Earth Day, bird poaching and how corruption drives illegal tree felling in the Amazon
Wild Crime: updates from the week in the world of wildlife trafficking and environmental crime
This week included Earth Day – which took place on April 22 – so what better excuse to highlight the significant environmental damage wrought by wildlife trafficking and environmental crime.
Apologies that the newsletter has been a little quiet these past few weeks. I’ve been gathering stories for future editions. Next week I plan to be much busier and I’ll bring you a deep dive into the hunting of one of the world’s most threatened big cats: the jaguar.
For now, here’s a round up of this week’s news.
Brazil: Traders in illegally felled Amazon timber use fake documents to import from Brazil, an investigation found. “Corrupt deals” and manipulation of the legal framework drive the trade, according to the Environmental Investigations Agency. The organisation found that wood purportedly extracted from legal areas in Brazil appeared to originate elsewhere. These areas are subject to sustainable management plans which should reduce environmental harm. (Mongabay)
Lebanon: Pictures of trophies on social media have drawn attention to the hunting of birds that takes place during the migration in Lebanon. The country ranks as one of the worst in the region with an estimated 2.6 million birds poached each year. Hunters share their spoils on social media and a recent analysis of 1,800 posts on Facebook and Instagram found that 94 per cent of the species photographed were illegal to hunt in Lebanon. (Mongabay)
USA: A Texan man was sentenced to four months in prison for smuggling six Mexican baby spider monkeys into the US. He was also ordered to pay more than $23,000 in costs incurred by the San Diego zoo, where the monkeys are now being rehabilitated. The monkeys were weeks old when they were separated from their mothers. Comparatively weak punishments for wildlife crimes is an issue many campaigners highlight as a barrier to tackling the problem. (ABC)
China: The Chinese government has made the landmark decision to join the UN’s agreement targeting illegal and unregulated fishing. The move has been hailed as a major boost in the fight against illicit fishing, given that China is arguably one of the worst offenders due to the size of its fishing fleet. (Pew Trust)
Asia: Conservation groups have launched an action plan to rescue Asian monkeys whose populations are in crisis thanks to habitat loss and hunting. The Asian langurs, a group of 20 species, are also sometimes the target of retaliatory killings by farmers whose crops they have eaten. The plan urges better protections and an increase in awareness of their protected status. (Mongabay)
Malaysia: An Indian man was detained at Kuala Lumpur airport accused of trying to smuggle 14 exotic species out of the country without proper documentation. The passenger’s check-in bag allegedly contained seven monitor lizards, four turtles and three tortoises. (New Indian Express)
Nigeria: Border guards in Nigeria stopped a man entering from Cameroon carrying some 346 bird heads and chimpanzee parts. The items had allegedly been purchased at an open market in Cameroon and the suspect was planning to resell them across the border. (The Nigerian Sun)
UK: The government has allocated an additional £800,000 to reinforce police units tasked with tackling wildlife crime. The move has been welcomed by British countryside campaigners and organisations who say that victims of crime in rural communities have been left feeling isolated in the past. Hare coursing and badger baiting are significant issues in rural parts of the UK. (Birdguides)