Abstract
AbstractIllegal wildlife trade is gaining prominence as a threat to biodiversity, but addressing it remains challenging. To help inform proactive policy responses in the face of uncertainty, in 2018 we conducted a horizon scan of significant emerging issues. We built upon existing iterative horizon scanning methods, using an open and global participatory approach to evaluate and rank issues from a diverse range of sources. Prioritized issues related to three themes: developments in biological, information, and financial technologies; changing trends in demand and information; and socioeconomic, geopolitical shifts and influences. The issues covered areas ranging from changing demographic and economic factors to innovations in technology and communications that affect illegal wildlife trade markets globally; the top three issues related to China, illustrating its vital role in tackling emerging threats. This analysis can support national governments, international bodies, researchers, and nongovernmental organizations as they develop strategies for addressing the illegal wildlife trade.
Highlights
Thousands of species are subject to illegal wildlife trade (IWT), defined here as the unlawful buying or selling of harvested wild species
We adapted the Delphi-like method used in other horizon scans (Mukherjee et al, 2015; Sutherland et al, 2018)
The growing reach of mobile technology and physical access into new areas presents opportunities for both IWT perpetrators and conservationists. This dynamic IWT environment presents a challenge as mitigation efforts are inherently reactive to trafficking activities and thwarted by jurisdictional boundaries
Summary
Thousands of species are subject to illegal wildlife trade (IWT), defined here as the unlawful buying or selling of harvested wild species (or derivatives; ’t Sas-Rolfes, Challender, Hinsley, Veríssimo, & Milner-Gulland 2019). Due to its complexity and typically covert nature, the absolute scale and value of IWT is challenging to assess, but estimates place it in the top five illegal transnational trades, alongside arms and drugs (UNODC, 2016; van Uhm, 2016). IWT provides income to individuals with limited alternatives (Harrison, Baker, Twinamatsiko, & Milner-Gulland, 2015) and valued goods, such as bushmeat, to consumers (Boratto & Gore, 2018). The direct exploitation of organisms, including illegal extraction to meet local and global markets, was ranked second of five key drivers of harmful ecosystem change in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ first global assessment (IPBES 2019)
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