weak, there is not even a pretence of enforcement in the GT SEZ. Sellers and buyers are free to trade a host of endangered species products including tigers, leopards, elephants, rhinos, pangolins, helmeted hornbills, snakes and bears, poached from Asia and Africa, and smuggled to this small haven for wildlife crime. The unchecked illegal wildlife trade in the GT SEZ is illustrative of illegal wildlife trade across the region, largely catering to growing numbers of Chinese visitors. The casino-led set-up is a model exported from Mong La in Myanmar, one of the longest-standing illegal wildlife markets in the region. The Government of China is acutely aware of the footprint of Chinese businesses and consumers in relation to poaching, trafficking and the consumption of illegal wildlife. If the Government of China is truly committed to ending illegal wildlife trade, there is much it can do to help end the illegal wildlife trade at the GT SEZ. The blatant illegal wildlife trade by Chinese companies in this part of Laos should be a national embarrassment and yet it appears to enjoy high-level political support from the Laos Government, blocking any potential law enforcement. Cleaning up the GT SEZ, reversing Laos' role as the weak link in the regional wildlife crime chain and ending tiger farming throughout the country will require a major policy shift from the top. The international community has a responsibility to stop fawning over lip-service commitments to combating organised wildlife crime and reducing demand. This is not a new phenomenon, but one that has persisted and escalated because of a failure to take bold action. Business-as-usual is a recipe for disaster for wild tigers and other endangered species.

Details: London: EIA, 2015. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 15, 2015 at: http://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Sin-City-FINAL-med-res.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Laos

URL: http://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Sin-City-FINAL-med-res.pdf

Shelf Number: 135230

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Chng, Serene C.L.

Title: In the Market for Extinction: An inventory of Jakarta's bird markets

Summary: TRAFFIC found over 19,000 birds representing 206 species for sale in the Pramuka, Jatinegara and Barito markets over a three-day period. The vast majority of the birds counted - 98 per cent - were native to Indonesia and harvested outside of the national harvest quota system or in direct violation of laws protecting select species. Most were considered to be wild-caught. While Indonesia's law allows trade in unprotected bird species, it has put in place a 'no harvest' quota for native birds since 2002. This makes capture or trade of any wild birds in Indonesia illegal regardless of whether the species is protected or not. The only exception to this rule is for the capture of small quantities of a few species for breeding stock in commercial breeding operations. Researchers found that a fifth of the birds observed were endemic to Indonesia - species found nowhere else on earth. Eight native species for sale are assessed as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List: the Bali Myna and Black-winged Myna (both Critically Endangered), Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush (Endangered), Java Sparrow, Sumatran Laughingthrush, Chattering Lory, Straw-headed Bulbul and Javan Coucal (all Vulnerable). The Pramuka market, the largest bird market in the country, had over 10 times more birds than Barito and Jatinegara markets. This is the first time a full inventory of the city's three largest bird markets has been carried out at once. Earlier surveys in Indonesia's bird markets have largely focused on selected species, only partially uncovering the scale of the bird trade in the country's capital. Bird-keeping has cultural significance in Indonesia, and the number of birds found in these markets reflects that. Songbird competitions have also added to the demand of certain prized birds, and increased pressure on these species in the wild. As a result, a number of species are in real danger of being wiped out by the trade. The study found that laws for native species generally afforded good protection, but monitoring and enforcement in the markets were lacking. Accordingly, TRAFFIC recommends that prosecution of traders found openly selling protected species is made an enforcement priority.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2015. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2015 at: http://www.traffic.org/birds/

Year: 2015

Country: Indonesia

URL: http://www.traffic.org/birds/

Shelf Number: 136922

Keywords:
Birds
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Wildlife Crime

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Title: Ivory Market in China - China Ivory Trade Survey Report

Summary: China has historically been a significant destination for illicit trade in ivory and was identified as the single most important influence on the increasing trend in illegal trade in ivory since 19951. The problem of illegal ivory trade in China is exacerbated by its burgeoning economy, the increase in consumer power and the easier and freer assess to ivory in other elephant range countries in the free trade environment. This report looks into both the legal and illegal ivory trade in China, in the hopes of providing important information to support wildlife law enforcement and China's implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: IFAW, 2006. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 16, 2015 at: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/Ivory%20Market%20in%20China%20China%20ivory%20trade%20survey%20report%20-%202006.pdf

Year: 2006

Country: China

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/Ivory%20Market%20in%20China%20China%20ivory%20trade%20survey%20report%20-%202006.pdf

Shelf Number: 137302

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime

Author: Phelps, Jacob

Title: A Blooming Trade: Illegal trade of ornamental orchids in mainland Southeast Asia

Summary: A thriving and illegal trade in Southeast Asia's threatened and rare orchids is going largely unnoticed in Thailand and across its borders, says a joint study by TRAFFIC and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Conservative trade figures documented during the study suggest that tens of thousands of orchids are illegally traded across Thailand's borders every year without either domestic harvest permits or Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permits, violating range State and international restrictions on wild orchid harvest. Surveys during 2011-2012 in four of the largest wild plant markets in Thailand and at the country's borders with Myanmar and Lao PDR recorded 348 species of orchid for sale, representing 13 to 22 percent of the target countries' known orchid flora. The survey even found species from the genus Paphiopedilum, all of which are listed in Appendix I of CITES, which bans the international trade of wild-collected specimens. At least 16 percent of the orchid species observed could be classified under some category of threat or were species found only in small or specific areas. Several of the orchids first found in the markets were new to science.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2015. 70p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26694012/1448362157923/A+blooming+trade+Report+_+17th+Nov_FINAL.pdf?token=X1gfjLR63Rn7hCMHSQu4UiRKPhM%3D

Year: 2015

Country: Asia

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26694012/1448362157923/A+blooming+trade+Report+_+17th+Nov_FINAL.pdf?token=X1gfjLR63Rn7hCMHSQu4UiRKPhM%3D

Shelf Number: 137364

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Orchids
Wild Fauna and Flora
Wildlife Crime

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Dual Extinction: The Illegal Trade in the Endangered Totoaba and its Impact on the Critically Endangered Vaquita

Summary: The vaquita and the totoaba have much in common: both are critically endangered, both are protected from international trade under CITES and both are endemic to a relatively small area of the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico. They are of a similar size, have a similar lifespan and both species are threatened with extinction by the same activity - illegal fishing. The vaquita is a small porpoise found only in the waters of the northern Gulf of California, off the coast of Mexico. In 1997, its population was estimated at 567 but by 2014 it had plummeted to just 97 animals due to fishery bycatch. Recent evidence based on acoustic monitoring suggests a 42 per cent decline in the vaquita population between 2013-14. This decline is attributed to the resurgence of an illegal fishery for totoaba, the swim bladders of which are highly sought in Hong Kong and southern mainland China. Dubbed 'aquatic cocaine' due to the high prices it fetches, the demand for dried totoaba swim bladders is threatening not just the totoaba but also the vaquita - the world's most endangered marine mammal, which is accidentally caught in the illegal nets set for totoaba.

Details: London: Washington, DC: EIA, 2016. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2016 at: https://drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Dual-Extinction.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL:

Shelf Number: 137714

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Fishing
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Porpoise
Wildlife Crime

Author: Knights, Peter

Title: The Illusion of Control: Hong Kong's 'Legal' Ivory Trade

Summary: For more than a century, Hong Kong has been a hub for the global ivory trade. Due to the region's high overall trade volumes, easy access to mainland China, and lax regulation and supervision, this role continues, despite the 1989 international commercial ivory trade ban. Hong Kong has been the gateway through which the tusks of hundreds of thousands of poached elephants have been laundered - first en route to Japan, and more recently, to China. Officials claiming to regulate the trade provide a facade of legitimacy while making no physical link between the ivory itself and the paper trail with which they legitimize it. In short, Hong Kong has been the ivory poacher's and smuggler's laundry. At the time of the 1989 ban, Hong Kong held 670 tonnes of ivory, much of it highly dubious in origin and laundered through the discredited quota system under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Rather than set a deadline for selling off this stock and closely monitoring its disbursement, Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the government agency charged with implementing CITES, has continued to allow unregulated sales for 26 years, making no meaningful checks to ensure the ivory is from the original stock and not from recently poached elephants. Traders admit they routinely replenish stocks with newly poached ivory, as there is no system to connect any individual tusk or ivory product to required documentation. Essentially, the AFCD has provided unlimited license to launder poached ivory. Nearly all of Hong Kong's ivory vendors flout even the most basic regulation: the requirement that vendors clearly display licenses in their stores. In international meetings, AFCD officials have defended - and even promoted - continued domestic trade, insisting that its system is airtight, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. It's clear that the AFCD lacks the resources, capability and desire to monitor the ivory trade, even superficially. Though long-term sales trends indicate that Hong Kong's stockpile should have been exhausted around 2004, 111.3 tonnes remain unsold, a figure that has barely changed in recent years, when demand for ivory has been the highest-ever, fueled by mainland China's economic growth. A recent study indicated that over 90% of the ivory sold in Hong Kong is purchased by tourists from the mainland (47 million visited in 2014), with unscrupulous vendors coaching them on how to successfully evade detection when smuggling it back to China. According to the latest figures, up to 33,000 elephants are poached each year for their ivory. In a recent poll, 75% of the Hong Kong public interviewed supported a ban on ivory sales. China and the United States recently announced a joint commitment to ending all commercial ivory sales - a move that is undermined by Hong Kong's ongoing laundering and illegal exports.

