Illegal wildlife trade ‘remains immense’ – UN
Despite progress to curtail the trafficking of iconic species such as elephants, illegal wildlife trafficking continues unabated on a global scale, according to the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which takes stock of efforts to counter poaching worldwide.The report highlights that wildlife trafficking has not seen a significant enough decrease over the past two decades, prompting a call for enhanced enforcement of existing laws, including measures to combat corruption.
There has been tangible success against the trafficking of some iconic species, while cross-border cooperation and the criminalisation of wildlife crime have both improved.
Nevertheless, the magnitude of this illegal trade remains immense, affecting thousands of species of animals and plants and spanning more than 160 countries and territories.
"Much more work is urgently needed to tackle challenges both chronic and emerging,” the report warned.
A key takeaway points out that corruption has overtaken existing regulations and enforcement around wildlife crimes, while technology has accelerated the capacity of traffickers to reach global markets.
Modernisation essential
For this reason, criminal justice responses should be modernised, strengthened and harmonised from source to end markets.
Between 2015 and 2021, seizures of 13 million items revealed an illegal trade involving approximately 4 000 plant and animal species across 162 countries and territories. Among the most commonly trafficked species were corals (16%), crocodilians (9%) and elephants (6%).
Over the reporting period, law enforcement bodies confiscated 13 million items, totalling more than 16 000 tonnes.
A national study in Namibia estimated in 2021 that the expenditure required to curb illegal wildlife trade in the country was about N$250 million per year.
It added that poverty may be a driving factor in the decision to poach for some, but poachers may not necessarily be acting out of desperation.
Two research studies in Southern Africa involving wildlife crime offender interviews in Namibia and South Africa showed similar findings.
The Namibian study involved interviews with 45 male offenders incarcerated for offences related to wildlife trafficking. Most of the offenders were low-level poachers or traders within the supply chain with limited knowledge of the market they were supplying.
According to the report, they were either fully or partially employed, mostly in agriculture, but engaged in poaching/trading occasionally and on an opportunistic basis.