These crimes threaten tens of thousands of species around the world, causing extinctions, hurting people and spreading disease.
Tiger cub rescued while being smuggled into the United States.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs & Border Protection.
In August 2020 federal authorities charged a dozen people for
illegally trafficking millions of dollars of shark fins in Florida
and two other states over the previous seven years.
According to the indictment, the defendants and their two shell
companies also smuggled marijuana across the country and laundered
their ill-gotten gains into gold, jewels and other commodities.
Although the court cases could still take months, the arrests
represent a rare victory in the world of wildlife crime.
Poaching and wildlife trafficking affect thousands of species
globally and have caused hundreds of extinctions. Yet the issue
rarely gets much media attention — let alone high-profile arrests or
convictions.
Here are 10 things you should know about wildlife trafficking:
1. It’s big business. One study put the value of wildlife crime at
up to $23 billion a year, and since that study was published more
than a decade ago, the value today is probably even higher.
2. It puts tens of thousands of species at risk — and has caused
more than a few extinctions along the way, including the western
black rhino. From birds to pangolins, lions and tigers, and even
orchids and hardwoods…you name it, someone’s probably killing it and
shipping it across the world.
Southern white rhino, a frequently trafficked species, in
Uganda. Photo: Rod Waddington (CC BY-SA 2.0)
3. It also harms humans. The COVID-19 pandemic was likely a
byproduct of the wildlife trade, which has been linked to numerous
other disease outbreaks through the years. Poachers and traffickers
have also been tied to murder, intimidation, bribery, organized
crime, terrorism and a host of other threats that destabilize
families, communities and national security.
4. It takes many forms. Wildlife trafficking can involve the transit
of whole bodies, meat, scales and other parts — or live animals,
sold for the pet trade or for later consumption. And when live
animals are caught and shipped, few survive the process.
King Cobra - Image from USFWS
5. It’s distinct from the legal wildlife trade and illegal poaching
by subsistence hunters, but tied into both. Many hunters turn to the
illegal trade for much-needed income, and trafficked products all
too often get laundered through legal markets.
6. It often includes collateral damage. Elephant poachers, for
example, frequently use poisons to eliminate nearby vultures, which
would otherwise circle the dead pachyderms and alert authorities to
kill sites. In Southeast Asia wire snares are placed to target
“valuable” animals but kill indiscriminately.
Illegal wildlife snares in Laos. Photo: Bill Robichaud/Global
Wildlife Conservation (CC BY 2.0)
7. It’s not just animals. Plants, insects, corals and other
creatures are all heavily trafficked. That wood flooring your
neighbor just installed may have come from a protected forest.
8. It’s often tied into other crimes like drug smuggling, human
trafficking and terrorism, which use the same methods to transport
cash and goods around the world. Customs agents frequently find
shipments of wildlife products in the same containers as illegal
drugs, firearms and other products.
9. The punishment rarely fits the crime. Most poachers and smugglers
get off with a slap on the wrist — if that. Although some countries
have started to take these crimes more seriously, the average jail
terms and fines remain so small that they fail to act as a
disincentive for future crimes.
10. Virtually all countries are complicit — either as sources or as
buyers. And yes, that includes the United States.