Details: San Francisco: WildAid, 2015. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 2, 2016 at: http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/The%20Illusion%20of%20Control-Full%20Report.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/The%20Illusion%20of%20Control-Full%20Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 137738

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Smuggling

Author: Wu, Joyce

Title: Humphead (Napoleon) Wrasse Cheilinus undulatus trade into and through Hong Kong

Summary: Market surveys in Hong Kong and mainland China have revealed the large scale of illegal and unreported trade in Humphead Wrasse despite the introduction of regulatory measures in 2005. The Humphead Wrasse is a large, naturally rare, slow growing and high value reef fish that is usually traded live and consumed as a delicacy particularly in Hong Kong and mainland China, along with various other reef fish such as groupers and other wrasses. The study, Humphead (Napoleon) Wrasse Cheilinus undulatus trade into and through Hong Kong was published by TRAFFIC and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group (GWSG) and funded by the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and The University of Hong Kong. In 2005, the Humphead Wrasse was listed in Appendix II of CITES, in order to regulate its international trade to sustainable levels through the issuing of export permits by source countries, while Hong Kong also requires import permits for CITES II listed species. According to UNEP-WCMC data, the official global database for trade in CITES-listed species, Indonesia and Malaysia are the main exporters of Humphead Wrasse, although only Indonesia currently issues CITES export permits; Malaysia set its export quotas for live Humphead Wrasse to zero in 2010 and for all Humphead Wrasse to zero in 2015. Traders also told the report's authors that significant numbers of Humphead Wrasse are sourced from the Philippines, as also claimed by a number of e-commerce websites. However, according to the CITES trade data only three live fish have been exported from the Philippines. An official CITES document tabled in 2010 identified Hong Kong and mainland China as the principal destinations for Humphead Wrasse, and although no trade between the two is reported to CITES, it is recorded by Hong Kong's AFCD. Despite this lack of reported trade involving mainland China, surveys by the report's authors of physical seafood markets in Shenzhen in May and June 2015 and e-commerce websites found at least 15 companies claiming to sell live, chilled or frozen Humphead Wrasse, 12 of them located in mainland China. In Hong Kong, monthly surveys of the three biggest fish markets carried out by a team from Hong Kong University during the study recorded a total of 1,197 live Humphead Wrasse between November 2014 and December 2015. There is usually a short turnaround time (around two weeks) between import and sale of live Humphead Wrasse, making it highly unlikely that those observed on sale had been imported in earlier years. Figures obtained from Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong's CITES Management Authority, showed the import of just 150 Humphead Wrasse during the whole of 2014. However, more than that total, 157, were observed by the University team during November and December 2014 alone.

Details: Hong Kong: TRAFFIC, 2016. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26918241/1458157598657/Humphead-Wrasse-Hong-Kong-trade.pdf?token=oqIRqOqDbkxaCMmq11C1FTGP7nU%3D

Year: 2016

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26918241/1458157598657/Humphead-Wrasse-Hong-Kong-trade.pdf?token=oqIRqOqDbkxaCMmq11C1FTGP7nU%3D

Shelf Number: 138345

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Fisheries
Illegal Trade
Whales
Wildlife Crimes
Wildlife Trade

Author: Lauck, Elizabeth

Title: Measuring Impact: Summary of Indicators for Combating Wildlife Trafficking

Summary: Killing protected or managed species and the illegal trade in wildlife and their related parts and products (hereafter wildlife crime) are among the most severe threats to biodiversity. Globally, hundreds of millions of individual animals belonging to hundreds of species across all animal taxa are the targets of illegal harvesting and trade. Wildlife crime not only threatens the survival of focal species, but may also significantly alter ecosystem function and stability through biodiversity loss and the species introductions that are a common byproduct of this activity. High-value wildlife products are often trafficked by organized criminal syndicates and the revenue generates is known to finance violent non-state actors including terrorist groups and unsanctioned militias. Armed conflict can exacerbate wildlife crime, and wildlife crime is frequently associated with other forms of crime, such as money laundering (Loucks et al. 2009; UNODC 2012). In addition, wildlife traffickers generate insecurity in rural communities and are responsible for killing park rangers, which hurts morale and park staff recruitment. This, in turn, reduces tourism and associated revenue needed for conservation and community development. For developing countries, loss of revenue from trade, taxes, and/or tourism can be significant and particularly damaging (Rosen & Smith 2010). Additionally, the illegal trade in wildlife can introduce and/or spread pathogens endemic to the exporting regions or transmitted during transit (Gomez & Aguirre 2008). This poses a major risk to human and livestock health, with implications for food security, commerce, and labor productivity (consider recent outbreaks of Ebola virus, SARS coronavirus, and avian influenza). Despite focused efforts often lasting several decades, wildlife crime remains a global threat (Broad & Damania 2010; Sharma et al. 2014). The importance of wildlife crime as a threat to conservation and development has attracted the attention of governments, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, and multilateral organizations all over the world. Strategies to combat wildlife crime depend on accurate and reliable knowledge about the status of focal species and the basic attributes of illegal wildlife supply chains;1 however, the clandestine nature of this activity, its geographic spread, the large number of people involved, and the size of the trade make analysis of status and trends, as well as measuring progress in combating it, a challenge (Blundell & Mascia 2005; UNODC 2012). A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime concludes that many of the available figures on wildlife crime "are the result of guesswork rather than of systematic analysis" (UNODC 2012). Global knowledge about wildlife crime remains fragmented and lacking in common standards, which hinders the design, implementation, and monitoring of strategies to combat it. In July 2013, President Obama issued an Executive Order on Combating Wildlife Trafficking, resulting in a National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking released February 2014. A Congressional directive required $45 million in FY2014 foreign assistance funds to combat wildlife trafficking, including a minimum of $30 million managed by USAID. The Agency has a long history of investing in programs that support compliance with and enforcement of laws and regulations to protect wildlife, and in other strategies aimed at decreasing the threats to conservation and development that stem from wildlife crime. In 2014, the Agency's Office of Forestry and Biodiversity/Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and the Environment (E3/FAB) identified a need to develop robust indicators with which to track progress on USAID's investments in combating wildlife trafficking (CWC). As part of these efforts, Measuring Impact staff developed a CWC Situation Model (Activity 2.2.3.A from the Measuring Impact FY15 work plan; Figure 1), facilitated a workshop on CWC indicators and theories of change (Activity 2.2.3.C), and will produce a final report on recommended CWC indicators (Activity 2.2.3.D). Measuring Impact also conducted a survey and analysis of existing wildlife crime indicators (Activity 3.1.2) to inform the development of USAID indicators and build the evidence base for better alignment of the Agency's monitoring efforts with best practices. This report summarizes the search strategy and main results of the survey.

Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2015. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00KJRB.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00KJRB.pdf

Shelf Number: 138786

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Organized Crime
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Smuggling
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: ADM Capital Foundation

Title: Wildlilfe crime: Is Hong Kong Doing Enough?

