Taking a Bite Outta Crime

Photo from CITES

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) held their Conference of the Parties for the 16th time at the beginning of this month in Bangkok.  As an international agreement between governments, CITES ensures that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.  So, in simple terms, CITES is where global wildlife decisions are made.  The Conference of Parties only meets every two to three years.  Attended by both representatives from member states and observers this is the organization’s opportunity to discuss current problems and successes.  This year’s meeting, however, was extra special because it was also the first global meeting of wildlife enforcement networks, covering topics of regional enforcement capacity and cooperative response to threats posed by wildlife criminal networks.  Wildlife crime is transnational organized crime (TOC), just like human-trafficking, the drug cartel, or the mafia.  And, fighting this type of crime proves to be quite difficult, as it is with all TOCs, not only because of the level of organization within the network itself, but due to poor country to country enforcement communication and differences in laws and regulations guarding wildlife.  For example, the legal hunting season for wolves in Canada is April –September while, the much shorter hunting season in the United States, may not begin until October.  And, due to close hunting seasons and close proximity, an illegally hunted animal could be transported to another continent “legally” if regulations in one country or the other are not strictly followed.

---

The purpose of the meeting was to start the process of building more effective and comprehensive national, sub-regional and regional programs to manage wildlife crime by improving global communication and creating a network of wildlife enforcement groups.  This will not only aide in the cooperation of neighboring programs which may need to work together to combat a particular issue but will also allow groups to share successful strategies and practices which they can then apply to their efforts.  By creating a global network they will also be able to improve efforts to tackle the transnational aspects of wildlife crime.

The Secretary-General of the CITES Secretariat, John E. Scanlon, on behalf of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) that hosted the event, said: “The first global meeting of wildlife enforcement networks is an important step in our collective response to combating serious wildlife and forest crime. Illegal wildlife and forest product trade is escalating, transnational and increasingly well-organized. Coordinated responses that connect and align efforts across borders and organizations provide the best opportunities to combat this serious crime, and protect the species and people at risk because of it.”

Photo from The Verge

Conservation genetics is making an appearance in the fight against wildlife crime as well.  Using forensic techniques, biological samples can not only identify a species, but also what region it may have come from.  This month, CITES passed a measure which requires all 178 member countries to submit seized ivory for DNA testing.  This is all part of a renewed effort to crack down on the criminal networks behind elephant poaching, which has doubled since 2007 and more than tripled over the past 15 years.  Using specific genetic patterns which correlate to regions where African elephants exist, the technique, developed by Dr. Sam Wasser at UDUB (WOOF!), can pinpoint the seized ivory to within 165 miles of its place of origin, enabling them to locate the source of illicit trade.  Although the technique isn’t perfect, requiring large samples of at least 500 kilograms ivory, all involved are optimistic about these beginning efforts to bring poaching to an end.

---

---

Where did I get all this information?  Check it out:

• CITES.org
  
• The Verge
  
• Global Post

---

And on a side not, if Hilary were to try running for President again, this would be a good reason to support her:
"Secretary Clinton’s ‘Call for Action’ on illegal wildlife trade"