INTERPOL news item: INTERPOL report on illegal bear trade highlights need for greater enforcement coordination
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LYON, France - An INTERPOL report has underlined the need for greater coordinated enforcement efforts worldwide to combat the illegal trade in bears to ensure that offenders are identified and prosecuted and that the illegal trade does not have a lasting impact on bear species.
The “Assessment on Illegal Bear Trade” report by INTERPOL’s Environmental Security unit highlights in particular how poaching and the illegal trade of bears, their parts and derivatives continue on a large scale worldwide.
With the criminals involved exploiting vulnerabilities in enforcement response to wildlife crime for financial gain, the Head of INTERPOL’s Environmental Security unit, David Higgins, said: “Improving enforcement coordination, from legislation to investigation, can have a considerable impact on syndicates involved in the trade. A unified planning process with a cooperative multinational enforcement efforts bringing together police, customs and wildlife law enforcement units is crucial if we want to dismantle the complex networks of individuals”.
Michael Kennedy, Campaign Director for Humane Society International (HSI - Australia) said: “HSI commends the work of INTERPOL in effectively assessing global enforcement needs, promoting coordinated responses, and offering its global expertise and help to combat this environmentally and socially debilitating trade. HSI looks forward to working with all countries affected by these criminal activities”.
The report was drafted as part of INTERPOL’s Project Predator and was funded by the Human Society International Australia branch. Project Predator supports and enhances the governance and law enforcement capacity for the conservation of Asian big cats and through support provided by HSI been able to focus on the illegal bear trade.
Information provided by countries on bear trafficking has been analysed and led Malaysia and Vietnam to focus on bears during the recent Operation Paws, with the support of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).
