United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released World Wildlife Crime Report 2024

Posted 14 May 2024

2 min read

Key findings

  • During 2015-2021, rhinoceroses and cedars were most impacted animal and plant species respectively.
  • Largest numbers of seizures reported during 2015- 2021 involved corals, followed by crocodilians and elephants.
  • For seizures of animal species, there is gradual increase from 2015–2019 and then decline in 2020 and 2021.
  • For seizures of plant species, there is sharp increase in 2020 and 2021

Wildlife crime

  • It can be defined as taking, possession, trade or movement, consumption of wild animals and plants or their derivatives in contravention of any international, regional, or national legislation(s). 

Factors driving wildlife crime 

  • Demand for medicine, pets, bushmeat, ornamental plants etc.
  • Huge profits earned by illegal traders by selling exotic animals, plants, and their parts. Eg. Rhinoceros horn, etc.
  • Corruption undermines government restrictions on wildlife harvest, trade and use, thus enabling wildlife crime.

Impact of Wildlife Crime

  • Environmental: Overexploitation and reduced populations of wildlife species; Increasing invasive alien species etc.
    • Out of all seized fauna, 40% were either threatened or near-threatened on red list.
  • Economical: Money-laundering and illegal cross-border financial flows. 
  • Social: Risks of disease transmission to people from live animals, plants, wildlife meat; Degradation of services like food, medicines, energy, etc.

Steps taken to combat Wildlife Crime

Global

  • UNODC’s Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime, 2014.
    • UNODC was established in 1997 in Vienna (Austria), to fight against illicit drugs and organised crime.
  • Wildlife Crime Initiative to respond to global poaching crisis.
    • It is a strategic partnership between TRAFFIC, wildlife trade monitoring network and World Wildlife Fund.

India

  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicle or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s).
  • Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was established under Ministry of Environment and Forests to combat organized wildlife crime.
  • Tags :
  • World Wildlife Crime Report 2024
  • United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
  • Wildlife crime
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