The issue of wildlife trafficking is still very much an issue of concern for the global conservation of endangered species, as criminals become more creative in the ways they use to transport these animals across national borders. One of the most shocking cases occurred in South Africa’s Cape Town International Airport, where boxes containing toys for China contained 23,000 endangered succulent plants, conophytum, wrapped in toilet paper in April 2022. This discovery highlighted an emerging trend: whereas people are used to seeing China as the exporter of toys, importing toys was questionable.
Officials have been on the lookout for similar attempts as this one, including a delivery of mushrooms that contained 12,000 succulents. Such occurrences highlight that there is always an upgrade in the methods used in smuggling. Over 1 million poached succulents belonging to 650 species have been recovered in southern Africa since 2019, owing to increased demand in East Asia.
South Africa and Namibia’s Succulent Karoo area, which harbors more than 6,000 succulent species, is now a target for poaching. Many species of succulents, especially those that are on the verge of extinction, are often attacked by Conophytum. Smugglers use postal and courier services. According to a WCO report, 43% of the flora and fauna seizures in 2022 were small parcels, which is a 17% increase from the previous year. Some of the ways used to conceal the items include using children’s toys to hide the unlawful items.
Vietnamese customs officials have also been involved in heinous smuggling attempts. In March last year, a consignment from Nigeria included 550 elephant tusks that were painted black in the guise of horns. This seizure, which was 1,600 kg of ivory, led to arrests in Nigeria. Poaching and the sale of ivory affect African elephants more, as their numbers have been reduced by ninety percent in three decades. The African forest elephants are now classified as critically endangered.
Another concern is the trading of shark fins around the African continent, particularly along the coastal areas; fins are used in preparing shark fin soup. Currently, 60 shark species are protected by trade bans; however, criminals mingle the legal and the banned fins, making it hard for law enforcement agencies to act. Traffic’s Sarah Vincent also points out that police must distinguish species correctly; 3D digital technology helps South Africa.
The enforcement agencies at regional and international levels have enhanced the sharing of information, resulting in enhanced seizures. The WCO reported that 2022 figures for confiscation of wildlife increased by 10% as compared to 2020 and 56% as compared to 2021. But this also shows that the illegal wildlife and timber trade remain rampant up to the present. To counter this, it is recommended that there be adequate, equipped, and trained customs and border control agencies to deal with the constantly changing modus operandi of the traffickers.
The constant evolution of criminals and their methods proves that the fight against wildlife trafficking requires collective and proactive efforts to save endangered species and the world’s ecosystems.
