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OUT OF AFRICA:Byting Down on Wildlife Cybercrime1 | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 22 | BACKGROUND 43 | RESEARCHING ONLINE WILDLIFE TRADE IN AFRICA 54 | KEY RESULTS AT A GLANCE 75 | METHODOLOGY 96 | CITES AND WILDLIFE CYBERCRIME 107 | OUR PARTNERS 118 | INTERNET USE IN AFRICA 139 | SUMMARY RESULTS 1410 | RESULTS BY COUNTRY 19SOUTH AFRICA NIGERIA IVORY COAST KENYA TANZANIA UGANDA ETHIOPIA11 | CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 29CONTENTS1 |EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has been researching the threat that online wildlife trade poses to endangered species since 2004. During that time, our research in over 25 countries around the globe has revealed the vast scale of trade in wildlife and their parts and products on the worlds largest marketplace, the Internet - a market that is open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whilst legal trade exists in respect of many species of wildlife, online platforms can provide easy opportunities for criminal activities. Trade over the Internet is often largely unregulated and anonymous, often with little to no monitoring or enforcement action being taken against wildlife cybercriminals. In addition, cyber-related criminal investigations are complicated by jurisdictional issues, with perpetrators in different geographical locations and laws differing from country to country. This poses a serious threat to the survival of some of the worlds most iconic species and the welfare of individual animals. This report outlines the results of new IFAW research in seven different countries in Africa, exploring the availability of wild animals and their products in an area of the world with a rapid growth in access to the Internet. This research is part of a broader project to address wildlife cybercrime in Africa, funded by the US governments Department of States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). The wider project included researching trade in elephant, rhino and tiger products over the Darknet; providing training on investigating wildlife cybercrime to enforcers in South Africa and Kenya; ensuring policy makers addressed the threat of wildlife cybercrime through adopting Decision 17.92 entitled Combatting Wildlife Cybercrime at the CoP17 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Johannesburg 2016; carrying out a review of legislation as it pertains to wildlife cybercrime; and providing training to online technology companies to assist with the effective implementation of their policies. Research focused on online marketplaces and social media platforms utilised by traders stating they were based in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. In most cases, this meant focusing on trading platforms based in those specific countries, but researchers also identified traders stating they were based in South Africa using international Alibaba and eBay sites. Fabricated website for the purposes of this report.2In total, IFAW researchers identified 990 endangered and threatened wildlife advertisements across 33 online marketplaces and three social media platforms during a six-week period across seven African countries. Sellers offered for sale a total of 9,481 specimens of animals which are listed on Appendix I and II of CITES or that are protected by national or provincial laws in the relevant country/jurisdiction. The total value of all such goods for sale was approximately US $5,828,608.Although crocodiles and alligators (a species not endemic to Africa) make up over two thirds of specimens for sale, elephant, snake and parrot specimens were also offered for sale in significant numbers with elephant hair items, rather than ivory, making up the bulk of elephant product advertisements. A total of 123 cat specimens including products and live animals were also identified, as well as 27 rhino specimens including live white rhinos and black and white rhino horn for sale. Our research reveals that South Africa and Nigeria have significant levels of trade in these protected species, with 718 and 219 advertisements respectively totalling 9,357 wildlife specimens for sale, with a corresponding higher risk of facilitating illegal wildlife trade. In contrast, the Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia had very little wildlife for sale. Online marketplaces make up the majority of trade identified in this research, hosting 887 advertisements (90 per cent). Whilst representing a much smaller amount of trade than traditional online marketplaces, social media platforms are also being used to host wildlife trade in South Africa, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. The scale may be higher than this report indicates, as trade on these platforms is particularly hard to identify and quantify. Although it is not possible to tell how many of the total specimens recorded were being traded legally or illegally, 33 information logs representing 392 advertisements in total from this research were handed over to national enforcers for further investigation, identifying traders stating they were based in South Africa, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Researchers used a number of indicators to identify potential breaches of legislation, for example instances of CITES Appendix II listed species being offered for sale internationally without any reference to CITES permits. Whilst this in itself is not against the law as there is no legal requirement to reference permitting online, this may provide a reason to research a particular advertisement further.Whilst wildlife trade continues to threaten the future of many of the worlds most endangered species and African consumers gain growing access to the Internet and social media, it is essential that online platforms and governments take action to raise consumer awareness and tackle the challenges of online wildlife trade. This includes supporting improved enforcement efforts, engaging with online technology companies and strengthening national legislation to help combat wildlife cybercrime. Mogens TrolleAn African lion cub, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa.32 |BACKGROUNDSince the development of the Internet and its transformation of our ways of communicating and carrying out business, the situation facing the worlds wildlife has deteriorated significantly. Alongside pressures from habitat destruction, human/wildlife conflict, climate change and wildlife trade, the Internet poses an additional challenge to the future of endangered species.Whilst legal trade exists in respect of many species of wildlife, online platforms provide easy opportunities for criminals to advertise their illegal products. Trade over the Internet is often largely unregulated and anonymous, often with little to no monitoring or enforcement action being taken against wildlife cybercriminals. In addition, cyber-related criminal investigations are complicated by jurisdictional issues, with