Stop Wildlife Cybercrime on UK Websites
- by: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
- recipient: Environment Minister, Lord de Mauley TD, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for natural environment and science
The poaching of endangered wildlife is reaching unprecedented levels and the internet is providing an expanded platform for wildlife trade and for poachers profiting from these crimes.
A recent IFAW investigation found thousands of online advertisements for endangered wildlife and wildlife parts and products. UK websites hosted 1,087 online advertisements including ivory and suspected ivory, turtles, tortoises, owls, exotic birds, monkeys and parts and products from elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, alligators and big cats.
Help stamp out wildlife cybercrime by calling on the Environment Minister to enact stronger laws targeting wildlife cyber criminals. We also need the Minister to ensure there is increased policing of the internet in order to catch those who break the law in order to profit from the death and suffering of wild animals.
Take action today to stop wildlife crime on UK websites.
A recent IFAW investigation found thousands of online advertisements for endangered wildlife and wildlife parts and products. UK websites hosted 1,087 online advertisements including ivory and suspected ivory, turtles, tortoises, owls, exotic birds, monkeys and parts and products from elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, alligators and big cats.
Help stamp out wildlife cybercrime by calling on the Environment Minister to enact stronger laws targeting wildlife cyber criminals. We also need the Minister to ensure there is increased policing of the internet in order to catch those who break the law in order to profit from the death and suffering of wild animals.
Take action today to stop wildlife crime on UK websites.
Dear Minister,
Stop wildlife cybercrime on UK websites
I was shocked to learn about the scale of wildlife trade over the internet. The International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW’s) recent report entitled ‘Wanted -- Dead or Alive’ alarmingly shows that their investigators found 33,006 endangered wildlife and wildlife parts and products from species listed on the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I and II available for sale in 9,482 advertisements. These were estimated to be worth at least US $10,708,137. The investigation looked at 280 online marketplaces in 16 countries during a six week period in 2014 - so this is just the tip of the iceberg.
54 per cent of the advertisements were for live animals while 46 per cent were for animal parts and products. Ivory, reptiles and birds were the most widely traded items, with ivory and suspected ivory featuring in almost one-third of all advertisements and reptiles accounting for one-quarter of the items found for sale.
Shockingly, at a time when roughly one in every 12 African elephants was killed by poachers, IFAW investigators found 3,047 advertisements for ivory or suspected ivory online.
This trade in wildlife and their parts and products is taking place when the poaching of endangered wildlife is reaching unprecedented levels and the existence of the internet is providing an expanding platform that is seeing traditional crimes transforming in scale.
UK websites hosted 1,087 online advertisements including ivory and suspected ivory, turtles, tortoises, owls, exotic birds, monkeys and parts and products from elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, alligators and big cats.
Their investigators submitted 1,192 intelligence files to law enforcers, which equates to almost 13 per cent of the advertisements so that these cases could be further investigated by enforcement authorities.
I am concerned that the law protecting wildlife does not specifically address wildlife cybercriminals. Please ensure the law is strengthened when your department updates the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (COTES) legislation.
Specifically, we want to see:
-- A criminal offence created for those advertising an animal, or its parts, listed under either Appendix I or II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, who do not include a valid CITES permit number within the advertisement;
-- A requirement for online marketplaces to provide a ‘pop up’ window to alert users searching for, or buying, CITES Appendix I or II listed animals or products, that they might be breaking the law;
-- A requirement for online marketplaces to display text explaining the law to traders of CITES Appendix I or II listed animals or products, and a compulsory box that traders must tick to confirm they have read and understood the law;
-- Appropriately located information in online marketplaces directing users to the UK Government website where the law is explained in more detail.
-- Long-term funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the reinstatement of a dedicated post for wildlife cybercrime.
Fundamentally, it is important that the newly established National Cybercrime Unit, which is part of the National Crime Agency, works together with the National Wildlife Crime Unit to stamp out illegal wildlife trade over the internet.
[Your comments here]
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionStop wildlife cybercrime on UK websites
I was shocked to learn about the scale of wildlife trade over the internet. The International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW’s) recent report entitled ‘Wanted -- Dead or Alive’ alarmingly shows that their investigators found 33,006 endangered wildlife and wildlife parts and products from species listed on the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I and II available for sale in 9,482 advertisements. These were estimated to be worth at least US $10,708,137. The investigation looked at 280 online marketplaces in 16 countries during a six week period in 2014 - so this is just the tip of the iceberg.
54 per cent of the advertisements were for live animals while 46 per cent were for animal parts and products. Ivory, reptiles and birds were the most widely traded items, with ivory and suspected ivory featuring in almost one-third of all advertisements and reptiles accounting for one-quarter of the items found for sale.
Shockingly, at a time when roughly one in every 12 African elephants was killed by poachers, IFAW investigators found 3,047 advertisements for ivory or suspected ivory online.
This trade in wildlife and their parts and products is taking place when the poaching of endangered wildlife is reaching unprecedented levels and the existence of the internet is providing an expanding platform that is seeing traditional crimes transforming in scale.
UK websites hosted 1,087 online advertisements including ivory and suspected ivory, turtles, tortoises, owls, exotic birds, monkeys and parts and products from elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, alligators and big cats.
Their investigators submitted 1,192 intelligence files to law enforcers, which equates to almost 13 per cent of the advertisements so that these cases could be further investigated by enforcement authorities.
I am concerned that the law protecting wildlife does not specifically address wildlife cybercriminals. Please ensure the law is strengthened when your department updates the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (COTES) legislation.
Specifically, we want to see:
-- A criminal offence created for those advertising an animal, or its parts, listed under either Appendix I or II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, who do not include a valid CITES permit number within the advertisement;
-- A requirement for online marketplaces to provide a ‘pop up’ window to alert users searching for, or buying, CITES Appendix I or II listed animals or products, that they might be breaking the law;
-- A requirement for online marketplaces to display text explaining the law to traders of CITES Appendix I or II listed animals or products, and a compulsory box that traders must tick to confirm they have read and understood the law;
-- Appropriately located information in online marketplaces directing users to the UK Government website where the law is explained in more detail.
-- Long-term funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the reinstatement of a dedicated post for wildlife cybercrime.
Fundamentally, it is important that the newly established National Cybercrime Unit, which is part of the National Crime Agency, works together with the National Wildlife Crime Unit to stamp out illegal wildlife trade over the internet.
[Your comments here]
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
See more petitions:
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.