Nigay 1

Natalia Nigay
CAS 138T
Robin Kramer
6 April 2016
Wildlife Trafficking: Perpetuating Loss Around the World
Imagine a world where an elephant is like a dinosaur, brought back to life only through
digital renditions. As unfathomable as it may seem, that could one day be a reality. Currently, there
are approximately 470,000 elephants left in the whole world, when a few decades ago they
numbered over a million (African Elephants). This means that the entire elephant population is
less than the human population of Washington D.C. alone, and elephants are not even the most
threatened species in the world. The most critically endangered species is the Amur Leopard, with
the population totaling less than 100 individuals (Amur Leopard). While there are several
reasons for the dwindling numbers of countless species the biggest one being habitat destruction
wildlife trafficking takes second place. The issue is often overlooked by civilians as well as the
government, but if it continues to sit on the sidelines there could be serious implications. As of
right now, the U.S. National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking is the best preventative
measure, as well as the only cohesive policy, that the United States has to fight the ever growing
problem of wildlife trafficking.
Wildlife trafficking is defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as, the poaching or
other taking of protected or managed species and the illegal trade in wildlife and their related parts
and products (Wildlife Trafficking). The illegal wildlife trade includes animal parts like fur,
organs, and fins, and live animals that are often sold to private citizens for recreational hunting or
as exotic pets, but it mostly concerns trade in ivory and rhinoceros horns.

According to

Nigay 2
Priceonomics, it is a multi-billion dollar industry following only drugs, weapons, and human
trafficking in profits (The Exotic Animal Trade). And the high profit margins are exactly what
makes the illegal wildlife trade so extensive. The cost of ivory is about one thousand dollars per
pound, while a rhinoceros horn is worth over two times as much as gold about $45,000 per pound
(Clark and Fear). The more rare the animal or the product, the higher the demand and thus the
more expensive the product.
The illegal wildlife trade is characterized as a low-risk high-reward kind of business. The
World Wildlife Foundation writes that, Corruption, toothless laws, weak judicial systems and
light sentences allow criminal networks to keep plundering wildlife with little regard to
consequences (Illegal Wildlife Trade). The crime rate is high, but the enforcement rate is low.
While the United States is very strict about enforcing regulations and punishments for drug
smuggling, the government is fairly lax when it comes to ensuring the safety of wildlife and
securing borders against wildlife smuggling. To compare, the Drug Enforcement Agency which
focuses solely on combatting drug smuggling and usage within the United States has a budget of
about $2.8 billion and an 11,000 person staff (DEA Staffing and Budget). However, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Services Division of International Affairs that deals with wildlife trafficking
prevention and regulation only has a budget of $1.2 million and a staff of less than 10,000 that is
split among dozens of divisions within the department (USFWS). With an issue this expansive,
it is incredibly difficult to tackle with such limited resources.
There are many aspects of this issue that require attention, but the most commonly
discussed concern that stems from wildlife trafficking is the impact that it has on biodiversity,
which is important for human health and wellbeing. The wellbeing of an ecosystem depends on all
of the things that live inside it; every animal and every plant plays its own part in the ensuring an

Nigay 3
ecosystems sustainability. The disruption of one part of an ecosystem (say, for example, the
depletion in population of a certain animal) directly affects everything else within that ecosystem.
Take out the predator, the prey will multiply and eat all of the vegetation. Take out the prey, the
predators will starve. Harvest too many crops, the animals will have nothing to eat. Humans
depend on nature for a lot of things, and the destruction of the diversity of an ecosystem can have
serious impacts on human health if the ecosystem could no longer produce enough resources to
meet social needs. The decline of an ecosystem affects our food supply, water, medical
advancements, research opportunities, and more (Biodiversity). While the decrease in
biodiversity may not have an immediate effect on peoples lives, if left unchecked it could be too
late to reverse the damage once people start noticing that its a problem.
Another concern that arises from the issue of wildlife trafficking is the introduction of
diseases. Biologist Katherine Smith of Brown University, who was part of a group of scientists
that conducted a study on how wildlife trade threatens ecosystems and human health, stated that,
The threat to public health is real, as the majority of emerging diseases come from wildlife
(Wildlife Trade). Many animals carry zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be
transferred from animals to humans. These diseases might be harmless to the animal host, but are
dangerous to humans as well as native species of plants and animals. The chance of new zoonotic
diseases entering the country is a very legitimate concern, as there is little surveillance of legally
imported wildlife, and none at all for those imported illegally. Consequently, this lack of attention
has led some people to believe that animals can even be used as tools for bio-terrorism: Some
have suggested that a terrorist group with access to pathogens, but lacking dissemination
technology, could conceivably use animal vectors to transmit the disease. And the Japanese set a
precedent for this with Operation Cherry Blossom, when they used fleas to cause plague in China

