Wildlife smuggling

WILDLIFE SMUGGLING The Wildlife Trade involves hundreds of millions of individual plants and animals from tens of thousands of species all over the world, but not all of them are legal to own, sell, or hunt. Problems with Illegal Wildlife Trade... The demand for wildlife grows as the human population grows. It is only natural that humans would depend upon natural resources, however it is important to understand the implications of some actions over others and make the best decisions according to ethics, the law, and ecology. souvenirs seafoods cultural artifacts wild meat fashion accessories Demands for wildlife include leather goods hunting trophies exotic wood timbers medicinal From 2005 to 2009, more than 12,000 seizures of illegal wildlife were made in the European Union. live pets exotic ingredients furs "Wildlife trade hotspots" The eastern borders of the European Union China's international borders South-east Asia Parts of Indonesia and New Guinea Some markets in Mexico Parts of the Caribbean Trade hubs in East/Southern Africa The Solomon Islands From 2001 to 2005, over 11,000 specimens (Live animals and wildlife products) were seized in shipments from: The live specimens included: Costa Rica birds reptiles marine turtles Dominican Republic |El Salvador Guatemala |Honduras |& Nicaragua corals mammals This self-accelerating cycle can push rare and endangered species past the brink of extinction. From the illegal logging of protected forests to the illegal fishing of endangered marine life for food, and the poaching of elephants for ivory, the illegal wildlife trade is, nearly equal to illegal drug trafficking. It has been estimated that the illegal wildlife trade is worth at least $5 billion to $20 billion or more annually. Invasive Species Zebra Mussels Cane Toads Top 10 Invasive Species They're Taking Over! Northern Snakehead Kudzu Starlings Let us take a pledge to help protect wildlife? Rabbits Asian Carp Burmese Python Gray Squirrel Killer Bees