Wildlife crime

Erica Lyman and Nick Fromherz

Chapter 112 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Animal Law, 2025, pp 425-428 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Although no universally accepted definition of ‘wildlife crime’ exists, commonalities across definitions envision wildlife crime as any illegal act against or involving wildlife, including trafficking, whether international or occurring entirely domestically, as well as secondary or facilitative crimes, such as corruption, money-laundering, and fraud. Taken together, the illegal poaching and trade of wild fauna and flora, excluding the fisheries and timber sectors, is one of the world's most lucrative criminal activities and constitutes one of the most pernicious forces driving species to extinction. At the international level, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [CITES] occupies a central position, regulating international trade in specimens of species listed in the Convention's Appendices. National laws do much of the heavy lifting in terms of implementing this treaty—and, by further regulating take, trade, transport, and use, and more, they push regulation beyond the treaty's limits. Wildlife offences may be administrative, civil, or criminal. Depending on the specific legal system, these offences may be adjudicated under distinct procedures or trigger different types of penalties, ranging from almost nominal fines to significant periods of incarceration.

Keywords: Crime; Wildlife; Flora; Fauna; Trafficking; Biodiversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781803923666
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