itstargetnews
Wildlife trade is one of the most profitable illegal industries whole world. It’s a net between $7 billion and $23 billion annuallyaccording to the Global Environment Facility, a group of nearly 200 countries as well as businesses and nonprofits that fund environmental improvement and protection projects.
People bought and sold many things, including live animals, plant powders and oils, ivory carvings and musical instruments.
Historically, enforcement has been largely reactive. There is so much global trade that less than 1 in 10 international shipments any kind of physical examination. Traffickers also evade detection by using false or generic names instead of accurately identifying species, using coded language in online listings, changing mailings and switching to different messaging platforms when enforcement pressure increases. Emerging digital tools help authorities link online monitoring, legal reference tools and on-the-ground investigations.
as a researcher at the University of Florida working at the intersection of conservation science and applied technology, I observed these developments firsthand at an international meeting of governments and partner organizations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Floracommonly known by its acronym, CITES. This agreement – the basis for international trade regulation of endangered plants and animals – is enforced by national customs and wildlife agencies.
AI and digital tools for inspection
A big challenge for officials seeking to prevent wildlife trafficking is knowing where to look – and then knowing what they find.
Cargo inspection: Advanced X-ray screeners, similar to those used in airport security but designed for cargo, are paired with helpful software. find unusual shapes or materials inner packages.
Tests carried out at major ports and mail processing centers in Australia have found animals hidden in different types of cargo. The software does not identify species but highlights anomalies, helping inspectors decide which packages deserve closer inspection.
Assisted identification: A software program supported by the use of the Chinese Academy of Sciences artificial intelligence to help identify animal species or animal parts found in cargo. Inspectors can use chatbot-style interfaces to describe what they find in a system trained in technical documents with detailed descriptions of a wide variety.
This type of work helps inspectors distinguish between closely related species that have different legal protections. For example, the trade in African gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus) is tightly regulated. There are different, usually less stringent protections for similar-looking species, such as the Timneh parrot (Timneh parrot) and the brown-necked parrot (Poicephalus fuscicollis is a species of flowering plant).
Portable DNA testing: Implementation efforts do not always take place in offices and laboratories. A company aims to provide small, handheld kit which can detect up to five species in about 20 or 30 minutes without the need for traditional lab equipment. The kits display their results on a simple strip that changes color when DNA of a particular species is found in a sample. Conceptually, it is similar to a pregnancy testwhich changes color when a hormone is detected.
Tree identification: Handheld scanners use software to easily identify tree species by examining the internal cellular structure of the tree. This will help distinguish protected hardwood from legal alternatives in regions where illegal logging is widespread, such as South America, Southeast Asia and Africa.
Even before wildlife-related items are seen across national borders, there may be signs of illegal trafficking that can help identify technology. Online trading monitoring: A large amount of wildlife trade today takes place through online transactions. To avoid detection, often used by sellers vague descriptions or spoken languagesuch as lists that do not have full species names or use emojis instead of words. Some hide important details in pictures or short text that says little about what’s being sold, even just showing a photo without a description. Anti-trafficking organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund are working with tech companies to scan online listings using AI and content moderation tools. Between 2018 and 2023, tech companies are blocked or removed more than 23 million lists and accounts related to protected speciesincluding live reptiles, birds and monkeys, and elephant products. Early warnings from the papers: Submitting documents often provide early indications of illegal trade. Wildlife enforcement officers, transport sector personnel, government tax officials and others are using new software tools to analyze millions of manifests and permitsfinding species names not commonly traded on particular routes; cargo that is too heavy or low in price; and complex routing through multiple transit countries. Instead of inspecting shipments at random, these systems help law enforcement agencies identify shipments that are likely to contain illegal materials. Navigating wildlife trade laws: Enforcement officers must navigate huge legal complexities. New tools are looking for create laws from many countrieshelp inspectors understand the regulations throughout export, transit and destination countries. Using trade data to identify other species to monitor: Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a method that uses wildlife trade records to identify thousands of highly vulnerable endangered species which would benefit from stricter international trade protections and stronger law enforcement to limit exploitation. Combined, these devices and systems extend – but do not replace – human expertise. They help officials decide which shipments or sites to target, know what they might find, and share information internationally. No single technology can end wildlife trafficking, but these digital tools enable the transition from reactive enforcement to proactive, coordinated action, helping authorities go after adaptive criminal networks. Eve BohnettAssistant Research Scholar, Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, University of Florida This article was reprinted from The Conversation under Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Background research and risk profiling
