Illustration: Marcelle Louw for GIJN
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 9
Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: A GIJN Guide
Chapter Guide Video Investigative Techniques Methodology Organized Crime
Guide to Investigating Wildlife Trafficking: Short version
The illegal trafficking of wild animals and plants is damaging biodiversity worldwide and spreading diseases. It’s an international story, with great opportunities for investigations in virtually every country. GIJN’s new guide encourages deep reporting about the subject with tips and tools for covering a global trade.
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Introduction
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 1
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 2
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 3
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 4
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 5
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 6
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 7
Chapter Guide Resource
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Chapter 8
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.
This table is a list of major reports, key groups, examples of investigative journalism, and relevant databases on illegal Wildlife Trafficking. The collection is part of GIJN’s Illegal Wildlife Trafficking guide, which can be found here. Suggestions for additions to the collection are welcome. Please email hello@gijn.org.
| Name | Date | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Data on global imports and exports of biodiversity-based products | 2022 | It comprises a database of trade statistics on biodiversity-based products and a web site with interactive maps and charts on how countries import and export them. |
| World Health Organization | Reducing public health risks associated with the sale of live wild animals of mammalian species in traditional food markets | 2021 | WHO, OIE, and UNEP call on national competent authorities to suspend the trade in live-caught wild animals of mammalian species for food or breeding purposes and close sections of food markets selling live-caught wild animals of mammalian species as an emergency measure. |
| UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) | World Wildlife Crime Report | 2020 | The second edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report takes stock of the present wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, and provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. It includes a quantitative market assessment and a series of in-depth, illicit trade case studies: rosewood, ivory and rhino horn, pangolin scales, live reptiles, big cats, and eels. In addition, value chains and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory and rhino horn are presented. |
| UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) | Annual Report: Global Progamme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime | 2020 | An overview of efforts to combat wildlife crime during the past year. |
| Financial Action Task Force (FATF) | Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade | 2020 | This report draws on inputs and case studies from over 50 countries from across the FATF Global Network and observers, as well as civil society and the United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce. |
| Convention on Biological Diversity | The fifth edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-5) | 2020 | "A report card on progress against the 20 global biodiversity targets agreed in 2010 with a 2020 deadline, and offers lessons learned and best practices for getting on track." |
| US State Department | 2022 END Wildlife Trafficking Strategic Review | 2021 | The latest annual report. Also see US State Department's Wildlife Trafficking Strategic Review. |
| World Health Organization | Biodiversity & Infectious Diseases Questions & Answers | 2020 | An informative Q&A |
| United Nations Drugs and Crime (UNODC) | Darknet Cybercrime Threats to Southeast Asia | 2021 | The report assesses the dark web from the viewpoints of users, criminals, and law enforcement with a particular focus on cybercrime targeting countries in Southeast Asia. Includes a section on wildlife crime. |
| World Customs Organization | Illicit Trade Report | 2020 | Written in partnership with the NGO C4ADS, this is an analysis of global customs seizure as reported to WCO for 2019. The report includes a subsection on seizures. Also see annual reports from 2016-2018 |
| World Bank | Illegal Logging, Fishing, and Wildlife Trade: The Costs And How to Combat It | 2019 | The real costs of illegal logging, fishing, and wildlife trade, which the bank estimates at "$1 trillion or more per year." |
| World Bank | Analysis of International Funding to Combat Wildlife Trafficking | 2019 | Analysis found that roughly $260 million/year was spent on average from 2010 – 18 to combat illegal wildlife trade in 67 African and Asian countries. |
| CITES | Report on the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) | 2019 | Detailed report on ETIS |
| The OECD Task-Force for Countering Illicit Trade (TFCIT) | The Illegal Wildlife Trade in Southeast Asia | 2019 | This report details the findings of research conducted throughout 2018, documenting evidence collected from field interviews, desk research, and data collection on institutional capacities to counter illegal wildlife trade. This study focused on four countries: Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. |
| The OECD Task-Force for Countering Illicit Trade | Strengthening Governance and Reducing Corruption Risks to Tackle Illegal Wildlife Trade (2018) | 2018 | "This report provides a structured analysis of how corruption facilitates wildlife crime based on research in four source and transit countries in East and Southern Africa. It offers a series of specific recommendations targeted at national governments, donors, and intergovernmental organisations to address the issues of corruption and the illegal wildlife trade." |
| CITES | The CITES Virtual College | Undated | A collection of online training resources, including courses, and country-by-county identification materials. |
| UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) | Enhancing the Detection, Investigation, and Disruption of Illicit Financial Flows from Wildlife Crime | 2017 | Based on a survey of countries. "As the following findings show, the majority of jurisdictions are not moving fast enough to keep up with the crisis. There is a widespread lack of political will to fully prioritise and manage wildlife crime on par with the scale and urgency of the issue." |
| The United Nation's Enviironmental Programmme (UNEP/INTERPOL) | The Rise of Environmental Crime | 2016 | A major report on IWT. |
| The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) | ASEAN Handbook on Legal Cooperation to Combat Wildlife Crime | 2016 | "Provides a regional overview of the similarities and differences in the national legal frameworks that criminalize varoius wildlife and forest activities, particularly wildlife trafficking across the ASEAN region." |
| The United Nation's Enviironmental Programmme (UNEP/INTERPOL)/INTERPOL | Strategic Report: Environment, Peace and Security – A Convergence of Threats | 2016 | This report "elaborates on the issue of crime convergence, by exploring the links between environmental crime and a wide range of other criminal activities, such as organized crime or terrorism." |
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