Pangolin trafficking falls; poaching and illegal mining on the rise
Law enforcement wins in Africa are bringing results, but elsewhere, armed groups, smuggling networks, and environmental crime continue to wreak havoc.
Pangolins are often referred to as the most trafficked animal on the planet. Global demand for their scales and other body parts is fuelled by beliefs in their medicinal properties, and they are sometimes also sold for their meat.
A recent report by the Wildlife Justice Commission offers some good news: there has been a significant drop in pangolin seizures since 2020. While the initial decline is partly attributed to the pandemic, the organization highlights increased law enforcement efforts in several African countries as a key factor.
However, the report also warns of an ongoing “intelligence gap” that could allow illegal shipments to go undetected. You can read the full report here.
Meanwhile, Mongabay published a feature this week on how lawlessness in biodiversity-rich regions can fuel wildlife crime. Clashes between the Democratic Republic of Congo's army and the M23 armed group have escalated this year. The group controls a large portion of Virunga National Park, and officials have reported a rise in poaching.
Some locals appear to be exploiting the unstable situation. In March, a gorilla was found in a poacher’s trap and, thankfully, was released. Such incidents not only threaten biodiversity but also disrupt animal behaviour. One gorilla family has reportedly fled across the border to Rwanda, effectively becoming refugees, according to park officials. Read the full story here.
Kenya: Four men have been sentenced to a year in prison of a £5,800 fine after being caught trying to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya. Two Belgian teenagers, a Vietnamese national and a Kenyan were arrested last month. The Belgians were in possession of more than 5,000 ants in test tubes that prosecutors believe were to be sent to marketplaces and collectors in Europe and Asia. (BBC)
Peru: Thirteen miners who were kidnapped by a criminal gang were found dead inside a mine in Peru. The miners worked at a gold mine operated by Peruvian company Poderosa and were held by a criminal gang for a week, apparently with the intention of seizing the mine. Several mines operated by Poderosa have been seized by gangs since 2020. Illegal gold mining has led to escalating violence in Peru in recent years. (BBC)
Nigeria: The links between wildlife trafficking and other types of organised crime have been highlighted by the arrest of middlemen for the terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria. The three men were arrested in northern Nigeria while they attended a market attempting to trade poached warthog ivory. With dwindling populations of elephants, warthog tusks have become a “poor man’s ivory”. The illegal wildlife trade has been described as a significant funding source for Boko Haram. (HumAngle Media)
Bangladesh: Some 248 individuals suspected of illegal fishing were arrested in Bangladesh in just six days. The River Police said they seized nearly 7,000kg of fish and that the suspects were all being held in custody. The nets seized in the operation were destroyed. (BSS News)
Global: Dangerous loopholes in the fight against illegal fishing are threatening the ocean, coastal communities and food standards, a new report has claimed. The EU IUU Fishing Coalition said that documentation schemes are becoming increasingly vital in the fight against illicit fishing but that a lack of joined up thinking between countries was leaving loopholes. It pointed at Japan and the US as countries that are lagging behind when it comes to implementing the schemes. (WWF)
USA: A man pleaded guilty to owning roosters for the purposes of organising cockfighting. In cockfights a knife is attached to the leg of two roosters which are then placed together and forced to fight – usually to the death. The man, from Rhode Island, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. (US DOJ)
Brazil: Land which has been illegally deforested or intentionally burned must be seized by the federal government in Brazil, the Supreme Court has ruled. Experts have said that the ruling closes a loophole whereby individuals or organisations could commit environmental crimes on land and legalise their actions later. Illegal deforestation has been a major problem in Brazil for decades, leading to the destruction of important areas of biodiversity like the Amazon and the Pantanal. (EHN)
Panama: Beneficial ownership of fishing vessels will be more transparent, the Panamanian government has pledged in an announcement at the Ocean Conference in South Korea. Experts say that it is too easy for bad actors to mask the true ownership of vessels making it difficult to punish bad behaviour at sea. Panama is one of the leading nations under which boats choose to sail. (Global News Wire)
Thailand: Authorities blocked an attempt at smuggling shark fins out of the country on May 1. The shipment was labelled “dry fish” and was flagged as suspicious before investigations discovered the true nature of the cargo. The shipment contained more than 100kg of shark fins and had originated in Trinidad and Tobago, routing via China. (Borneo Bulletin)
UK: Vehicles used for fly-tipping – illegal dumping of waste – in England will be crushed, the government has said. Those found guilty will be jailed for up to five years in a tough crackdown on illicitly transported waste. There were more than a million incidents of fly-tipping recorded in 2023-24 according to official statistics, a six per cent increase on the previous year. (The Guardian)