The Illegal Wildlife Trade

For centuries, the illegal killing and selling of animals has been an unfortunately profitable business. It is estimated to be right behind the illegal drug trade in terms of profitability. Getting an accurate number is difficult because of the secretive nature of the trade, but estimates put annual profit into the hundreds of millions of dollars, possibly into the billions. 

Poaching rates are especially high in Latin America, where the biodiversity is remarkable, and the resources to stop illegal trafficking are nearly absent. The methods by which poachers smuggle animals out of the country are truly disturbing, and most animals will die before they even reach their destination. Although habitat destruction is still widely considered to be the biggest threat to endangered species, illegal trafficking is a close second, and has much more dire implications.

There are several different facets to the illegal wildlife trade, all of which have experienced a sudden spike in the last few years. 

THE IVORY TRADE

Killing elephants for their tusks is one of the largest branches of the illegal wildlife trade. Ivory from elephant tusks is in high demand, and has resulted in over 100,000 elephants being killed each year. The international sale of ivory has been illegal since 1990, but the trade has still been increasing at staggering rates. This has resulted in the undoing of decades of conservation work. 

by USFWS Mountain-Prairie
via Flickr.com - used under
Creative Commons License

The American government has recently placed new laws on the sale of ivory, effectively introducing a total ban on the sale of ivory. The government also hopes to stop several forms of trade by being more stringent about whether certain ivory is legal or not.

PARROT TRADE

In Latin America, thousands of wild parrots are smuggled out of the country despite bans and international agreements. In 2008, one study showed that over 22,000 birds were smuggled out in the past year. The trade has resulted in a 30% decrease in some species' populations in the wild, and the vast majority (75%) of the birds will die from stress or abusive handling during transit. 

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

TIGER POACHING

Tigers are one of the most sought-after animals for the illegal wildlife trade. Their skins are in high demand and are often seen as a status symbol in some countries. Every part of the body gets traded, and their teeth and bones are often used in traditional and folk medicine. As a result of poaching and habitat destruction, over 97% of tiger populations have been lost in the last century. The number of remaining tigers is estimated to be below 2,500.

At this rate, it is estimated that tigers will be extinct within a few decades. 

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

What is Being Done?

These examples of the illegal wildlife trade barely scratch the surface of this disturbing and destructive business. Luckily, many organizations have made it a priority to put an end to it. 

The World Wildlife Fund has put this issue on the top of their priority list, and they are doing everything from educating, to funding increased patrols in countries where poaching is prevalent. They also offer several opportunities to donate, or symbolically adopt a tiger to support their efforts.

Copyright Getty Images/WPA Pool

As mentioned in a previous post, the royal family is still continuing their work to get multiple governments involved. Prince William is a patron of the Tusk Trust, an organization that fights to save the wildlife of Africa. Prince William and Prince Charles recently spoke at The Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, which resulted in 40 countries and 11 international organizations agreeing to take decisive action against illegal poaching and trading. The Declaration pledges to reduce demand for wildlife products, strengthen law enforcement, and to engage with local communities.

Another international agreement titled CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) was created to ensure that the sale and trade of animals does not damage their populations. The agreement was put into place in 1975 and currently protects 35,000 species of plants and animals.

SOURCES

Illegal Wildlife Trade. (n.d.). World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved , from http://worldwildlife.org/threats/illegal-wildlife-trade

African Elephant. (n.d.). World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved , from http://worldwildlife.org/species/african-elephant

Tiger. (n.d.). World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved , from http://worldwildlife.org/species/tiger

World leaders clamp down on the illegal wildlife trade. (n.d.). IUCN. Retrieved , from https://www.iucn.org/?14436/World-leaders-clamp-down-on-the-illegal-wildlife-trade

Wildlife Trafficking. (n.d.). Smithsonian.com. Retrieved , from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/wildlife-trafficking-149079896/?no-ist

Christy, B. (n.d.). United States Tightens the Noose on the Ivory Trade. National Geographic. Retrieved , from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140211-united-states-rules-wildlife-trafficking-ivory-science/

The illegal parrot trade remains a problem in Latin America. (n.d.). BirdLife International. Retrieved , from http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/165

As Few as 3,200 Tigers Left. (n.d.). WWF Save Tigers Now. Retrieved , from http://www.savetigersnow.org/problem