The World Report on Wildlife Crime from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), published this Monday, showed that the damage caused to nature is incalculable, with more than four thousand precious species of fauna. and wild flora targeted by traffic every year despite efforts.
Between 2015 and 2021, law enforcement agencies confiscated 13 million illegal items in 162 countries, totaling more than 16,000 tons.
“Wildlife crime causes untold damage to nature and also endangers livelihoods, public health, good governance and our planet’s ability to fight climate change,” Ghada Waly said. , executive director of the ONUC.
Despite its important role in the extinction of numerous rare species such as orchids, succulents, reptiles, fish, birds and mammals, wildlife trafficking often goes unnoticed by the public, according to UN crime prevention specialists. the topic.
For example, illegal harvesting for trade is believed to have led to the recent extinction of several succulent plant species in South Africa.
In addition to directly threatening species populations, wildlife trafficking can disrupt delicate ecosystems and their functions, in particular by undermining their ability to mitigate climate change.
Analysis of more than 140,000 wildlife trafficking seizures between 2015 and 2021 reveals the intricate involvement of powerful organized crime groups in the exploitation of fragile ecosystems around the world, from the Amazon to the widely encompassing Golden Triangle. northeastern Myanmar, northwest Thailand and northern Laos.
Transnational criminal networks intervene in various phases of the commercial chain, such as export, import, intermediation, storage, breeding and sale to customers.
According to UNODC, traffickers continually adapt their methods and routes to evade detection and prosecution, taking advantage of regulatory loopholes and deficiencies in law enforcement, a situation that is further aggravated by corruption.
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