Summary: The global demand for wildlife products is highest in Asia, where growing affluence has fueled an unprecedented rise in the trafficking of threatened species. The harvesting, transportation and delivery of threatened fauna and flora into legal through laundering and clandestine markets is now recognized to involve considerable levels of criminality. Transnational organized crime networks are increasingly engaged in such activities, not only because of the high profits which can be made, but also because they have the set up the trade routes and personnel required to conduct and control such operations. 'Black market' prices for several forms of wildlife exceed, sometimes vastly, the monies paid for cocaine, diamonds, gold or heroin. These same organized crime groups have brought to what, historically, might have been viewed as illicit trade, degrees of violence, intimidation, corruption and fraud that are more commonly associated with the trafficking of narcotics, firearms and human trafficking. Trafficking in wildlife involves money-laundering, counterfeiting of permits and licenses, avoidance of currency controls, taxes and import/exit duties or the acquisition of necessary documents through extortion, coercion and bribery. The monetary value of all transnational organized environmental crime is estimated at between USD70-213 billion annually. Several components of this trade represent signficant sums: the illegal trade in flora and fauna is valued at USD7-23 billion, illegal fisheries at USD11-30 billion and illegal logging and forest timber crime at USD30-100 billion. Hotspots where wildlife trafficking is rife include the Chinese borders, particularly China's border with Hong Kong, which is also the busiest cargo airport, third-largest passenger airport and the fourth-largest deep-water port in the world. It further aims to be a hub and super-connector as part of mainland China's ambitious "One Belt One Road" initiative looking forward. Utilizing Hong Kong's free port status, the multi-billion dollar wildlife trade industry uses air and sea entry points to access the mainland. Annually, more CITES seizures are made at the international border between Hong Kong and China than at any other border in China.

Details: Hong Kong: ADM Capital Foundation, 2015. 52p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://www.admcf.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Wildlife-CrimeReport15_12_1910.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://www.admcf.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Wildlife-CrimeReport15_12_1910.pdf

Shelf Number: 139311

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Regmi, Smriety

Title: Trends and Control Efforts of Illegal Wildlife Trade in the Kathmandu Valley

Summary: Illegal wildlife trade has increased the threats to overturn decades of conservation gains on global ecosystem. The study area, Kathmandu valley has been used as a major hub for trading endangered wild animals. However, very little research has been done on it which is focused only on the trends. The research intends to analyze the trends of illegal wildlife trade as well as find its causes, past efforts to control it and the probable control measures. Primary data was collected by key informant interview, direct observation of convicts' interrogation, etc. and secondary data was gathered through relevant documents, articles, websites, etc. The trend of illegal wildlife trade has been fluctuating in Kathmandu valley which follows the path of political consistency. Greater population density, easy transportation access and many transit points have made the valley safer for illegal traders to conduct their activities. 174 cases of illegal trade with 418 arrestees were registered from the year 2060 to 2071 B.S. in the valley with maximum no. of cases in 2069 B.S. Skins of deer and tiger besides leopard are traded most from the valley. Strong law enforcement, regular monitoring and interagency cooperation along with employment opportunities, people's participation and mass awareness can help to control the illegal trade.

Details: Kathmandu: Institute of Forestry, 2015. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://www.forestrynepal.org/images/thesis/BSc_Smriety_Regmi.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Nepal

URL: http://www.forestrynepal.org/images/thesis/BSc_Smriety_Regmi.pdf

Shelf Number: 139321

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: TRAFFIC India

Title: As Assessment of the Domestic Ivory Carving Industry and Trade Control in India

Summary: The native Asian Elephant Elephas maximus has been legally protected in India since the late 1970s, following its listing in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Ivory from the African species of elephant continued to be imported and used legally in India until the 1990s, when use and trade of elephant ivory in India became illegal, although a ruling from the Supreme Court of India endorsing this position is still outstanding. It is estimated that about 28 000 wild Asian Elephants inhabited India in 2002: whether these animals represent a source of ivory to an underground industry in India, or whether that industry actually died in the 1990s has been little studied. For this reason, TRAFFIC India began a systematic investigation of the domestic ivory trade in India as part of the Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy of WWF. This report comprises the findings of that investigation.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2003. 41p.

Source: Internet Resource: TRAFFIC Online Report Series No. 7: Accessed June 13, 2016 at: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/03_An_Assessment_Domestic_Ivory.pdf

Year: 2003

Country: India

URL: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/03_An_Assessment_Domestic_Ivory.pdf

Shelf Number: 139422

Keywords:
Elephants
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Rhinoceros
Wildlife Crime

Author: Xu, Ling

Title: An Overview of Pangolin Trade in China

Summary: KEY points: t All Asian and African pangolin species are listed in CITES Appendix II, and a zero export quota for the international commercial trade of the four Asian pangolin species is in place; t China has regulated the use of pangolin scales. Since 2007, pangolin scales can only be used for clinical applications at designated hospitals and manufacturing of Chinese patented medicines. During the 2008-2015 period, the average annual legal consumption of pangolin scales in China was 26 600 kg; t In June/July 2016, 35% of animal medicine wholesalers, 62% of TCM retail shops, and 153 online advertisements were found to be illegally selling pangolin scales. Most illegal pangolin scales sold at markets in China were from Southeast Asian countries, followed by African countries; t Between 2007 and 2016, there were 209 pangolin seizures in China; 2405 live pangolins, 11 419 dead pangolins and 34 946 kg of scales were seized. Amongst these, Malaysia, Indonesia and Viet Nam were major source countries for whole pangolins; while main sources for smuggled pangolin scales were Nigeria, Cameroon and Myanmar.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC, 2016. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource: TRAFFIC Briefing: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27254615/1474377211627/Pangolin-trade-in-China-briefing-paper.pdf?token=2e3bmKXfZdrTcqkTP83Tf78OAXM%3D

Year: 2016

Country: China

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27254615/1474377211627/Pangolin-trade-in-China-briefing-paper.pdf?token=2e3bmKXfZdrTcqkTP83Tf78OAXM%3D

Shelf Number: 146125

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Pangolin
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trade

