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By Julianne TurnerLee Richardson Zoowertsjm@miamioh.edu
Wildlife Crimes
What is considered a wildlife crime?
To some, "wildlife crime" refers strictly to the illegal trade in wildlife and wild animal products. Here, I am using the term in a broader sense: causing any harm, or the intent to harm, wild animals, plants, or fungi.
Wildlife Crimes can include trafficking, poaching, habitat destruction, etc. For an act to be considered a crime, it must have a rule or law from some sort of legislature that is being broken, as well as a perpetrator or someone who is causing the harm.
In order to stop such crimes from happening, or at least keep them from occurring as often, the people committing the crimes must be caught. That is what people who work in the field of wildlife criminology do: catch the criminals.
To accomplish this, they use a lot of different forms of technology. From computers to radios, and from tracking devices to drones, there is some high-tech gear out there!
On this website, we will be taking a closer look at some of the newer technologies that are helping conservation, and the organizations that are leading the way.
Examples of Organizations Involved
Worldwide
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - Identifies the level of endangerment of animals. Endangered animals receive greater protections
World Wildlife Fund - Helps fund conservation efforts, connect scientists with local communities around the world, and works with local governments to create laws protecting wildlife and nature.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - An international agreement between governments to ensure international trade of wild animals and plants does not threaten the species' survival
National
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Create rules and regulations for the United States pertaining to hunting and fishing. They also manage conservation areas around the nation, lead invasive species management projects, and enforce the laws that are created to protect the natural environment.
The European Commission, Department of the Environment - Creates laws and regulations throughout the EU focused on protecting wildlife and the environment. Ensures the environmental strategies and actions plans aim to contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal.
Local
State Wildlife Agencies - Each state in the U.S. has it's own wildlife agency that is able to create enforce more specific laws than at the national level
For instance, a species may be considered endangered in one state and require more protections there, while another state may have a healthy population and not need that protection.
The UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs - This is the UK's local wildlife agency, focused on protecting the environment and enforcing rules on how people are allowed to use it, for instance in regard to agriculture.
Wildlife Trafficking is just one example of a crime that happens in regards to wildlife.
*These are just a few examples of organizations affiliated with the wildlife criminology field. There are many more around the world that assist with similar efforts.*
Standard tech
Websites
User Friendly
Websites are an easy way for conservation organizations to interact with the public. They can hold a lot of information in ways that are easy for the average person to navigate and understand. Websites can also be used as a central location for people to send in tips or observations, letting officials know about a crime in a way that is fast and anonymous.
Limiting Factors
Websites take time to create and maintain, and many organizations do not have the budget to hire someone specifically to keep up with their website. This task can fall on another position, which means it isn't always someone with experience in graphic design or website creation. This can leave a website looking disorganized and difficult to maneuver for visitors.
Another important note is that all of the information shared on a website is public. Organizations must be careful about what they post for this reason. If they add information about all of the tools they use, or the tips they have received, the people committing such crimes can also get that information and avoid being caught.
Two-way Radios
Quick and Easy!
Radios are great for quick and local communication. Rangers can call their team if they see evidence of a crime occurring, and they can get all of the necessary information out by pressing just one button.
They also get the information to everyone at the same time. There is no need for passing down information multiple times. This also limit the chances of misinformation being spread among the team, because everyone hears the exact same call instead of different interpretations of the message.
Limiting Factors
You can only communicate with others on the same frequency. Radios do not help with the public reporting things they witness.
They also have a limited range, and interference can be an issue. And there is the potential that other people outside of the organization are on the same frequency listening in. This can be problematic if the team is working to organize a plan to catch illegal activities and the perpetrators are hearing the information.
Camera Traps
Discrete Data Collection
Camera traps can be incredibly useful for monitoring an area. They can blend in to their surroundings, offering a non-invasive way to witness wildlife behavior. They can also be used to catch criminal activity as it happens, providing evidence for officials to press charges.
Limiting Factors
The bad news is that many people who choose to participate in illegal activities involving wildlife are aware that camera traps exist. They know what to look for, and it's relatively easy to take these cameras down or cover them so actions cannot be witnessed. It is also common for cameras to be stolen, as they can be worth quite a bit of money.
Another limitation is that the cameras are stagnant. To catch any sort of crime in action, it has to happen within view of the camera, which is a limited area. While an organization could add more cameras to an area, this method can exponentially increase the cost of the efforts.
Emerging tech
Let's hear from the experts!
Jeremy Phan
Director of Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife
The Main Points
The Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW) mainly utilizes Facebook and a toll-free number to receive tips from locals about wildlife crimes that are happening in the region.
Most if the time, they are assisting government officials with wildlife trafficking cases.
Once the LCTW gets information about someone selling animals illegally, they will work with local officials to confiscate the animals. They are then cared for at the wildlife center for rehabilitation and often times released back to the wild.
Lisa Nichols
Retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Senior Special Agent
The Main Points
With San Diego being one of the largest international ports in the U.S., wildlife smuggling was a very common crime that Lisa focused on investigating.
The most common technologies used include two-way radios and camera traps. Occasionally tracking devices could be useful if they had the ability to plant something on a suspected person.
However, it was not uncommon to not use much technology at all. Many cases Lisa worked on involved old-school stake outs in her vehicle, physically watching for something to happen.
Two new technologies that have helped wildlife law enforcement include home recording doorbells (like Ring camera systems) and eDNA that can help identify illegally owned species.
One hesitation to use new technologies is the lack of knowledge about what future laws will exist restricting them later. If they spend a lot of money right when something comes out, but then can't use it effectively because of new rules put in place, that is a big waste of resources.
Future Expectations
Technology is an always-evolving feature of today's society. As tech companies continue to learn more, they can implement that knowledge into their products. Every year seems to bring phones, computers, and drones that are better: more space for data, smaller size, or improved photo and sound quality.
The same can be said for the technologies used in the wildlife criminology field. They continue to progress and improve at an impressive rate. A very important aspect such new technology is offering is accessibility. People in the most remote places in the world are gaining access to tools that can help them find, record, and act on wildlife crimes much faster than traditional methods allowed. The SMART technology platform is a great example of this.
As technology becomes easier to access and use, while also becoming more accurate at collecting and sharing data, I expect that it will become an integral to wildlife criminology, not just for large organizations but also for individual communities wanting to protect their land and resources.
For anyone looking to enter the field of wildlife law enforcement, it will be important to stay up to date on new technology coming out that could be a useful tool, as well as new restrictions put in place on equipment. Knowing what is available for your team or other organizations to use will be valuable as you plan any sort of investigation.
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