CITES takes a byte out of wildlife cybercrime

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wildlife cybercriminals will be under more scrutiny than ever following the commitment by all 183 Parties to CITES, to stamp out illegal online wildlife trade.

The decision was taken at a high level meeting held during the CoP17 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) being held in Johannesburg, South Africa this week.

"This decision will lead to a much more cohesive counter offensive against wildlife cybercriminals, in that it brings together enforcers, online market places and social media platforms from across the globe in a common mission to save wildlife," said Tania McCrea-Steele, Global Wildlife Cybercrime Project Lead for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, IFAW.

McCrea-Steele said IFAW welcomed the Secretariat's intention to engage with online marketplaces and social media platforms in order to crack down on wildlife cybercriminals.

Wildlife cybercrime is a serious threat to endangered species as research conducted by IFAW since 2004 has clearly established. Most recently in 2014 IFAW's Wanted: Dead or Alive – Exposing Online Wildlife Trade found more than 30,000 endangered and protected live wildlife and their parts and products available for sale over a six week period across 16 countries. The value of the items was in excess of US$10-million.

Yesterday's decision at CITES came during a meeting where Governments and NGO's gathered to consider the fast growing threat of illegal Internet trade in wildlife.  

The Decision calls on INTERPOL to bring together the enforcement community in order to effectively police online wildlife crime. Parties will now also have the opportunity to convene and review their legislation by engaging in the workshop.

The document was tabled by Kenya, whose representative said the country was concerned by the threat that wildlife cybercrime poses to the survival of endangered wildlife.

"Enforcement operations and prosecutions show that criminals who seek to profit from the illegal trade in endangered wildlife are now utilising the internet to enable their criminal activities," said Kenya.

"It is essential that we have robust laws specifically addressing the unique threat posed by online wildlife crime while also increasing enforcement knowledge and intelligence on this issue. In addition, it is necessary to engage e-commerce platforms who can assist law enforcers but also improve consumer awareness."

Parties that spoke in favor of the decision were:
Syria, Guinea, Israel, India, Malaysia, Senegal, Liberia, Costa Rica, the Maldives, Nigeria, South Africa and the European Union.

About IFAW
Founded in 1969, IFAW rescues and protects animals around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Photos are available at www.ifawimages.com

SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare

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