Author: Gomez, Lalita

Title: Observations of the illegal pangolin trade in Lao PDR

Summary: Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammal in the world. All eight extant pangolin species are currently listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), prohibiting any uncertified international trade. In addition, a zero quota for CITES exports of all four Asian species was established in 2000. Despite these measures, pangolins continue to be threatened by increasing levels of illegal wildlife trade. Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is known to play an important role in the international wildlife trade and is a range country for two pangolin species, Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica, and Chinese Pangolin M. pentadacytla. Its wildlife laws currently fail to protect non-native pangolin species and do not meet the requirements for the effective implementation of CITES. In addition to having weak legislation, Lao PDR is strategically located next to China, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam and forms an important transit hub for these countries, which all have an active wildlife trade profile for aspects of supply, transit and end-use demand. This report explores Lao PDR's role in the illegal pangolin trade and discusses the findings of two market surveys, conducted in several locations as well as the outcomes of an analysis of pangolin seizures that involved Lao PDR as either an origin, transit, seizure or destination country between 2010 and 2015. Opportunistic market surveys were conducted between April 2016 and July 2016 within seven cities in the northern regions of Lao PDR. An estimated total of 2734 pangolin scales were found in 13 shops at these different locations. The largest quantity of scales was observed in Luang Prabang, with an estimated 1200 scales found in two shops. Prices for pangolin scales ranged from USD1/ (small) piece to USD1/gram, with large scales sometimes weighing as much as 20 grams. Lao PDR's pangolin trade appeared to be mainly focused on a Chinese clientele in the areas surveyed. Shop owners and employees were predominantly of Chinese ethnicity and prices were often given in Chinese Yuan (CNY). In Luang Prabang and Vientiane, pangolin products were mostly found in popular tourist spots, alongside other illegal wildlife products such as elephant ivory and rhino horn. Forty-three reported pangolin seizures involving Lao PDR were recorded between 2010 and 2015, involving an estimated 5678 pangolins. Most of these seizures involved shipments being smuggled into the country from Thailand and out to China and/or Viet Nam. In five incidents shipments were confirmed to originate from Africa, confirming the increasing occurrence of African-sourced pangolin trade which complements and substitutes supply from the four declining Asian species. The large discrepancy between observed local trade and the seizure records confirms Lao PDR's role as a transit country in the international pangolin trade. Improved control of Lao PDR's pangolin trade will be an essential step in reducing the global pangolin trade. In order to achieve this, TRAFFIC recommends the following: CITES and national legislation - Proposals to list all eight pangolin species in Appendix I of CITES should be supported at CoP17 (i.e. Proposals 8 and 12) as this places an overall higher degree of international protection, and will enhance efforts to safeguard pangolins and support regulatory control mechanisms by non-range States. - National legislation requires urgent improvement to enable effective law enforcement, which is currently ineffectual due to weaknesses in the law that prevent arrests, prosecutions and convictions. Currently considered a Category 3 country by the CITES National Legislation Project, meaning that its "legislation (...) is believed generally not to meet the requirements for the implementation of CITES", Lao PDR needs to amend its national wildlife laws to incorporate CITES implementing legislation, including legislation protecting all species of pangolins not native to the country and providing for stricter deterrents / penalties for serious wildliferelated offences, especially when perpetrated through organized groups, transnationally and repetitively. Law Enforcement - Law enforcement capacity should be enhanced to improve proactive investigation into international wildlife crime in general and the pangolin trade in particular. Multi-agency collaboration, both at national and international levels, should be enhanced to tackle the international and organized criminal networks involved in smuggling pangolins across Lao PDR's borders. This should include members of Lao PDR Wildlife Enforcement Network (WEN), notably the environmental police, Customs, the Department of Forest Inspections (DOFI), prosecutors and judges, to investigate mid-high profile cases that involve organized and transboundary activities. - Increased surveillance of trade in Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and in the other trade "hotspots" identified in this report is also needed. - Increased prosecution rates including more severe penalties should be realized in order to deter potential wildlife criminals. - Lao PDR should aim to improve its reporting to the CITES Secretariat as per the new annual illegal trade reporting requirements i.e. CITES Notification 007 that was issued in February 2016. Seizure reports, including comprehensive accounts of actions and outcomes, specifics of seizure and prosecution details are imperative to the analysis of the country's wildlife trade levels and trends, and, eventually, a better understanding of the international illegal wildlife trade. - Better co-operation and co-ordination between the Customs agencies of Lao PDR and Thailand is required in order to increase detection rates along the Lao-Thai border (which has proven to be a crucial transit point in the international pangolin trade). - Better co-operation and co-ordination is also needed between Lao PDR and China and Viet Nam, which should include extra vigilance concerning exports from Lao PDR to these two countries. - In the case of Chinese citizens caught smuggling wildlife products from Lao PDR into China, or involved in illegal purchase, sale or transport of protected species in Lao PDR, moving seizures and apprehension of suspects to prosecution (in both Lao PDR and China) would help increase deterrents to illegal wildlife trade. Future Research - Continued research into Lao PDR's role in the international illegal wildlife trade in general, and the pangolin trade in particular, is needed in order to obtain a current and improved understanding of the trade levels and dynamics in this crucial transit hub. Such research should include seizure analyses and market monitoring, especially in SEZs. - Beyond Lao PDR, additional research into the global pangolin trade will help guide law enforcement efforts, with the goal of improving the effectiveness of interventions. Such research should include: 1) continued research into the Asian pangolin trade, including seizure and trade route analyses, and drivers of demand; 2) increased research into the trade of African pangolin species to Asia, including seizure and trade route analyses, and drivers of demand.

Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2016. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27258781/1474607479773/Pangolin-trade-Lao-PDR.pdf?token=Q0LsZOB5mA8Ov0Pk57W25nPfOSk%3D

Year: 2016

Country: Asia

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27258781/1474607479773/Pangolin-trade-Lao-PDR.pdf?token=Q0LsZOB5mA8Ov0Pk57W25nPfOSk%3D

Shelf Number: 147817

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Pangolin
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trade

Author: De Greef, Kimon

Title: The booming illegal abalone fishery in Hangberg: Tough lessons for small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa

Summary: Marine capture fisheries around the world are widely perceived to be in a state of crisis, with growing recognition that conventional resource-centred management strategies are insufficient to counter ongoing problems of over-exploitation. This is considered particularly true in the small‐scale sector, which employs the overwhelming majority of the world's fishers but has historically been overlooked. To manage marine resources more sustainably, new approaches to fisheries governance have been sought that recognise the complex nature of fisheries systems, paying attention to the social dimensions of fisheries management in addition to important ecological processes. In South Africa, many of these new approaches have been embraced in a recently adopted policy for the small-scale sector. Attempts to reform marine fisheries have been ongoing in the country since the end of apartheid (a system of legalised racial segregation and white supremacy that ruled for almost 50 years) but have largely failed to bring meaningful change to impoverished fishing communities. Frustration at ineffective reform has contributed to widespread non-compliance - most notably in the abalone fishery, which has collapsed in the face of rampant poaching, driven by a lucrative, illegal export market to the Far East. Although the new small-scale fisheries (SSF) policy has been hailed as a progressive shift in thinking, questions remain about how it is to be implemented. One major challenge will be dealing with illegal fishing. The purpose of this study, was to profile the human dimensions of abalone poaching in the Cape Town fishing community of Hangberg and to draw lessons for implementing the new SSF policy. A qualitative multi-method research approach, based mainly on unstructured interviews and participant observation, was used to access the clandestine fishery and investigate its historical development, current structure, scale and methods of operation and main socio-economic drivers and impacts. It was found that abalone poaching has become deeply embedded in Hangberg, having evolved into a highly organized boat-based fishery in a period of less than 15 years. At least five local poaching groups - representing some 250 individuals in total - currently used dedicated high-powered vessels to access reefs around the Cape Peninsula. Profits earned from poaching are substantial but vary, with poachers operating according to a loose hierarchy and performing a range of different tasks in the fishery. This variation notwithstanding, the illegal fishery appears to have become a mainstay of the impoverished local economy, funding poachers' expensive lifestyles, in addition to contributing more meaningfully to the livelihoods of an estimated 1000 residents.

Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 2013. 117p

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 6, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/9187

Year: 2013

Country: South Africa

URL: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/9187

Shelf Number: 145344

Keywords:
Abalone
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Illegal Fishing
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Overfishing
Wildlife Crimes (South Africa)

Author: Chng, Serene C.L.

Title: Escalating Black Spotted Turtle Geoclemys Hamiltonii Trade in Asia: A Study of Seizures

Summary: Illegal international trade of the Black Spotted Turtle in Asia has escalated over recent years and immediate action is required to stem the flow, a new TRAFFIC report has found. The attractive spotted visage of the Black Spotted Turtle Geoclemys hamiltonii may well be its downfall. The species is known to be traded for meat, medicine and pets, although TRAFFIC's research attributes the sudden rise in demand to the exotic pet trade. Over 1,960 animals were seized between January 2008 and March 2014. Of these, 95 per cent were confiscated in the final 15 months of that period. A seizure of another 230 turtles on May 14th underscored the seriousness of the threat. Royal Thai Customs officers in Suvarnabhumi International Airport found the turtles packed in unclaimed bags which had come in on a flight from Kolkata, India. Seizure information indicates that shipments of the turtles from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan transit through South-east Asian hubs such as Bangkok and are destined for East Asia, in particular Hong Kong. Most of the seizures are from passengers using commercial airlines concealing animals in their baggage. The majority of couriers caught were arrested but only two of the 22 cases recorded resulted in successful prosecutions. "Enforcement authorities' efforts to detect and apprehend smugglers are commendable, but a lack of follow-on investigations and prosecution is undoing their good work," said Dr Chris R Shepherd, Regional Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia. The Black Spotted Turtle is protected under national laws in its range countries and is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). All commercial international trade in this species is illegal. The report (PDF, 1.1 MB) recommends improving enforcement and prosecution through multilateral and multi-agency coordination. Timely and detailed reporting of seizures to the CITES Secretariat and in the media, together with the outcomes of successful prosecutions, are also urged. "Wildlife enforcement networks already exist in South and South-east Asia, but given the transnational operations of the criminal networks they are up against, the challenge is to ensure a fully co-ordinated global enforcement response to their activities is delivered," said Dr Yannick Kuehl, Regional Director for TRAFFIC in East and South Asia Next week, Viet Nam hosts the 9th Meeting of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network in Hanoi, at which Strategic Action Plan Development will be discussed, alongside the Special Investigations Group approach on key wildlife trafficking issues linking South-east Asia and other trading partners. "TRAFFIC hopes our targeted analysis of trafficking routes will assist the region's Wildlife Enforcement Networks in planning enforcement actions aimed at breaking the lines of supply and demand," said Shepherd. TRAFFIC's findings were released today, World Turtle Day, to highlight the plight of the Black Spotted Turtle and many other species of turtles worldwide, particularly those in Asia which are under threat mainly from habitat loss and over-exploitation for food, medicine and the exotic pet trade. "Turtle species are seriously threatened - nowhere more so than in Asia with 17 of the 25 most critically endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles on the IUCN Red List found in the region," said James Tallant, Senior Programme Officer - Species, IUCN Natural Resources Group, Asia.

Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, 2014. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 20, 2018 at: http://www.traffic.org/home/2014/5/23/alarming-rise-in-black-spotted-turtle-trade-across-asia.html

Year: 2014

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.traffic.org/home/2014/5/23/alarming-rise-in-black-spotted-turtle-trade-across-asia.html

Shelf Number: 149537

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Smuggling
Turtles
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Enforcement

Author: Morgan, John

Title: Slow and Steady: The Global Footprint of Jakarta's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Trade

Summary: TRAFFIC has been monitoring the trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles in Jakarta's markets, exotic pet shops and at wild animal exhibitions (expos) for more than a decade. The two resulting TRAFFIC reports in 2007 and 2011 revealed that trade in Jakarta was widespread and that a large proportion consisted of illegal trade. Subsequently, TRAFFIC carried out additional surveys of tortoises and freshwater turtles in Jakarta in 2015. This four-month study, aimed to document the trade in Jakarta's markets and pet shops to re-assess the situation in terms of illegal and unsustainable trade. These data were compared to previous TRAFFIC surveys to assess fluctuations and trends over the past decade. During weekly visits to seven locations (comprising three pet stores, two animal markets and two tropical fish markets), and single visits to three reptile expos, all known to be dealing in reptiles, a total of 4985 individuals of 65 different species of tortoise and freshwater turtles were recorded. As time spent in the shops was limited to avoid arousing suspicion, the identification of individual tortoise and freshwater turtle specimens over the survey period was not possible, and therefore the total number of individuals on sale could potentially be an overestimate. Nevertheless, numbers of individuals provided for any given week and the total number of species identified are accurate. Numbers of tortoises and freshwater turtles observed per week ranged from 92 to 983, with a mean of 383 individuals. Only 15 of the species observed were native to Indonesia, of which three were nationally protected. Non-native species made up 7% of individuals on sale, with species originating from Africa (6 species), Asia (), Europe (4), Madagascar (3), North America (16) and South America (7). Almost half (32 of 65) of the species observed on sale were categorized in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as being threatened with extinction. Nine species recorded (one of which was native) are currently listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I, where commercial international trade is prohibited, meaning at least eight of these species were likely to have been illegally imported. A further 27 species were listed in Appendix II and five in Appendix III. With 41 CITES-listed species observed during the surveys, 10 of which were native species and therefore may not appear in the United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) CITES Trade database because records there are restricted to international trade transactions, and ten of which do appear in the database, 21 species (involving 1758 animals) still remain unaccounted for, suggesting they were brought into the country through illegal means. However, as the UNEP-WCMC database requires a minimum of two years to be updated it is possible that the records are still incomplete. A retrospective analysis of discrepancies between CITES trade records and trade observations from the two previous TRAFFIC surveys in 2004 and 2010, reveal that at least 15 of these CITES-listed nonnative species, involving a minimum of 727 animals, are suspected to have been imported illegally. The findings from the 2015 survey show that more species were found on sale than in the previous two TRAFFIC surveys, as well as more non-native, CITES-listed and threatened species. Numbers of native Indonesian species, both protected and non-protected, have stayed fairly constant since the 2010 survey (14 in 2010 and 15 in 2015). While this does not directly indicate larger volumes of species are being traded compared to previous years, the fact that more species were on display reveals either a change in preference among buyers for more novel species or better trade connections between Indonesian traders and a wider variety of suppliers worldwide. Clearly, efforts to curb the unsustainable and at traders and a wider variety of suppliers worldwide. Clearly, efforts to curb the unsustainable and at times illegal trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles are either insufficient or ineffective. The high number of non-native species offered for sale is facilitated by a long-standing legislative problem in Indonesia, namely, Indonesian law does not regulate domestic trade in any non-native species, including those listed by CITES, once they have crossed the Custom's boundary into Indonesian territory. This legal loophole hampers any law enforcement to counter illegal trade in these non-native species. Furthermore, existing laws covering native protected species are seldom enforced effectively, and traders are rarely prosecuted to the full extent possible under the law: thus illegal trade continues largely uninhibited given the lack of regulation and deterrence. The conservation of many tortoise and freshwater turtle species recorded in these surveys depends in part on the effectiveness of Indonesia's approach to tackling trafficking and market availability; this applies equally to native and non-native species.

Details: Southeast Asia Regional Office, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 2018. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2018 at: https://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27865373/1521988425807/Jakartas-Tortoise-and-Freshwater-turtle-trade-web.pdf?token=pcanRKCjUQWp67U%2FakdZK5EB%2BzA%3D

Year: 2018

Country: Indonesia

URL: https://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27865373/1521988425807/Jakartas-Tortoise-and-Freshwater-turtle-trade-web.pdf?token=pcanRKCjUQWp67U%2FakdZK5EB%2BzA%3D

Shelf Number: 149654

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Tortoises
Trafficking in Wildlife
Turtles
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Bronkhorst, Kevin R. van

Title: Waging War for Wildlife: Green Militarization in Sub-Saharan Anti-Poaching Strategies

Summary: Poaching as a criminal act has existed since the beginnings of landownership. During the 17th and 18th centuries, poaching was committed as an act of desperation by starving peasantry and even became a venerated facet of the civil disobedience depicted in early English ballads (Gregory, 2010: 53,338). An inability to curb the act of poaching in Britain led to the erection of many statutes, laws and regulations. The Waltham Black Act of 1723 made illegal hunting a capital crime, and spurred several small-scale conflicts resulting in the deaths of gamekeepers and many more poachers (Moore & Banham, 2014). Though bloody clashes occurred, the act of counter-poaching was strictly a matter of policing, and those captured would be prosecuted and imprisoned or hanged (Kirby, 1933:242). At this point in history, hunting was reserved for the upper echelons of society and the motivation for illegal hunting was traditionally borne out of necessity. The later international commodification of rare pelts, horns, tusks and furs generated a new breed of poacher, and those seeking to preserve heritage, maintain sovereignty, and conserve endangered species have found themselves at the forefront of a steadily escalating conflict. Legislation and conservation efforts in the United States in the 19th century saw the policing of poaching escalate into armed conflict reaching an apex in 1891, when Canadian poachers caused the near extinction of seals near the Aleutian Islands (Ellsworth, 1974:14). At the behest of the U.S. Naturalist society, President William Henry Harrison commanded naval and marine intervention in an incident known as The Bering Sea Anti-Poaching Operations (15). This event marked the first instance of the utilization of military forces to ensure the preservation of an endangered species. The incredibly lucrative nature of the exotic animal market had effectively raised the stakes for both poacher and park ranger, leading to an all-out arms race on both sides of the fence. Today in many regions of Africa, this same violence has reached a fever pitch. The Garamba National Park (GNP) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one such example, having become the scene of increasing violence as a result of highly-organized and heavily-armed gangs of poachers. Over 78 elephants were killed in a two-month period in 2014, several of which poachers gunned down by helicopter with marksman precision (Christy, 2014). Tusks, tails, brains and genitals were removed using chainsaws, and the rest of the carcasses were abandoned, dispelling ideas of subsistence poaching (FFI, 2014). Park rangers reported being overwhelmed in organized assaults with fully automatic weaponry and fragmentation grenades. In June 2015, three rangers were killed in an ambush while attempting to track poachers (African Parks, 2015). A few months later, GNP rangers suffered four more fatalities while attempting to intercept a gang of poachers. The rescue helicopter dispatched to evacuate the remaining rangers took heavy fire and was nearly shot down in the process (Walley, 2015). High ivory demand has created an illicit market where opportunity to gain from poaching is higher than ever, and as a result, counter-poaching has become even more deadly (Christy, 2015). Today, GNP rangers report military style engagements with members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), South Sudanese rebel gangs, and even Congolese military deserters (Walley, 2015). Combined, these gangs of commercial poachers have become a lethal and overwhelming threat not only to the park rangers and wildlife of GNP, but to the security of the entire region. Escalating violence and rapidly declining elephant populations have raised alarms throughout the international community. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), European Union (EU), USAID and countless other bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental organizations and institutions contribute to the anti-poaching cause by donating millions of dollars worth of tools and equipment, and providing military training for park rangers (NGOPulse, 2015). Still, despite all funding and efforts, the rate of poaching in many countries has only accelerated. For several organizations, provided aid functions more as a desperate attempt to 'do something' rather than as part of a coherent policy strategy (Duffy, 1999:106). Other organizations look to technology for solutions. Google, in conjunction with the WWF, has invested millions of dollars in search of high tech solutions (Boyle, 2012), which some refer to as the quest for a 'silver bullet' (IAPF, 2015). While some technology has shown limited promise (i.e. Hart, et al. 2015), the most effective counter-poaching efforts are often low-tech, involving tedious patrols, long hours, good field-craft, and exceptional discipline (Henk, 2007). As one experienced ranger put it: "nothing beats a real dog" (Wall, 2014). Rapid militarization and ever dwindling populations of endangered species in many regions have driven conflict to a military scale. To the international community, poachers threaten beloved megafauna (large mammals); an increasingly scarce natural resource (Padgett, 1995). To those living in the DRC however, poachers threaten the sovereignty, economic prosperity and future of the nation (DRC, 2015). The proliferation of cheap military grade hardware and ammunition has allowed ringleaders to furnish and deploy large commercial poaching gangs willing to engage in combat with park rangers. The use of militarized forces for conservation is referred to by Elizabeth Lunstrum (2014) as green militarization. The concept of green militarization forms the foundation of this thesis, exploring the link between militarized responses and counter-poaching effectiveness. By researching the training, tactics, and technology of counter-poaching units across six Sub-Saharan nations, it is possible to determine which aspects of militarization have been successful, and whether increased green militarization is a potential solution to the problem of poaching.

