Entries by carlynsamuel

On the IWT horizon: Reshaping Africa’s role of wildlife trade and its relationship between economic systems and nature

July 28, 2020 in , , , /by

Andrea Athanas Two years and a lifetime ago when we embarked as a community on a horizon scan process to identify possible game changing issues that would shape tomorrow’s decisions on illegal wildlife trade (IWT), Africa was growing at 3-5% annually and the continent’s leaders had just signed the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, […]

On the IWT horizon: Social Media – an emerging marketplace for ideas, (mis)information, and illegal wildlife trade

June 5, 2020 in , /by

Zara Bending With one million users joining platforms every day, co-authors of the first global horizon scan on illegal wildlife trade (IWT) call for further research into social media’s influence on wildlife trafficking networks and consumer behaviour. From orchids to otters, cheetahs to chimpanzees, social media offers another perspective of species endangerment. Initiated in 2018, […]

On the IWT horizon: Species discoveries and descriptions that fuel wildlife trafficking

May 26, 2020 in , /by

Catherine Workman It is tragic, but true that scientists cannot always be honest in describing where newly discovered species live, as that information can be – and has been – used by wildlife traffickers. With scientific research increasingly available and open to the public online, poachers are more easily able to use scientific publications and […]

On the IWT horizon: Haiwei—Identifying the connection between a global demand for dried seafood and marine conservation

May 14, 2020 in , , /by

By Jack Lam   The largest ever dried shark fin seizures were made by Hong Kong authorities earlier this month in May 2020; the combined volumes of the two shipments from Ecuador more than doubled last year’s total volume. However, sharks are not the only marine wildlife trafficked transnationally. The persistent demand for their fins […]

Proactive engagement with wildlife trade issues in an unsettled world

May 12, 2020 in , , , /by

By Nafeesa Esmail Given the COVID-19 pandemic, wildlife conservation may not be the most pressing priority on people’s mind. Worldwide, the normal daily existence of many has slipped away, only to be filled with more bad news. While the field of conservation has been described as a ‘crisis discipline’, even us, as conservationists, are currently struggling […]