Abstract
As wildlife trafficking or the illegal wildlife trade has taken a more prominent place on the global agenda, discussions are taking place as to how wildlife trafficking happens. An increased understanding has revealed that corruption is a key facilitator of this profitable and pervasive global black market, but limited research has explored exactly what that corruption looks like and how corruption enables wildlife to be trafficked. Furthermore, research shows that Asia, particularly China and Southeast Asia, are focal points for the supply and demand of certain species of wildlife. Through a literature-based investigation, this paper unpacks the role specific acts of corruption play in the trafficking of ivory, reptile skins and live reptiles from, through or to Asia. It is proposed that not only do individual corrupt acts enable wildlife trafficking to happen, but also that corrupted structures (the criminal justice system, and economic and political foundations) in some societies enable trafficking to happen and also increase the resilience of trafficking to reduction measures. In collating detailed data about the forms of corruption facilitating wildlife trafficking, the gaps in knowledge, and therefore the important areas for further research, become evident.
Highlights
As wildlife trafficking or the illegal wildlife trade has taken a more prominent place on the global agenda, discussions are taking place as to how wildlife trafficking happens
There are theoretical explanations for the demand driving wildlife trafficking (TRAFFIC 2008; Wyatt 2013b), but corruption has emerged as a clear facilitator of the illegal trade in wildlife (WWF and TRAFFIC 2015; Wyatt and Cao 2015; UNODC 2016)
There is substantial evidence indicating that corruption facilitates the illegal ivory trade in relation to planning, poaching, transportation and selling
Summary
As wildlife trafficking or the illegal wildlife trade has taken a more prominent place on the global agenda, discussions are taking place as to how wildlife trafficking happens. Individual corrupt acts, as will shortly be detailed in the three case studies, are at times taking place within criminal justice systems and political and economic structures that are compromised and maintained by corrupt officials (see Table 2) With both macro- and micro-levels of corruption at work, tackling wildlife trafficking is a difficult challenge. The EIA (2014): 21) found that there have been incidents involving Bnaval officers and personnel^ from both China and Tanzania accepting bribes for shipments of ivory to be transported across borders without inspection These examples support that the planning phase of the trafficking process includes corruption as places or people that can be targeted for bribery are the main routes for smuggling. In an area with no law enforcement and lack of control from the central government, a space exists for ivory to be traded and enter into China with no repercussions (Nijman and Shepherd 2014)
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