Nigay 4
(United States. Cong.)
But not only are diseases dangerous, so are the animals themselves. When people buy
exotic animals from the black market or other illegal sources, most of the time they fail to be
completely responsible for the animals they decide to keep as house pets. There have been many
cases of animal attacks in residential areas attacks by tigers, lions, bears, etc. in places they
dont belong. Over the course of twenty years, there have been a total of 543 human injuries and
55 animal injuries, and 75 human and 200 animal deaths (Exotic Animal Incidents). In the
United States, the most notable incident involving exotic animals occurred in Zanesville, Ohio in
2011. A man named Terry Thompson let 56 tigers, lions, bears, cougars, wolves, and monkeys
loose into his community right before he killed himself. No human was hurt, but almost all of the
animals had to be hunted down and killed (Heath).
While exotic animal attacks (with most of the animals having been obtained by illegal
means) get a lot of coverage, an issue that requires some more attention is how much of an effect
wildlife trafficking has on the economies of countries around the world. Wildlife trafficking, just
like any other illegal trade, has its own thriving illicit economy. This illegal economy provides a
safe haven for criminals, corrupt officials, and terrorists to interact and conduct business, and
threatens both government stability as well as economic prosperity (Luna). Wildlife trafficking
really hinders economic growth, especially in Africa where tourism is such a vital part of the
economy. According to the majority of travel sites, the number one thing to do in Africa is to go
on a safari. This means that the wildlife that roams Africa is crucial to the nations economic
growth. Unfortunately, wildlife trafficking not only leads to a decline in animals, it fuels illegal
activity. This in turn detracts from tourism, one of the continents major sources of income. It is
understandable that fewer people want to visit Africa if they think theyre going to encounter a

Nigay 5
poacher or a terrorist group.
Which brings up one major, yet too often overlooked, issue that needs to be addressed
seriously when discussing wildlife trafficking security. Wildlife trafficking poses a great risk to
national and global security, as the low risk and high reward quality of the trade lures in many
crime syndicates and even terrorist organizations. Since 2007, the rate of poaching has
skyrocketed, with the number of rhinos poached increasing from 13 to 1,175 (Poaching
Statistics). The higher number of rhino (and other wildlife) deaths means that there is a growing
number of criminals involved in this black market trade. This rate of poaching leads to instability
in affected countries, as the purpose of the groups who benefit from it is to create unrest.
Officials believe that African rebel and terror groups, including the Lords Resistance
Army, Somalias al-Shabaab, Darfurs Janjaweed, and Boko Haram some of whom have ties to
Al-Qaeda are responsible for a lot of the poaching: Like blood diamonds from Sierra Leone or
plundered minerals from Congo, ivory, it seems, is the latest conflict resource in Africa, dragged
out of remote battle zones, easily converted into cash and now fueling conflicts across the
continent (Gettleman). Poachers exploit the lack of on-the-ground enforcement, weak borders,
and corrupt officials to easily procure and transport their illegal goods. The lack of enforcement
comes from the fact that African park rangers are typically outgunned as well as poorly trained to
deal with the kind of militarized poaching that occurs nowadays. Poachers typically members
of, or funded by, militant organizations receive dangerous and sophisticated weapons and
technology to carry out their missions, and use various techniques to shield their location from
rangers. If they do come into contact with officials, it is the rangers who usually end up dead. Once
the poachers have their contraband, they smuggle shipments out by bribing government officials
and taking advantage of the legal wildlife trade to mask their illegal exports.

