Herd of elephants at a safari camp in Masai Mara, Kenya.
The 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report, released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, shows that more than 4,000 species of precious wildlife are still victims of trafficking each year, despite two decades of global efforts.
The report summarizes global efforts to combat poaching. There are positive signs that trafficking in some iconic species, including elephants and rhinos, has declined due to the gradual dismantling of large trafficking networks and the suppression of key market demand, but the overall picture remains unpromising for thousands of protected flora and fauna.
Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC, said: "Wildlife crime causes untold harm to nature, while also endangering livelihoods, public health, good governance and the planet's ability to cope with climate change. ”
Scale and harm
The report examines trafficked flora and fauna seized in 162 countries and territories between 2015 and 2021, and the latest data show that the illegal trade affects about 4,000 species of flora and fauna, of which about 3,250 are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. During the reporting period, law enforcement agencies confiscated 13 million items, totaling more than 16,000 tons.
While wildlife trafficking is a major cause of the extinction of many rare species such as orchids, succulents, reptiles, fish, birds and mammals, the public often turns a blind eye to the UN wildlife crime prevention expert.
Illicit trafficking is said to be the main culprit for the recent extinction of several succulent species in South Africa. It also led to the mass depletion of rare orchids, and newly discovered species quickly became targets for poachers and buyers.
In addition to directly threatening species populations, illegal wildlife trafficking can damage fragile ecosystems and their functions, particularly their ability to mitigate climate change.
In addition, in recent decades, human and animal health experts have been concerned about the disease risks posed by wildlife trade, including direct transmission of disease to humans from live animals, plants and wildlife products (including game), as well as broader threats to wildlife populations, ecosystems and food production systems.
重重阻止碍
An analysis of more than 140,000 wildlife species seized between 2015 and 2021 shows that from the Amazon to the Golden Triangle, which roughly includes northeastern Myanmar, northwestern Thailand, and northern Laos, powerful organized crime groups continue to invade already fragile ecosystems, with intricate linkages. Transnational criminal networks cover all stages of the trade chain, including export, import, brokering, stockpiling, breeding and marketing.
The report notes that traffickers are constantly adapting their methods and routes to evade detection and prosecution, exploiting regulatory loopholes and law enforcement weaknesses. Corruption further exacerbates the plight of flora and fauna, and officials often turn a blind eye to illegal activities. Moreover, wildlife crime cases are rarely prosecuted as corruption, allowing perpetrators to go unpunished.
To address the problem, Wali said, there must be strong, targeted interventions on both the supply and demand sides of the trafficking chain, efforts to reduce criminal incentives and profits, and greater investment in data, analytics and monitoring capabilities.
There is still hope
The report also notes that poaching, seizures and market prices of species such as elephants and rhinos have declined significantly over the past decade.
The latest analysis shows that the integrated strategy for both supply and demand sides has achieved good results. However, this approach must also be combined with greater policy focus, stricter market surveillance, and enforcement actions against major traffickers.
