Despite travel bans and other COVID-19 restrictions, the small team at Viet Nam’s wildlife forensic lab has been bolstering police efforts to crack down on illegal trafficking, with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Cargo ships have become increasingly favoured over the last year as a means for criminal organizations to transport illegal wildlife products, , after COVID-19 related restrictions disrupted other forms of transportation.
The COVID-19 pandemic shows how wildlife crime is a threat not only to the environment but to human health, according to a new UN report issued on Friday.
Namibia has an abundance of wildlife and plant species because of its conservation efforts, the Minister of Environment and Tourism has said.
Pohamba Shifeta made the remarks in the Angolan capital of Luanda during World Environment Day celebrations backed by the UN.
Organized into communal conservancies, the local Namibian communities self-manage wildlife and benefit financially by attracting tourists.
A surge in wildlife crime, especially affecting elephants and rhinos, is being fueled by corruption according to the Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, also known as CITES.
The CITES agreement was drawn up in 1973 to ensure the trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.