Wildlife trafficking

Control, enforcement and species justice 

Image may contain: Reptile, Vertebrate, Iguania, Lizard, Iguana.

About the project

This case study comprises an exploration of socio-legal norms relating to wildlife trafficking and its law enforcement through analysis of legislation, penal case files and interviews, as well as enforcement of legislation pertaining to CITES. It includes an analysis of the problem of mixed signals and the outcome of this for trafficked animals.

This project builds on previous research on wildlife trafficking and a large amount of data that has already been gathered but remains to be analysed, such as 800 penal cases (2001- 2013) related to CITES-listed animals, as identified by police. Interviews with law enforcement agents, experts, and offenders in Norway that were collected for previous research being complemented with 19 new interviews to provide a broader picture of enforcement practice over time.

They are analysed in relation to the penal cases and earlier verdicts in order to explore the priorities of agencies involved in CITES enforcement and their knowledge of the convention. 

Objectives

  • To explore the regulation, rationale behind and enforcement of wildlife conservation, the normative and socio-legal messages of this enforcement, and their implications for wildlife conservation and individual animal welfare.
  • To broaden and develop green criminology as a field 
Published Mar. 20, 2019 5:07 PM - Last modified June 8, 2022 3:35 PM