Wildlife, Forest, and Fisheries Crime

This chapter examines wildlife, forest, and fisheries crimes as interconnected forms of environmental crime that threaten biodiversity, economic stability, and global security through illegal harvesting, trafficking, and trade of fauna, flora, and marine resources. These crimes generate billions in illicit proceeds annually, ranking among the most lucrative transnational organized crimes alongside narcotics and arms trafficking. The analysis covers diverse offender types from subsistence harvesters to sophisticated criminal syndicates, examining modus operandi variables including target selection, harvesting methods, transportation routes, concealment techniques, and market distribution channels. Wildlife crimes encompass poaching endangered species for ivory, horn, and exotic pets; forest crimes include illegal logging and land conversion; while fisheries crimes involve illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing that depletes marine stocks. The chapter highlights the convergence of environmental crimes with corruption, money laundering, and terrorism financing, demonstrating how these offenses form nodes in broader criminal networks.