perpetrators in different geographical locations and laws differing from country to country. Online trade inevitably becomes offline trade when the product is shipped from the trader to the buyer, at which point it becomes subject to traditional enforcement methods used to detect and monitor crime. Whilst some enforcement agencies are yet to develop strategies to address wildlife cybercrime they may be focusing on disrupting the supply chain through seizures at ports of entry and exist. In order to understand the nature of the threat posed by online wildlife trade IFAW has been carrying out research on this issue since 2004. Over that time, our research of over 25 countries around the globe has revealed the vast scale of trade in wildlife and their parts and products on the worlds largest marketplace, the Internet - a market that is open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. IFAWs 2008 report Killing with Keystrokes identified 7,122 advertisements offering trade in endangered wildlife over a six-week period across eight countries. A follow up report Wanted - Dead or Alive: Exposing Online Wildlife Trade in 2014 found 9,482 similar advisements offering a total of 33,006 endangered wildlife specimens for sale in 16 different countries, worth nearly US $11 million. As a result of that survey, 1,192 intelligence files almost 13 per cent of advertisements - were submitted to law enforcers for further investigation into potential criminal activity. Both reports found significant numbers of elephant products and exotic birds as the specimens most widely offered for sale over the Internet, with the latter report also finding reptiles and their products in a quarter of all advertisements.A growing number of online platforms are adopting policies specifically targeting wildlife cybercrime, but there are still many companies not meeting this basic standard. This poses a serious threat to the survival of some of the worlds most iconic species and the welfare of individual animals. As more parts of the world gain access to technology and connectivity along supply chain routes, the Internet offers a thriving platform for buyers and sellers to trade illegal wildlife specimens. IFAW reports on this trade have led to an acknowledgement by many governments, enforcement agencies and online technology companies that online wildlife crime is a significant problem. Pangolin Ajit Huilgol Rudi Van AardeAfrican elephant43 |RESEARCHING ONLINE WILDLIFE TRADE IN AFRICAThis report outlines the results of IFAWs research into online wildlife trade over online marketplaces and social media platforms across seven African countries1. The purpose of IFAWs research in Africa was to: Measure the scale and nature of the trade across both online marketplaces and social media platforms utilised by traders in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. This included sites hosted in those countries as well as international sites utilised by traders stating that they were based in those countries. Researchers classed traders as operating in a particular country based on the seller location details provided in each advertisement. Assess whether the growth in Internet access across the continent1has corresponded with wildlife criminals using the internet to facilitate their illegal trade. Identify advertisements and posts, and thereby traders, who could potentially be in breach of national and/or international conventions and therefore worthy of further investigation by national enforcers. Identify countries where wildlife cybercrime could be a potential risk for endangered wildlife and therefore where there is the greatest need for enforcement capacity and knowledge as well as the need for clear, robust legislation addressing online wildlife crime and the increased engagement of the online companies themselves.1. Internet development and Internet governance in Africa by Towela Nyirenda-Jere and Tesfaye Biru (May 2015). Internetsociety/doc/Internet-development-and-Internet-governance-africa Joseph Mercier A pile of ivory tusks5Social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were included in this research after our review of the online wildlife trade in China as presented in IFAWs report Wanted - Dead or Alive revealed a shift away from selling wildlife products via online marketplaces to more private online forums and social media platforms. Baidu Tieba (Bar), an online public forum, for example, was responsible for 55 per cent of trade in China in that survey, hosting 1,154 advertisements. That investigation also showed that a good proportion of sellers used social media as the main method of contact between sellers and buyers.As in previous surveys, IFAW researchers focused on online marketplaces and forums on the Surface Web where sites are freely available to the public. Outside of the scope of this research is the threat posed to wildlife by the Darknet, a part of the Internet which is hidden and anonymous, and which disguises the identity and location of users. Many illegal activities, such as trade in drugs, weapons and child pornography have moved onto the Darknet where perpetrators have a greater level of anonymity than over the surface web. Research into any illegal wildlife trade on the Darknet will be addressed in a separate project led by INTERPOL. In total, IFAW researchers identified 990 advertisements in seven different African countries across 33 online marketplaces and three social media platforms over a six-week period. Sellers offered 9,481 specimens of live animals and parts and products, with crocodiles and alligators making up over 76 per cent of posts. Elephant parts and products were the second most common specimens for sale, including 765 elephant hair bracelets and a number of ivory items. One hundred and twenty-three cat specimens, including products and live animals, were offered for sale. Researchers also identified 27 rhino specimens offered for sale, including live white rhinos and black and white rhino horn. The total value of all goods for sale was approximately US $5,828,608. Johannes Gerhardus SwanepoelAfrican elephant herd64 |KEY RESULTS AT A GLANCE77%Of specimens offered in all adverts were for crocodile and alligator species.38%Of adverts offered elephant products for sale.Information logs handed to enforcers due to suspected illegality. The logs included 392 advertisements.339,481Total number of wildlife specimens found for sale.36Number of online marketplace and social media platforms surveyed.Total cost of all items found.$5,828,608Total parts and products of wildlife specimens compared to number of live animal specimens for sale. 92% / 8%7Total number advertisements9901 Appendix I/II 8,184 86.32%2 Appendix II 867 9.14%3 Appendix I 346 3.65%4 Other (Appendix III and domestic legislation) 84 0.88%1 Appendix I/II 501 50.61%2 Appendix II 253 25.56%3 Appendix I 191 19.29%4 Other (Appendix III and domestic legislation) 45 4.54%123 4Total specimens9,48112348
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