A recent analysis of the illegal trade in elephants and rhinoceroses found that a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing supply and demand works well. UN report: poaching has declined, but the threat remains Climate and Environment
Despite two decades of worldwide efforts, more than 4,000 rare wildlife species continue to be poached. This is stated in a report released on Monday by the United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs (UNODC).
“Wildlife crime causes enormous harm to nature and threatens livelihoods, human health and the planet’s ability to combat climate change,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Wali.
In the World Wildlife Crime Report, UNO takes stock of efforts to combat poaching around the world. Despite the dismantling of large trafficking networks and suppression of demand in key markets, the overall picture for thousands of protected plants and animals remains grim, the report’s authors conclude.
Scope and Damage
Wildlife crimes have a profound global impact, the consequences of which are not always clearly understood, the UNP emphasizes. Data collected from 2015 to 2021 for 162 countries and territories shows that illegal trade affects about four thousand species of plants and animals, of which approximately 3,250 are listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora disappearance. During the reporting period, law enforcement agencies confiscated 13 million units of products weighing more than 16 thousand tons.
Despite the significant role that wildlife trafficking plays in the extinction of numerous rare species, it often goes undetected. Thus, the illegal collection of plants for trade has led to the extinction of several species of succulents in South Africa, as well as a significant depletion of rare orchids.
In addition to the immediate threat to species populations, illegal disrupt fragile ecosystems—in particular, undermine their ability to mitigate climate change.
Additionally, in recent decades, experts have raised concerns about the risk of disease associated with the wildlife trade. These concerns include both direct disease transmission to humans from animals, plants and wildlife products, and broader threats to wildlife populations, ecosystems and food chains.
Strong enemy
An analysis of more than 140,000 cases of illegal wildlife trafficking between 2015 and 2021 shows that major organized crime groups are actively involved in the exploitation of fragile ecosystems around the world, from the Amazon to the Golden Triangle, covering northeastern Myanmar, northwestern Thailand and northern Laos. Transnational criminal networks are involved in various stages of the trade chain, including export, import, brokering, storage, breeding and sales.
Traffickers are constantly changing their methods and routes, according to UNC experts to evade detection and prosecution by exploiting regulatory loopholes and weak enforcement practices. Further exacerbating the situation, corruption is where officials often turn a blind eye to irregularities.
A recent analysis of the illegal trade in elephants and rhinoceroses found that a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing supply and demand produces good results. results, noted the authors of the report. Over the past decade, there has been a significant reduction in poaching and a decrease in the number of seizures of illegal products.
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