LONDON:
The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)
broadly welcomes the outcomes of today’s landmark London Conference on
Illegal Wildlife Trade as a strong indication that world leaders are
finally getting serious about tackling international wildlife crime.
The new EIA report
In Cold Blood – Combating organised wildlife crime,
released just days before the Conference, examines wildlife crime case histories and
highlights the crucial lessons to be learnt for better enforcement.
As
well as driving both iconic and little known species towards extinction,
wildlife crime undermines democratic structures, sows corruption at
every level and funds conflict,
terrorism and other serious criminal activities.
EIA Executive Direct Mary Rice said: “EIA is
particularly pleased to see the
Declaration agreed at the conclusion of this Conference committing
countries to a series of meaningful actions which, if implemented, will
reverse the low-risk/high-profit nature of wildlife crime.
EIA especially welcomes agreement at the Conference for:
• greater international cooperation in the fight against wildlife crime;
• using
legislation and enforcement deployed against other forms of organised crime;
•
the deployment of national task forces and transnational organised crime units;
•
using investigative techniques and tools already used against other forms of transnational organised crime;
•
international sharing of intelligence and joint operations and treating the illegal wildlife trade as a serious crime.
Rice said: “This has been an
unprecedented gathering, the
first indication that many of the world’s governments are really serious
about combating organised wildlife crime.
“Delegates
should now go home and convene meetings with chiefs of police and
Customs, immediately mobilising the law enforcement community to gather
and analyse intelligence
and so work towards dismantling the criminal networks behind the
multi-billion dollar illicit wildlife trade.
“We would have liked them to go further and, specifically with regard to ivory and tigers, close down legal domestic markets.”
EIA
will looking for evidence of tangible implementation of the London
Conference agreement by the time of the next Conference in Botswana in
early 2015.
