Your World, Your Future

WHAT IS WILDLIFE CRIME?

Wildlife crime appears in many guises, but can be loosely categorised into three main types:

i) the illegal trade in endangered species;

The import and export of many threatened species is controlled through European Regulations implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). More information can be found at Defra.

Internal trade in these species is controlled by the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997.

ii) crimes involving native species which are endangered or of conservation concern;

In the United Kingdom, legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994, the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 give protection to wildlife and important habitats and sites.

Crimes against protected species include killing or taking them from the wild (eg. birds of prey, plants); collecting their eggs or skins for personal collections; trading in them; and taxidermy offences. People destroying nests and breeding sites; bat roosts and other protected habitats can also be committing offences.

iii) cruelty to and the persecution of wildlife species;

Some legislation protects particular species eg. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Deer Act 1991. The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 protects wild mammals by making it an offence to cause them unnecessary suffering by certain acts.

Crimes include Badger baiting and other cruelty cases; and illegal snaring, poaching and poisoning. (Defra, 2009)