Details: Leiden, NETH: Leiden University, 2016. 114p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 11, 2018 at: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/53648

Year: 2016

Country: Africa

URL: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/53648

Shelf Number: 149624

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Environmental Crime
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: Endangered Wildlife Trust

Title: Fair Game? Improving the well-being of South African Wildlife. Review of the legal and practical regulation of the welfare of wild animals in South Africa, 2018

Summary: The report, entitled Fair Game? Improving the Regulation of the Well-being of South African Wildlife finds that there are major gaps in both legislation and the implementation of those laws, leaving the well-being of wild animals without adequate protection. The organisations recommend the clarification of the legal mandate for wildlife welfare, and the updating of legislation. They also call for greater investment in compliance monitoring and enforcement, and a standardised and transparent permitting system for activities involving and affecting wildlife. Historically, our regulatory system has distinguished between animal welfare on one hand, and biodiversity conservation on the other - and regulate those separately in different laws. This means that conservation laws applicable to wild animals under the physical control of humans, whether held temporarily or permanently - are often unsuited to addressing the issue of welfare of those wild animals. Welfare laws, on the other hand, do not necessarily consider conservation objectives. To make matters worse, both sectors suffer from very limited resources for compliance and enforcement. In practice, the current legal regime ultimately provides little protection for wild animals. South Africa has, in recent years, seen a proliferation of facilities that involve the captive management of wildlife for commercial purposes. The legislation that governs the welfare of these wild animals has not kept pace with the rapid changes in the wildlife industry. As a result, the welfare of many species of wildlife has often become compromised. Welfare standards that may be suited to domestic animals cannot be considered suitable to the full spectrum of species of wildlife. Media reports of the practical state of welfare protection for wild animals in South Africa demonstrate the need for urgent reform in laws and practices. For example, an incident in 2014 involving the death of a giraffe while being transported in an open-air truck on a national highway drew great public concern when the driver drove under a bridge that was not tall enough for the giraffe to safely pass under. No prosecutions for this grave incident have been reported to date. More recent examples include dozens of neglected and starving captive lions on a Limpopo farm and a lion "abattoir" in the Free State housing over 200 lions awaiting slaughter for lion bone exports, currently in limbo as both the Departments of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) say that the welfare situation is not their responsibility. In addition to this, the increase in reported incidents of captive carnivore attacks on people, many resulting in fatalities, are not being legally addressed. Each of these incidents, a small fraction of those going on country-wide, represents a failure of the system in protecting the animals. Whilst regulations may exist for the captive management of some selected species, and laws may be in place to regulate the numbers being traded, the welfare of captive wildlife, and the mandate of the authorities to monitor compliance, is currently insufficiently protected. The joint report was prompted by growing concern amongst civil society and NGOs, including the EWT and the CER, about the absence of welfare considerations in conservation laws and practices, and the fact that existing welfare laws do not adequately cater for wild animals, which are increasingly the subjects of breeding farms and other forms of intensive management. CER Wildlife Attorney Aadila Agjee says that: "The combination of government agencies regulating wildlife and welfare, outdated and at times inadequate laws, inconsistent application and enforcement of those laws - and the strong focus on the commercial exploitation of wildlife - make clear that the welfare of wild animals is not currently a priority in South Africa. A set mandate, adequate budget for staffing, training and resources, updating of laws and practices, and consistency in the treatment of the wild animals to prioritise their well-being are critical." The report examines the legal and practical regulation of the welfare of wild animals in South Africa with a view to constructive engagement with the national and provincial departments charged with implementing both conservation and welfare laws, and other relevant stakeholders, with the aim of reform. "In order constructively to address the gaps and shortcomings in the legal framework that governs the well-being of wild animals, the EWT and the CER embarked on a process of identifying where and how the laws should be changed. Broad consultation with a large number of stakeholders in the commercial wildlife industry, welfare sector and government has strengthened the findings and recommendations. The report thus provides a positive platform from which the relevant government authorities can now address the dire need for vastly improved welfare governance for our wildlife," said Yolan Friedmann, EWT CEO. Importantly, the report also places the issue of wildlife welfare in a Constitutional context.[ The report argues that the improvement of welfare laws, as recently confirmed by the courts, and their consistent implementation, compliance, monitoring and enforcement is an urgent Constitutional imperative. The report concludes by providing legal and practical recommendations for the improvement and proper regulation, compliance with and enforcement of good minimum welfare standards for wild animals under the control of humans. These recommendations serve as a catalyst to open discussions with and tender assistance to the relevant government and legislative bodies for the improvement of wildlife welfare laws and practices.

Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Endangered Wildlife Trust, 2018. 86p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2018 at: https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CER-EWT-Regulation-of-Wildlife-Welfare-Report-25-June-2018.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: South Africa

URL: https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CER-EWT-Regulation-of-Wildlife-Welfare-Report-25-June-2018.pdf

Shelf Number: 150725

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: Killing with Keystrokes: An Investigation of the Illegal Wildlife Trade on the World Wide Web