Nigay 6
While some policies do exist to protect endangered species (such as the Endangered
Species Act) and prohibit the buying and selling of certain animal products (like a currently
proposed ban on the trade of all illegally obtained ivory), there was not one specific policy to target
the multi-billion dollar illegal wildlife trade as a whole until very recently. In July of 2013,
President Obama issued Executive Order 13648 that directed the United States government to
develop a more thorough plan to combat wildlife trafficking. It also established the Presidential
Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking (Task Force), to be co-chaired by the Secretary of State,
Secretary of the Interior, and the Attorney General. Comprised of 17 different Departments within
the Government, the job of the Task Force was to develop and implement a National Strategy for
Combatting Wildlife Trafficking, otherwise known as the only cohesive policy to combat wildlife
trafficking (Exec. Order).
The U.S. National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, which was officially published
in February of 2014 and followed by an Implementation Plan a year later, is a three pronged
strategy created to tackle all parts of the issue. First, the policy focuses on strengthening domestic
and global law enforcement. Second, it aims to reduce the demand for illegally traded wildlife.
And third, it plans to expand international cooperation on the issue (Executive Branch). Of course,
due of the scope of the issue at hand as well as the minimal legislation that existed to defend against
wildlife trafficking before the issuing of Executive Order 13648, each of the three parts of the
Strategy is split up into smaller, more specific, and more manageable goals.
The first part, which focuses on strengthening enforcement and is the most extensive, is
split into domestic and global enforcement. Domestically, the policy aims to identify the
governments current strengths and weaknesses in enforcing laws and regulations in order to more
adequately investigate and prosecute wildlife traffickers. The Task Force plans to work with

Nigay 7
Congress to create legislation that will raise the consequences of wildlife trafficking to match those
of other serious crimes, and then use the funds gathered from prosecutions of traffickers to put
towards combatting wildlife trafficking. In doing so, the hope is to significantly reduce the
profitability of the trade. The Strategy also addresses the current poaching crisis, and plans to
implement a ban on nearly all ivory trade with very few exceptions, as well as review and amend
existing legislation such as the 1989 Elephant Conservation and the Endangered Species Acts
to strengthen laws governing possession and trade of wildlife products. Another objective is to
dramatically decrease the flow of wildlife products that come through the U.S. by strengthening
Federal wildlife import/ export regulations, optimizing wildlife inspections at ports of entry, and
conducting investigations to identify weak international trade controls, all of which will disrupt
trafficking networks. And finally, the Strategy calls for increased cooperation, coordination, and
information sharing between enforcement and intelligence agencies. The desired outcomes are a
greater capacity to detect, prohibit, and investigate wildlife trafficking, and increased effectiveness
of Federal efforts to combat wildlife trafficking. (Executive Branch).
The global enforcement strategy aims to support foreign governments in all stages of
developing and enforcing their own laws and regulations, the development and use of effective
technological and analytical tools to better investigate, identify, and combat wildlife trafficking,
and community based wildlife conservation tactics. This means supporting efforts to create
livelihoods outside of poaching in countries where poaching seems like the best opportunity. Just
like on the domestic front, the Strategy also outlines a plan to increase information sharing and
cooperation on a global scale. It also encourages the support of regional Wildlife Enforcement
Networks (WENs) and the establishment of a coalition of WENs worldwide in order to be more
successful with global enforcement and prosecutions. And it is the global enforcement part of the

