IFAW Investigation: Illegal Trade in Endangered Animals Flourishes on Web

YARMOUTH PORT, Mass., Aug. 16 -- An investigation by IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) released today reveals that vast quantities of wildlife products and live animals are bought and sold illegally on the Internet -- a lucrative trade that is driving the world’s most endangered species to the brink of extinction.

Every single day thousands of wild animals and animal parts -- from live chimpanzees and huge ivory tusks to tiny dried seahorses -- are illegally traded in cyberspace. IFAW conducted a three-month investigation which showed that, in a single week, over 9,000 live animals or products were for sale on English-language websites, chat rooms and the popular auction site eBay. At least 70 percent of the products were species protected by international law. IFAW’s investigation was restricted to just five categories of animals, so the findings represent a fraction of the total trade.

IFAW’s report illustrates that the unchecked Internet trade is putting additional pressure on endangered species. The Internet opens new international markets to wildlife traffickers and many wild animals are targeted by poachers specifically to meet the demands of wealthy consumers in foreign countries or to be sold as “pets”. The Internet is notoriously difficult to control because it transcends national and geographical boundaries, for example cross-border sales now account for 15 percent of all transactions on eBay.

IFAW found some of the world’s most endangered species advertised online, from websites based in the UK, USA, India, Israel and Germany. Almost all of them were being traded illegally. Examples include a live gorilla for sale in London, a Siberian tiger for sale in the U.S., four baby chimps and other critically endangered species. Animal body parts included hawksbill turtle shells, shahtoosh shawls from the Tibetan antelope and taxidermy specimens of lions and polar bears. Ivory items and traditional Asian medicines containing the parts of endangered tigers and rhinos were also common.

Phyllis Campbell-McRae, director of IFAW UK said: "Trade on the Internet is easy, cheap and anonymous. However, it is clear that unscrupulous traders and sophisticated criminal gangs are taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the World Wide Web. The result is a cyber black market where the future of the world’s rarest animals is being traded away. This situation must be tackled immediately by governments and website owners before it is too late.

“Each one of us also has a responsibility to stop buying and selling wild animals and wildlife products. Trade in wildlife is driven by consumer demand, so when the buying stops, the killing will too. Our message to online shoppers is simple: buying wildlife online is as bad as killing it yourself,” Ms. Campbell-McRae added.

IFAW found a lack of adequate and straightforward information about wildlife trade and the law and in response has launched its own website to provide the public with clear guidelines: visit http://www.caughtintheweb.co.uk for more information.

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EDITORS NOTE:

1. IFAW’s one-week intensive survey looked at just 5 categories: live primates, ivory items, turtle and tortoise products, bags and fashion items made from endangered reptiles and wild cats.

2. The international trade in endangered species is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It prohibits commercial trade in species listed on Appendix I (those most endangered), and regulates trade in species listed on Appendix II (those potentially at risk from trade).

3. IFAW is calling for greater international co-operation between governments, including ensuring sufficient enforcement capacity, working closely with Interpol, and greater monitoring of the illegal online trade.

4. IFAW is also calling on website owners to take greater responsibility for illegal items posted on their sites, such as more information, effective reporting mechanisms and close co-operation with enforcement agencies.

To download the executive summary, case studies or the full report, or for more information about IFAW’s work, visit http://www.ifaw.org or http://www.caughtintheweb.co.uk

Contact Information

Chris Cutter

Media Contact

International Fund for Animal Welfare

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