Summary: The rise of the Internet has revolutionized the way we exchange ideas, information and merchandise. This is largely due to the medium's ability to facilitate communications and new commercial and social connections around the globe. However, as a result, the Internet is also facilitating the illegal trade in wildlife, which is having a devastating effect on animals, ecosystems and the communities that rely on them worldwide, making it one of the major wildlife conservation challenges of our generation. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has completed its fourth and most comprehensive investigation into the potentially illegal trade in endangered species on the Internet. The investigation spanned three months, involved six one-week snapshot investigations on 183 publicly accessible websites in 11 countries and looked at both the wildlife product and live animal trade in primates, birds, reptiles, big cats, bears, elephants, rhinoceros, sharks, Tibetan antelopes and sturgeon. In a six-week period, IFAW investigators tracked 7,122 online auctions, advertisements and communiqu�s offering trade in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix I listed wildlife, as well as a notable number of Appendix II listed species, for sale both domestically and internationally. This high volume clearly points to an even greater problem given that investigators focused on a limited number of species and only publicly available Web sites.The results identified the United States as being responsible for more than two-thirds of the trade, an amount that was nearly 10 times more than the two countries with the next highest volume, the United Kingdom and China. The final tally of verifiable commerce (excluding the Latin America results) was approximately US$3.8 million in advertisements and nearly US$450,000 in final sales. While these figures are already high, they are made even more sobering considering that many sites do not offer an advertised sale price and only eBay provides the means for tracking final sales; a comprehensive tally would likely be much higher. The results also indicate that this trade is contributing to the endangerment of species. It is alarming that IFAW found elephant ivory items dominating the results of this investigation. It is estimated that 20,000 elephants are slaughtered annually by poachers trading in tusks, and indeed, ivory appears at more than 73% of the activity monitored. The complexity of laws surrounding the sale of ivory, the fact that it is nearly impossible to distinguish between legal and illegal ivory on the Internet, the fluid nature of the Internet and weak or absent enforcement seem to allow unscrupulous sellers to profit from the slaughter of elephants. In 2007, eBay announced a ban on cross-border trade in elephant ivory, meaning that sales across country lines would be prohibited. Yet a year after the announcement of the ban, eBay was found responsible for 83% of all ivory identified by investigators and a full 63% of all trade in this investigation, a significant amount of which shipped internationally. This demonstrates one of the key issues in global Internet trade: a strong policy without adequate enforcement is ineffective.The investigation concludes that illegal wildlife transactions via the Internet may be fostered by low levels of awareness about guidelines regarding trade in protected wildlife; by a lack of stringent and enforceable legislation that clearly declares trade in endangered wildlife online as a serious criminal offence; by weak monitoring and enforcement and by readily available electronic loopholes through which wildlife traffickers can operate without detection. This latter point was most clearly evident with regard to the trade in live exotic birds, where buyers and sellers were observed to choose Internet sites that offered classified ads or message boards. The trade in live exotic birds accounted for nearly 20% of total activity identified in this investigation, and was second only to the trade in elephant ivory. This report urges CITES, governments worldwide, Internet marketplaces, consumers, Internet Service Providers and anyone who values our planet�s rich biodiversity to take the steps necessary to stop the illegal wildlife trade over the Internet, including: - Enacting robust domestic legislation on Internet wildlife trade - Implementing and empowering effective enforcement - Increasing public awareness of the problem - Devising new ways to monitor and curtail the online trade in endangered wildlife

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: International Fund for Animal Welfare, 2008. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2018 at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifaw-pantheon/sites/default/files/legacy/Killing%20with%20Keystrokes.pdf

Year: 0

Country: International

URL: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifaw-pantheon/sites/default/files/legacy/Killing%20with%20Keystrokes.pdf

Shelf Number: 151036

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Internet Crime
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trade

Author: Hay, Eric J.

Title: Modelling the effects of anti-poaching patrols on wildlife diversity in the Phou Chomvoy Provincial Protected Area

Summary: Worldwide, wildlife poaching results in significant losses to biodiversity, especially for those species which are most vulnerable and at risk of extinction. Strategies exist for reducing poaching pressure, including anti-poaching patrols that collect and remove wire snares. Studies are available that focus on the impact of poaching. Yet, not much work evaluates the effectiveness of poaching mitigation actions. We outline a modelling methodology that aims to predict the effectiveness of different management strategies on the poaching problem in the Phou Chomvoy Provincial Protected Area, Bolikhamxay Province, Lao PDR. Wildlife management in the study involves the local community through villager-led anti-poaching patrols. The goal is to develop a quantified relationship between patrol inputs and biodiversity outcomes. The results show that, without patrols, 18 out of the 19 species investigated would be poached and removed from the protected area over the next ten years. At low levels of patrol-effort ten species would survive. With increasing patrol effort, the total number of animals and species saved increase, but with diminishing marginal effect on species count improvement. At the highest patrol-effort management scenario modelled, all species are saved except for one; the Northern Pig-Tailed Macaque, which goes extinct under all management scenarios. This is the first time modelling has been undertaken at this scale to examine poacher-patrol interaction in the Southeast Asia region. Our work shows a positive effect of patrol effort on the number of endangered species saved. This work will be used to inform protected area management policy in Lao PDR, specifically, the development of Payment for Environmental Services schemes.

Details: Canberra: Australian National University. 2017. 64p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. 11: Accessed August 24, 2018 at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/252863/files/Research%20Report%2011.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Laos

URL: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/252863/files/Research%20Report%2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 151259

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement

Author: Haysom, Simone

Title: Digitally Enhanced Responses: New Horizons for Combating On-line Illegal Wildlife Trade

Summary: During the first decade of the 2000s, conservation NGOs began to identify the internet as a unique enabler of the illegal trade in wildlife. As the quote above illustrates, the internet has been seen as a virtual marketplace with unparalleled and expansive ability to advertise to consumers in any part of the world, at any time of day. As such, it can not only reach existing buyers of wildlife products, but also create whole new markets. The internet was also seen as a platform that allowed sellers and buyers alike greater powers to hide their identity and evade detection from law enforcement, in part by facilitating private communication between suppliers, dealers, traders and consumers. In the intervening period, internet access has grown enormously and social-media platforms, with billions of users worldwide, have become incredibly powerful tools for communication. At the same time, the threat that the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) poses to endangered species has grown apace. In the same way that the illegal drugs market, as well as the trade in guns and people, has adapted to the opportunities offered by digital platforms, this shift has also manifested in the way the illicit wildlife trade has taken advantage of online marketing opportunities. This brief sets out to describe how our understanding of the problems posed by the online IWT, and our responses to it, have evolved. It measures the progress made in exposing the threat posed by the adoption of digital platforms by traders in endangered wildlife and raises questions about what we have not yet been able to understand, and why we need to. It looks at trends in the phenomenon and suggests what they mean for the next generation of efforts to address this issue. Lastly, it describes the most pressing issues on the online IWT agenda, and explains how the Global Initiative's new project, Digital Dangers: Disrupting Online IWT, aims to contribute to tackling the problem.

Details: Geneva, Switzerland: The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2018. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 8, 2018 at: http://globalinitiative.net/digitally-enhanced-responses/

Year: 2018

Country: International

URL: http://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TGIATOC-Digital-Responses-Report-WEB.pdf

Shelf Number: 151440

Keywords:
Cybercrime
Endangered Species
Environmental Crimes
Illegal Wildlife Trade

Author: Australia. Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement

Title: Inquiry into the trade in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn

Summary: The illegal wildlife trade is having a devastating impact on natural environments globally. This global trade has resulted in elephant and rhino species experiencing a drastic decline in their population numbers, and in the case of the northern white rhino, a complete decimation of that species. The global trade is facilitated, in part, by transnational criminal organisations. The profits generated from the illegal wildlife trade, especially elephant ivory and rhino horn, converge and facilitate other criminal activities such as money laundering, human trafficking and illicit drugs. Evidence suggests established illegal wildlife trafficking networks are used to fund militia and terrorist activities. In response to the illegal wildlife trade and profiteering from the exploitation of endangered species, the international community came together in 1975 to establish the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora (CITES) to restrict the trade in flora and fauna species to prevent their extinction. Today there are over 35 000 species listed and offered various degrees of protection under CITES, including both species of elephant and five species of rhinoceros. However, despite CITES' success, the illegal wildlife trade has continued, especially for elephant ivory and rhino horn. In recognition of this ongoing problem, in 2016 the international community agreed to a non-binding resolution that called upon CITES members to implement a domestic trade ban on elephant ivory. Since that time, a significant number of countries have announced, or have implemented, a domestic trade ban on elephant ivory. The world's largest consumer of elephant ivory, China, implemented its ban in 2017. The world's primary exporter of elephant ivory products, the United Kingdom, is currently in the final stages of reviewing legislation that would implement a domestic ivory trade ban. The United States legislated its ban in 2016. Despite this international movement to implement domestic trade bans, Australia is yet to act. Although the Department of the Environment and Energy is supportive of those countries that have implemented domestic trade bans, it does not view a ban as necessary in the Australia because evidence suggests the domestic ivory market is not contributing to poaching or the illegal trade. However, civil society representatives challenge this view. Evidence to this inquiry revealed a weakness in Australia's current wildlife trade control framework; chiefly, the absence of regulations that apply to the domestic market. For example, there is no legal requirement for any ivory or rhino horn item to be identified as a pre-CITES item before it is traded within Australia. The committee heard that this lack of regulation is problematic because the illegal wildlife trade exists alongside the legal trade, and acts as a conduit to the illegal trade. Other broader concerns were discussed with the committee. Civil society groups called into question existing law enforcement and border control arrangements. In particular, criticisms were directed at the enforcement of environmental laws and the lack of prosecutions against people found in possession of illegal ivory and rhino horn. Civil society groups argued the low prioritisation of environmental crime had resulted in the wildlife trade becoming a low risk/high reward venture. Screening procedures to identify illegal ivory and rhino horn at Australia's border were also criticised. The committee heard overwhelming support for the implementation of a domestic trade ban for both elephant ivory and rhino horn. The individual traders and industry representatives that would be adversely impacted by a ban also recognised that action is needed. However, there was debate about the best way to implement a domestic ban, and what type of exemptions would be included if one were implemented. Advocates for a domestic ban described the UK framework as a model of best practice. The committee considered, at length, the UK framework and stakeholders' views about its application in Australia. Evidence to this inquiry highlighted the legal considerations that would need to be taken into account when considering the implementation of a domestic trade ban in Australia. Constitutional limitations restrict the Commonwealth government from unilaterally implementing a domestic ban; however, advocates and legal experts detailed options for how the Commonwealth government could proceed with a domestic trade ban.

