Spotlight: Hidden in plain sight

The 19th century was marked as a time period of innovation and scientific discovery. In this century, advancements in transport technologies such as railways and steam ships promoted global trade. However, with that, came mankind’s appetite for natural resources for housing, food, clothing, and income. Unregulated killing and habitat destruction pushed many species, such as bison, seals and whales to the edge of extinction. By the 20th century, several laws were introduced to protect wildlife and their habitats. However, despite these regulations, wildlife crime in recent years has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry, fuelled by demand and run by sophisticated international syndicates.

In this talk, we will explore the dark world of illegal wildlife trade. Although the drivers of trade are multifaceted and complex, this talk will undertake a deep dive into sustainable poaching for local needs versus unsustainable poaching for international trade. Here, the magnitude of the trade will be described and trade routes from source to destination will be investigated.

You will gain a deeper understanding of how highly organised criminal syndicates take advantage of transportation networks, the internet and social media in an increasingly interconnected world to sell and move live as well as parts of animals and plants. Lastly, the consequences of trade investigated and methods and tool used to try stop the trade will be explored.

Dr Desiré Lee Dalton, Lecturer in Forensics