PC Pets for a Price: Combating Online and Traditional Wildlife Crime through International Harmonization and Authoritative Policies

Abstract

Animal Trafficking is a $20 Billion international business that has quadrupled over the last fifteen years. The over-exploitation of these animals is a global concern, because it can lead to animal extinction, the depletion of resources, and the loss of biodiversity. Although the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, attempts to internationally monitor animal trafficking, it lacks the prowess and authorization to effectively enforce its own policies. Over the last decade, this business has moved from a solely traditional market and grown through the internet; this change necessitates a more rigorous enforcement plan. Cybercrimes are habitually more difficult to prosecute, because of offender anonymity, jurisdictional issues, and other evidentiary problems. The Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime is the first international response to this problem, providing international harmonization of cybercrime laws. Recently, more illegal sales are transnational, often causing legal and jurisdictional conflicts. In 2007, in response to a conservation publication calling for harmonization among EU laws, the EU passed an Action Plan. This Action Plan represents an important step toward a universal transnational enforcement plan. This comment argues that CITES must be reformed to allow for better enforceability. This comment recommends necessary improvements to CITES, such as the building international animal trafficking laws, providing resources and funding to developing countries, and mandating stricter culpability standards, using the Convention on Cybercrime and the EU Action Plan as legislative models.