The illegal trade in wild animals

What is illegal animal trade?
The illegal trade in wild animals involves the capture of animals in their natural environment and their transport to the selling place, often thousands of miles away. The illegal trade in wild animals is a multi-billion dollar business, worth approximately $8 billion (US) worldwide in 2002. Much of this trade originates from less economically developed regions of the world such as Latin America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe and animals are transported to regions that are richer such as the E.U. and North America. The traffickers are frequently involved in other illegal activity such as the trade of other animal products (e.g. skins and ivory), precious stones, drugs and weapons.

There is evidence that illegally traded chimps have been used in areas popular with tourists

As a result of this trade, many of the species involved are endangered. In Brazil alone approximately 38 million wild animals are captured each year, according to the National Network to Fight Wild Animal Trafficking (of Brazil). Most of these animals are taken from areas of protected rainforest.

This process of capture often involves inhumane trapping. In the case of wild birds, they are usually caught using nets that can damage and break their wings. In many occasions when the birds are left for extended periods in the nets, they die of dehydration.
The trafficking process that follows this capture is generally extremely inhumane as creatures are placed in tight, cramped conditions with little access to air. Many animals die during this ordeal and, according to Animal Aid, up to 50% of animal cargo are estimated to die in transit to richer countries.

There is evidence of the illegal trade in primates, such as chimps, in areas popular with tourists. These animals are generally young and have often been orphaned as a result of the trade in ‘bush meat’ (using primates as food). As a result of their orphaning the animals are often highly traumatized. The young chimps have been observed being used as tourist entertainment. To subdue the chimps they are regularly drugged so that they are in a semi-conscious state. When they start to mature, the chimps will become more aggressive and are generally chained up or killed.

Illegal wild animal trade in Greece
There are very few official records showing how widespread the illegal trading of wild animals is in Greece. The attempt of the Greek Ministry of Agriculture to grant licenses to private companies, allowing them to collect and trade various rare and endangered species, protected under international law suggests that the government is not serious about tackling this illegal trade. This decision not only depletes and endangers the existence of the wild populations of various species, but it also muddies the water over what type of animal trade is legal and what is illegal. It also gives animal traffickers a certain amount of legitimacy. If governments can blatantly flout international law, what is there to stop the illegal trading?
Greece is also a hub for the illegal trade in animal products such as tortoise shells and ivory.

What can be done to combat illegal trade?
Although the wild animal trade is the 3rd largest illegal trade in the world, in most EU countries there have been few convictions - in the UK, for example, there have only been 18 convictions in the last decade for the illegal trafficking of animals.

Birds, such as the blue and gold macaw, are often caught in nets that may break their wings

Of these vast amounts of money that animals may eventually be sold for, people who capture them receive a very small percentage. Since much of this trade originates in the third world, these people are often very poor and even this small amount of money may be enough to tempt them to abandon their traditional lifestyles and sell the natural treasures of their countries. The key in this situation is to block the illegal trading. If the rich countries stop buying there will no longer be a market for such animals. In order to combat the problem of animal trafficking a number of key issues must be addressed:
- Governments should be less ambiguous on trade of animals and give suitable punishments in order to deter the trafficking and buying of illegally traded animals.
- The public should be educated regarding which animals are protected, as well as the fact that it is inhumane to keep wild animals as pets.
- Viable occupation alternatives should be given to those involved with the capture of wild animals, in third world countries.

Without efficient measures, many species are likely to become extinct in the wild, whereas the suffering of animals and the exploitation of vulnerable people will undoubtedly continue.