Details: Canberra ACT: The Committee, 2018. 128p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 4, 2018 at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Law_Enforcement/Elephantivoryrhinohorn/Report

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Law_Enforcement/Elephantivoryrhinohorn/Report

Shelf Number: 152828

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Rhinoceros
Wildlife Crime

Author: Musing, Louisa

Title: Wildlife Trade in Belgium: An analysis of CITES trade and seizure data

Summary: The new study, Wildlife trade in Belgium: An analysis of CITES trade and seizure data, examines trade in species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and builds on earlier studies identifying Belgium as an important destination and transit point of such species, particularly from Africa to Asia. The latest study identified Belgium "as the top EU importer of reptile commodities within the EU, as reported by weight." This trade was dominated by reptile meat with Belgium responsible for importing 787,251 kg of mainly Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus meat, predominantly from Zimbabwe over the period studied, 2007-2016. However, based on the available data, it is unclear if the imported meat is consumed in Belgium or traded on within the EU to other Member States, due to the EU single market and free movement of goods. Belgium was also the second largest importer of plant products, including timber, as reported by volume, into the EU during the time period with trade dominated by sawn wood-just over 68,129 cubic metres in total-particularly Afrormosia Pericopsis elata originating from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Yet despite the large volumes of timber entering Belgium, seizures of wood deemed to be illegally imported were rare: "this disparity highlights the need for Belgium to ensure it is not being used as an illegal trade hub for protected timber species," write the report's authors. Plant imports included significant quantities of species with known medicinal properties, including 213,919 kg of wild-sourced African Cherry Prunus africana bark, used to treat a variety of ailments ranging from fevers and even insanity, through to use as an appetite stimulant. An analysis of wildlife seizures found Belgium to be a major intermediary in the illegal transport of CITES-listed commodities such as plant-derived medicinal products, reptile derived leather products, ivory and seahorse bodies. The data suggest that these commodities in transit through Belgium are mainly coming from West and Central Africa, going to China and are being shipped through air transport and postal systems. Most seizures took place because of a lack of or invalid CITES permits, or a breach of International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations. Among a number of key recommendations made by the report's authors are encouraging the country's CITES Management Authority to continue to ensure the legality of shipments entering Belgium, particularly for timber imports; further regular training for enforcement staff dealing with CITES issues; more targeted controls of CITES-listed timber imports at Antwerp sea port; enhanced co-operation between enforcement agencies; and increased awareness and understanding of market trade dynamics.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2018. 126p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 8, 2018 at: https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/11387/wildlife-trade-belgium.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Belgium

URL: https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/11387/wildlife-trade-belgium.pdf

Shelf Number: 153361

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime

Author: Miller, Carl

Title: Detecting Online Environmental Crime Markets

Summary: The internet is used to trade endangered species and commodities containing parts from endangered species, and more broadly hosts communities and subcultures where this trade is normalized, routine and unchallenged.This report presents a new technical process that has been trialled to identify online marketplaces and websites involved in the trade of a selection of CITES-listed animals and plants. The technology, known as the Dynamic Data Discovery Engine (or DDDE), was developed with the aim of building upon qualitative research to produce larger, more comprehensive datasets of similar activity taking place. The report contains a description of the process and the results that it produced, its strengths and weaknesses, and some thoughts on how it might be used by others hoping to reduce the extent to which the internet can be exploited by those wishing to transact endangered animals and plants.It is hoped that the process will contribute to the creation of a more comprehensive picture of online illicit wildlife trade (IWT) activity.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2019. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2019 at: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TGIATOC-DetectingOnlineMarkets-Web-1.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: International

URL: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TGIATOC-DetectingOnlineMarkets-Web-1.pdf

Shelf Number: 154728

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Environmental Crimes
Illegal Markets
Illegal Trade
Illicit Wildlife Trade
Internet Crime
Online Markets
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crime

Author: Economist Intelligence Unit

Title: The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index: Asia

Summary: Economies around the world are facing the blight of illicit trade, but perhaps nowhere more so than in Asia-Pacifc. The region, long a source of supply for illicit goods - be it counterfeits, drugs, or traffcking in humans or illicit wildlife - is now emerging as a major source of demand, compounding the problem signifcantly. And although not much hard data are available, it is quite clear that "due to rising affuence in Asia and other major consuming economies, illicit trade volumes have gone up," says Steven Galster, founder and executive director of the Freeland Foundation, an Asia based non-governmental organisation (NGO) focused on environmental conservation and human rights, who cited the trade in endangered species, specifically. As a result, wildlife species are disappearing at alarming rates; pirated and mislabelled products are traded freely across borders and sold openly within them, with varied rates of concern and control on the part of governments; narcotics-related incidents frequently make headlines of regional newspapers; human trafficking is becoming even more common, abated and masked at the same time by various refugee crises in South-east Asia; illegal logging remains a threat to deforestation throughout the region, spurring corruption and lining the pockets of criminals with piles of cash; and illegal arms sales are rampant. The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index is a tool not to measure the size of the problem, but to better understand underlying vulnerabilities in economies that give rise to illicit trade or fail to inhibit it. Although the size of the problem in monetary terms is hard to measure, it is clear the sums of illegal money involved are huge, and there is a consensus on the need to curb illicit trade. Through this study, we hope to provide insight on how economies can use the tools at their disposal to create the right environment to do so. Given Asia's geographic, economic and political diversity, it should come as no surprise that its economies have had varying degrees of success in - and varying attitudes towards - combating illicit trade. As the region continues to grow, and as it moves towards deeper economic and trade integration via various trade agreements and related initiatives, such as the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community (AEC), there will be an attendant need for it to implement stricter policies on illicit trade. Its record so far is not encouraging. There have, however, been some positive developments in recent years, says Jeremy Douglas, regional representative of the UN Offce on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for South-east Asia and the Pacifc. Mr Douglas notes that there has been "increasing political interest" in addressing illicit trade and [we are seeing] a couple of key ASEAN member states prioritising action on border management and scanning illicit flows of all kinds. Nevertheless, he does caution that political interest "hasn't translated into practical change yet". To measure how nations are addressing the issue of illicit trade, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) has commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit to produce the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index. The global index expands upon an Asia-specifc version, originally created by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2016 to score 17 economies in Asia on the extent to which they enabled or prevented illicit trade. The Asian index generated much-needed attention on the issue of illicit trade within the region. Building upon the success of the Asia index, the global index now includes 84 economies, providing a global perspective and new insights on the social and economic impacts of illicit trade. This briefng paper focuses on the 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific covered by the index. For an explanation of how the global illicit index differs from the 2016 index, please consult the methodology in the appendix.

Details: New York: Transnational Alliance to Combat illicit Trade (TRACIT), 2018. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2019 at: https://www.tracit.org/uploads/1/0/2/2/102238034/eiu_asia_illicit_trade_paper_final.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Asia

URL: https://www.tracit.org/uploads/1/0/2/2/102238034/eiu_asia_illicit_trade_paper_final.pdf

Shelf Number: 156583

Keywords:
Drug Trafficking
Endangered Species
Human Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Rutgers - School of Law, Newark

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