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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 9:06 pm
Time: 9:06 pm
Results for wildlife crime (international)
1 results foundAuthor: International Fund for Animal Welfare Title: Wanted -- Dead or Alive: Exposing Online Wildlife Trade Summary: IFAW has shared key results from its reports with national enforcement agencies in order that they might assess whether to investigate if traders have sold items in breach of the law. It is not possible to measure the scale of illegal online wildlife trade based on IFAW investigations alone. This requires law enforcement agencies to record and publish wildlife cybercrime prosecutions as well as the number of incidents or intelligence logs that relate to this issue. Sadly IFAW's investigations are taking place at a time when wildlife poaching levels are alarmingly high with reports of more than 100,000 elephants killed for their ivory in just three years1 and a recent increase in the number of large ivory seizures. The illegal trade in ivory, wildlife and wildlife parts and products is not only a threat to the conservation of species, but also to national and global security as well as to social and economic development in the countries in which it occurs. The illegal wildlife trade generates an estimated US $19 billion per year. It ranks fourth on the list of the most lucrative global illegal activities closely behind drugs, counterfeiting and human trafficking. Meanwhile, cybercrime is a growing area of concern, as was highlighted in the United Kingdom's Home Office Select Committee report of 2013 on e-crime, which states: "We live in a world where terms like 'cybercrime' no longer belong in the realm of science fiction. Modern devices such as smart phones and tablets have brought the internet not only to our fingertips but to our bedsides, our pockets and to our children. And yet there is strong evidence that access to such technology, with all its opportunities and benefits, can put businesses and families at increasing risk of exploitation and internet-based crime (e-crime)." It was in this context of high levels of poaching and the increasing threat of cybercrime that IFAW investigated the trade in endangered wildlife taking place on 280 online marketplaces in 16 countries during a six week period in 2014. Investigators found a total of 33,006 endangered wildlife and wildlife parts and products from species listed on the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I and II available for sale in 9,482 advertisements, estimated to be worth at least US $10,708,137. Of the advertisements, 54 per cent were for live animals while 46 per cent were for animal parts and products. Ivory, reptiles and birds were the most widely traded items, with ivory and suspected ivory featuring in almost one-third of all advertisements and reptiles accounting for one-quarter of the items found for sale. IFAW investigators submitted 1,192 intelligence files to law enforcers, which equates to almost 13 per cent of the advertisements. While it was not possible to determine the legality of each item provided to law enforcers based on the information available to the investigators, IFAW shared this information with enforcers because it believes that it could inform or be used as the grounds for future police or customs criminal investigations. At a time when poaching of endangered wildlife has reached unprecedented levels, the widespread availability of the internet has transformed some traditional criminal activity to the extent that law-breaking takes place on an extraordinary scale. IFAW believes it is essential that governments, policy makers, law enforcers and online marketplaces do not ignore online wildlife crime in their battle for justice. Governments must ensure they have robust laws in place that specifically tackle the unique challenges of wildlife cybercrime supported by sufficient enforcement capacity, while online marketplaces must commit to strong policies that are effectively implemented to prevent their platforms being abused by wildlife criminals. Lastly consumers must be made aware of the devastating cost of wildlife crime Details: London: IFAW, 2014. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 30, 2015: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-Wanted-Dead-or-Alive-Exposing-Online-Wildlife-Trade-2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-Wanted-Dead-or-Alive-Exposing-Online-Wildlife-Trade-2014.pdf Shelf Number: 134495 Keywords: Animal PoachingCITESCybercrimeIllegal Wildlife TradeIvoryWildlife Crime (International) |