Wildlife trafficking presents a troubling challenge, ranking among the most profitable illicit markets globally. According to the Global Environment Facility, this industry generates between $7 billion and $23 billion annually. This alarming figure underscores the extent of trade involving not just live animals and plant oils but also poached ivory and intricate carvings.
Traditionally, efforts to curb this issue have been reactive. Given the sheer amount of global commerce, less than 10% of international cargo shipments undergo physical inspections. In response, traffickers have adapted their strategies, utilizing misleading names, coded language, and shifting shipment routes or communication platforms to evade capture. Nevertheless, emerging digital tools are enhancing the ability to connect online monitoring with ground-level enforcement efforts.
As a researcher from the University of Florida specializing in conservation science and applied technology, I witnessed these innovations firsthand during an international conference hosted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a crucial treaty that governs the international trade of endangered species. Enforcement is primarily the responsibility of national wildlife and customs agencies.
AI and Digital Tools for Inspection
One significant hurdle for enforcement officials is determining where to target their searches and accurately identifying what they discover.
Cargo Screening: Advanced X-ray technology, akin to that used in airport security but tailored for cargo, is being coupled with software designed to detect unusual shapes or materials within packages.
Trials in major ports and mail processing centers in Australia have successfully identified animals hidden across various shipments. While the software does not specify species, it highlights anomalies that prompt inspectors to perform closer examinations.
Assisted Identification: Supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a software tool utilizes artificial intelligence to assist in identifying species of animals or parts found in shipments. Inspectors can use user-friendly interfaces to describe items, accessing a database trained on detailed species information.
This technology is essential for distinguishing closely related species with different levels of legal protection. For instance, the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) faces strict regulations, whereas similar species like the Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh) have less stringent protections.
Portable DNA Testing: Enforcement isn’t confined to offices and labs. One company is developing compact, handheld kits capable of detecting multiple species in approximately 20 to 30 minutes without requiring traditional lab equipment. These kits demonstrate results via a color-changing strip, akin to a pregnancy test that indicates hormone presence.
Timber Identification: Portable scanners leverage software to quickly identify wood species by analyzing its cellular structure. This functionality assists in differentiating protected hardwoods from legal options in areas plagued by illegal logging, such as South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Signs of illegal trafficking often emerge even before wildlife items reach national borders, and technology can play a pivotal role in their detection. Monitoring Online Trade: A significant volume of wildlife trafficking now occurs through online platforms. Sellers frequently resort to obscure descriptions or coded language, such as listings that fail to include species names or substitute words with emojis. Some even obscure vital details by using images with minimal context. Organizations like the World Wildlife Fund are partnering with technology companies to scan online listings with AI and content moderation tools. Between 2018 and 2023, these efforts resulted in the blocking or removal of over 23 million listings and accounts related to protected species, comprising live reptiles, birds, primates, and elephant products. Early Warnings from Paperwork: Shipping documents can yield early indicators of illegal trading. Wildlife enforcement officials and other stakeholders are utilizing novel software tools to analyze millions of manifests and permits, searching for species names associated with unusual routes, heavy shipments, or inexplicably low prices. This targeted approach enhances efficiency by allowing agencies to focus their efforts on the most likely illegal consignments. Navigating Wildlife Trade Laws: Enforcement officials are challenged by complex legal frameworks. New tools are emerging to collate laws from various countries, assisting inspectors in understanding regulations spanning export, transit, and destination nations. Using Trade Data to Identify Additional Species for Monitoring: Researchers from the University of Oxford have devised a method that utilizes wildlife trade records to recognize thousands of endangered species that require enhanced international trade protections and improved law enforcement to combat exploitation. Collectively, these technologies augment but do not replace human knowledge. They assist officials in determining which shipments to focus on, identifying items, and facilitating international data sharing. Although no single solution exists to eradicate wildlife trafficking, these digital innovations enable a shift towards proactive, coordinated efforts, allowing authorities to keep pace with evolving criminal networks. Eve Bohnett, Assistant Research Scholar, Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, University of Florida This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Background Research and Risk Profiling