Nigay 8
National Strategy that focuses on raising awareness of the terror aspect of wildlife trafficking,
countering criminal syndicates involved in the trade, and eradicating corruption and bribery in
governments (Executive Branch).
The second major goal of the National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Trafficking is
reducing demand for illegally traded wildlife. The policy calls for collaborating and establishing
partnerships with nongovernmental organizations, both domestic and foreign, to raise awareness
about all of the issues associated with wildlife trafficking, thereby educating and engaging the
public (Executive Branch). In the United States, this has taken the form of the Wildlife Trafficking
Alliance, a voluntary coalition of non-profit organizations, companies, foundations and media
interests that work closely with the U.S. government in a collaboration to reduce the purchase and
sale of illegal wildlife products in the United States (Who We Are).
The third and final goal of the National Strategy is to expand international cooperation,
commitment, and public-private partnerships. Catherine A. Novelli, Undersecretary for Economic
Growth, Energy, and the Environment stated that, Wildlife trafficking is a global problem that
demands a global solution (United States. Task). The policy tackles the global aspect of the issue
by first focusing on the U.S. governments role in jumpstarting other countries efforts to combat
wildlife trafficking and securing commitments from other governments that they will take action
and treat the issue as a serious crime. Then, it aims to create or modify international agreements
including trade agreements to incorporate more heavily the issue of wildlife trafficking. The U.S.
will be willing to cooperate and provide assistance to foreign countries in regards to combatting
the illegal wildlife trade, and encourage other countries to develop innovative solutions to the
problem by offering up the countrys vast technological expertise and influence (Executive
Branch).

Nigay 9
With funding increased from $1.2 million to $15.8 million (modest, compared to the $2.8
billion budget of the Drug Enforcement Agency), the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife
Trafficking can take root (McDonald). It is very clear that the implementation of this policy is not
by any means easy, but it can be done. The Implementation Plan of February 2015 outlined, in
detail, exactly which departments were going to be involved in implementing which parts of the
policy, as well as the first steps that have to be taken. However, even before the Implementation
Plan was released, several nations joined the U.S. in increasing their efforts to combat wildlife
trafficking. Viet Nam, Thailand, and the EU all began developing their own national strategies,
and China pledged $10 million in funding towards conservation of wildlife in Africa (Harris). And
one year after the release of the Plan, direct results of the Strategy were published in the 2015
Annual Progress Assessment of the policy.
Although the Task Force is still trying to figure out the best way to measure results and
progress made against the illegal wildlife trade, from the data they gathered over the course of the
year, they have concluded that 2015 was a turning point in the fight against wildlife trafficking. In
September of 2015, President Obama and the Chinese President Xi Jinping made an agreement to
enact almost total bans on commercial ivory trade, despite vocal protests from the National Rifle
Association, which wanted to protect the right to own guns with ivory handles (2015, Gibson).
This is a significant step, as the United States and China are the two largest consumers in ivory in
the world.
There were several key successes in addition to the agreement. In November of 2015, a
rhino horn and ivory smuggling investigation by the name of Operation Crash led to charges
against more than 30 individuals and businesses which resulted in 20 convictions to date, with
significantly harsher prison sentences and restitution payments than ever before. Several

Nigay 10
departments, including the Department of Homeland Security, continue to work on open cases
(United States. Task). In the past year, U.S. agencies have trained over 2,000 enforcement officials
in African countries, which will ultimately help protect wildlife, especially as rangers continue to
face off against poachers. Internationally, the U.S. along with Viet Nam and South Africa have
launched a campaign to reduce wildlife crime, commitment to the cause has reached such a level
that the Task Force helped lead the first ever UN General Assembly resolution on wildlife
trafficking, and the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge was successful in raising awareness and
generating technological solutions for problems such as detecting transit routes, strengthening
forensic evidence, reducing demand, tackling corruption, and more (2015).
But unfortunately, as is the case for every policy, there are people who do not support it
for various reasons. Some people believe that an easier solution would be to legalize portions of
the ivory trade, as it would decrease demand if it were going through legal channels, and start
farming rhino horn since rhinos can survive without them. However, the legal wildlife trade is
already used to mask smuggling of illegal wildlife. If the ivory and rhino horn trades were
legalized, it would make it nearly impossible to distinguish between legal and illegal products. The
demand would not decrease; Instead, it would make it easier for smugglers to export illegally
obtained products in large quantities (Elephants Over Ivory).
The most important thing to remember is the long term effect wildlife smuggling will have
on the world. Not only is it harmful to the conservation of some of the worlds greatest living
treasures, but it continues to fuel instability in wildlife rich countries such as Africa. The United
States, being one of the worlds largest consumers of both legal and illegal wildlife, as well as one
of the most influential countries in the world, shares a large part of the responsibility for preventing
the global wildlife crisis from worsening. The timing of this policy is crucial, as critical populations

