Chapters
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Introduction
This guide was written by Toby McIntosh, GIJN’s Resource Center senior advisor. Illustrations are by Marcelle Louw. Editing by Laura Dixon and Reed Richardson. The illegal trafficking of wild animals and plants is damaging biodiversity worldwide and spreading disease. It’s an international story, with opportunities for investigations in virtually every country. This GIJN guide aims […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 1
The webs of trafficking are varied and complex, so many kinds of people are potentially involved, as protectors and perpetrators. Below are suggestions about who to interview and key factors to consider when getting started. Sadiq Naqvi, an independent investigative journalist in India who has written about rhino poaching, said: “It is very important to […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 2
Social media is now extensively used to facilitate illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT) and journalists can generate many kinds of stories by probing these online platforms. The prevalent role that social media plays in trafficking is well-documented by academics, NGO researchers, and journalists. Perhaps the best line of inquiry for reporters is to conduct narrow searches […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 3
Reporting in the field on those who capture or kill endangered animals and collect rare plants can be difficult and dangerous. Caution is advised. Poachers and traffickers may be armed and dangerous. Law enforcement officials, with better tools and training, run into trouble all too frequently. Two Spanish journalists filming a documentary on poaching in […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 4
Supply chains connect wildlife suppliers to end users. However, there is too much focus on poaching and not enough on trafficking, according to Andrea Crosta, executive director of Earth League International, an NGO that investigates wildlife crime and runs WildLeaks. “We know what happens at poaching level and at the end of the supply change,” […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 5
Arrests for IWT rarely result in successful prosecutions and convictions. The penalties and prison sentences given are remarkably low. Only 11% of wildlife crimes were successfully prosecuted, according to a 2017 report by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Of the cases examined for the report, […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 6
“Bushmeat in the city? I say ‘No!’” That’s the key message from a recent public awareness campaign to reduce demand for meat from wild animals. The video (in French) features women in an African marketplace. It was created by the Center for International Forestry Research, a nonprofit scientific organization, headquartered in Indonesia, with four offices in […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 7
The most widely quoted estimates for the financial size of illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT) are built on quicksand and are so old, vague, and poorly calculated that they should be avoided in your reporting, according to experts consulted by GIJN. Better to focus on the demonstrated negative impact of trafficking on plant and animal populations. […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 8
GIJN invited experienced journalists and activists to answer one key question about reporting on illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT): What stories should investigative journalists interested in this subject concentrate on? Their reflective answers are based on years in the field. The experts are not of one voice. Some stress looking for more unusual stories: about the […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 9
We’ve compiled a spreadsheet containing major reports, key groups, databases, and stories to help you investigative illegal wildlife trafficking here.