Strengthening Laws to Combat Wildlife Trafficking

Improve the law on wildlife trafficking.
This wildlife trafficking has been termed as one of the international issues threatening the global biodiversity and destabilizing ecosystems. In addition to these global activities, wildlife trafficking becomes even more significant since illegally traded species of endangered lives have reached alarming proportions. The governments and conservationists operate globally with the aim of making stronger and more fortified laws and regulation that control this illegal form of trading and protecting animals.

Scope of Wildlife Trafficking

Wildlife trafficking refers to the illegal purchase and selling of animals, plants, which are including endangered species, their parts, or even products manufactured from them. Wildlife trafficking ranges from the Elephant and Rhino to tigers, pangolins, birds, and other rare bird species. The illegal trade for wildlife is estimated to be at around tens of billions every year, which makes it also one of the biggest in the world’s black market.
Not only species extinction, but the whole ecosystem would be lost. The loss of key species will affect the food chain and habitat severely and, apart from that, will turn the scale of nature in itself. Wildlife trafficking very often takes place alongside other forms of organized crime like drug trade and human trafficking and money laundering, hence the issue is rather complex and multifaceted.

Role of Strict Laws

Now, on the basis of reinforcing national and international legal frameworks, more efforts are being made to combat wildlife trafficking. Strong laws and their stricter enforcement are required for breaking illegal trade and thus stopping traffickers from further exploiting the vulnerable species.
Many countries have already started a more serious regulation regarding the trade of wildlife. For example, there is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which is popularly known as CITES. To many people, it has become a word that represents treaties that have made it possible to control and monitor any kind of trade related to endangered species. Such efforts of CITES include more than 180 participating countries in an effort to ensure that even international trade will not affect the existence of species over time.

However, these laws are poor and not very effective due to weak implementation and corruption and lack of resources. Although legislation about wildlife trafficking is done, they have not provided meaningful penalties nor even weak mechanisms for the law to be implemented that has made traffickers less frightened by them.

Recent Trends in Improving Laws

Most countries raise their bars on the punishment for anyone found involved with wildlife trafficking. For example, the Lacey Act in the United States forbids any form of illegal trade and further strengthens this law with species and products addition and also more punishment to offenders. Good steps were achieved, even in China and Vietnam, since wildlife trafficking has been dealt with; since China has toughened the law domestically through increasing the penalty imposed on traffickers in dealing with illegal trade of endangered species.
In the recent past, most of the African nations have produced new legislation concerning wildlife trafficking. In 2019, Kenya passed the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act which metes out harsh sentences and imprisonment to those guilty of engaging in illegal trade of wildlife. Botswana and Namibia have improved operations against poaching with better legal instruments that have protected the elephants and other wildlife.

International Cooperation and Regional Efforts

Since most of the networks trade across borders, combating wildlife trafficking calls for international cooperation. Thus, it means that governments, law enforcement bodies, and conservation agencies all need to work effectively together to face this challenge effectively. Indeed, some regions have been pretty successful in regional agreements that involve working across borders, whereby neighborly countries implement measures conjointly agreed to ensure that anti-trafficking laws for wildlife are upheld.
For example, this most critical area of wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia was enabling regional cooperation from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in consolidating their intelligence, strengthened controls along borders, and the support given for joint operations on enforcement. African countries have also taken the decision to hand in glove, strengthen the laws against poaching, surveillance, and suppression of illegal trade of wildlife.

It encompasses, the African Elephant Action Plan that is part of the success stories of international cooperation. In this regard, it is 16 African nations coming together, trying to save these elephants from poaching as well as illegal trade. The movement embraces national laws on wildlife, increased population monitoring coupled with increased enforcement on border ports.

Challenges on implementing the wildlife laws

Although more laws are passed to try and contain wildlife trafficking, several hindrances exist towards the implementation of such laws. Most countries lack the necessary infrastructures or the capacity to put up laws to protect wildlife and to monitor them as well. In some cases, the law cannot be implemented due to corruption and bad governance. It is here where economic benefits are few, that wildlife trafficking is regarded as a viable criminal business which cannot easily be prevented.
Public awareness for the impacts of wildlife trafficking is lacking. Most consumers are unaware that the ivory, rhino horn, and tiger skins they are purchasing are fruits of illegal trade that harm endangered species and destabilize ecosystems. Education and awareness campaigns will transform consumer behavior and reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products.

The Need for a Holistic Approach

The best way to fight this form of wildlife trafficking would be through a holistic view, not by stronger laws: to get all the relevant parties on board who can actually do work to bring an end to it-the government, enforcing agencies, conservation groups, and the private sectors.
Such an all-encompassing approach would involve more investment in conservation and equipment and training to the law enforcement for the cause and facilitation of greater international cooperation. This development of consumer awareness would be an important part in building and would include a push toward reduced demand for illegal products through public education and advocacy.

Finally, the root causes of wildlife trafficking like poverty, lack of educational facilities, and weak governance machinery need to be fought for their own sake. Usually, the poachers and traders go for the wrong activities just for purely economic reasons. The efforts made at community-based conservation levels could reduce the compulsion for such activities.

But stricter rules will prove effective only to an extent as success would lie in enhanced enforcement, better international cooperation, and more public consciousness. One of the biggest threats to biodiversity and ecosystems, wildlife trafficking stands as one. It can be approached with a multimensional approach in striving towards a future where wildlife is protected, ecosystems are preserved, and this illegal trade of animals and plants brought to its final end.