Nigay 11
dwindle and criminal organizations profit off their demise. World leaders have recognized the
threat that wildlife trafficking poses not just from an environmental standpoint, but from a national
security standpoint as well. President Obamas decision to take a stand and fight back against
wildlife trafficking was the catalyst that the world needed to take action. Grant T. Harris, Special
Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs summarized the long term effects
of the policy very nicely: By laying out a roadmap that establishes mechanisms for building
partnerships and harnesses the resources the resources of the United States governments many
departments and agencies, we are building a worldwide infrastructure that will help prevent
wildlife crime and deter illicit traders in the years ahead (Harris).

Nigay 12
Works Cited
"African Elephants." WWF Global. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web.
"Amur Leopard." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Biodiversity." WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Clark, Patterson, and Darryl Fear. "The Horn and Ivory Trade." Washington Post. The Washington
Post, 10 Aug. 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"DEA Staffing & Budget." United States Drug Enforcement Administration. U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration - United States Department of Justice, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Elephants Over Ivory: Crushing the Illegal Ivory Market." U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Blog.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 15 July 2015. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Exec. Order No. 13648, 3 C.F.R. (2013). Print.
Executive Branch. President's Office. The National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking.
By Barack Obama. N.p.: n.p., n.d. The White House. 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.
"Exotic Animal Incidents." Nat Geo WILD. National Geographic Channel, n.d. Web. 06 Apr.
2016.
"The Exotic Animal Trade." Priceonomics. N.p., 20 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Gettleman, Jeffrey. "Elephants Dying in Epic Frenzy as Ivory Fuels Wars and Profits." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 03 Sept. 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.

Nigay 13
Gibson, Kate. "Proposed U.S. Ban on Ivory Trade Faces Powerful Foe." CBSNews. CBS
Interactive, 31 July 2015. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Harris, Grant T. "Launching the Plan to Combat Wildlife Trafficking." The White House. The
White House, 11 Feb. 2015. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Heath, Chris. "Terry Thompson and the Zanesville Ohio Zoo Massacre." GQ. Conde Nast, 06 Feb.
2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Illegal Wildlife Trade." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Luna, David M. "The Destructive Impact of Illicit Trade and the Illegal Economy on Economic
Growth, Sustainable Development, and Global Security." U.S. Department of State. U.S.
Department of State, 26 Oct. 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
McDonald, Lauren. "Budget Hearing: Committee Intent on Tackling USFWS Backlogs." THE
WILDLIFE SOCIETY. The Wildlife Society, 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Poaching Statistics." Save the Rhino. Save the Rhino International, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"2015 Annual Progress Assessment." The United States Department of Justice. U.S. Department
of Justice, 2016. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
United States. Cong. International Illegal Trade in Wildlife Threats and U.S. Policy. By Liana
Sun. Wyler and Pervaze A. Sheikh. Cong. Bill. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research
Service, Library of Congress, 2008. Print.

Nigay 14
United States. Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking. U.S. National Strategy for Combating Wildlife
Trafficking - 2015 Annual Assessment Report. By U.s. Department Of State. N.p.: White
House, n.d. Print.
"USFWS - National Organizational Chart." USFWS - National Organizational Chart. U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Who We Are | U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance." US Wildlife Trafficking Alliance. US Wildlife
Trafficking Alliance, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Wildlife Trade Threatens Public Health and Ecosystems." National Science Foundation. The
National Science Foundation, 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Wildlife Trafficking." U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - International Affairs. U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.