Wildlife crime is a EUR 20bn a year illegal business - it is the fourth largest illegal trade in the world.
Only drug trafficking, counterfeit and human trafficking are thought to bring in higher revenues for transnational organised criminal networks.
The effects of doing nothing are irreversible. Many endangered species face imminent extinction, marine habitats and fish stocks are collapsing and natural habitats are being lost forever due to illegal logging.
Wildlife crimes are causing irreversible harm to biodiversity and to the very fabric of human society.
Wildlife crime is much more than the extinction of many endangered species, it also has a disruptive effect on local communities and is even a threat to the security of regions and nations.
Illegal fishing is a major threat to the sustainability of the world’s fisheries and illegal logging has tremendous consequences.
Almost all states have laws prohibiting wildlife crimes, as well as money laundering, tax evasion and corruption.
The vast majority of states are signatories to international treaties on wildlife and related crimes. But all this is, unfortunately, not enough to tackle the problem. Every 15 minutes an elephant is killed, every eight hours a rhino.
Clearly, we need a new way of thinking: The Wildlife Justice Commission is an innovative accountability mechanism.
We are a new, independent not-for-profit organisation operating globally to disrupt and dismantle transnational organised wildlife crime and the corruption that enables it to flourish.
We do this by conducting intelligence – led investigations, high level diplomacy and if necessary hold a Public Hearing.
