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Wildlife Law Enforcement Working Group

Background

 

Wildlife crime impacts some threatened UK species, as well as damaging important habitats, while illegal trade in wildlife from other parts of the world threatens biodiversity elsewhere.  While the UK does not suffer to the extent of some other countries, there are damaging wildlife crimes that require dedicated and intensive long term work to tackle now and to prevent in future.

 

The Wildlife Law Enforcement Working Group (WLEWG) was established following an initial meeting in 2003 where top priorities for enforcement of crimes of conservation importance were agreed by the key UK organisations.

 

These web pages summarise the work of the WLEWG and highlight the top priorities for enforcement action to counter wildlife crime.  There are also links to other web sites that deal with wildlife crime issues in the UK and its constituent countries.

 

What is wildlife crime?

 

Wildlife crime is any activity that contravenes laws (within any country or countries in the UK) that provides protection to species and/or habitats.

 

Aims of the Wildlife Law Enforcement Working Group

 

The aims of the Wildlife Law Enforcement Working Group (WLEWG) are to improve effectiveness and joint working between Statutory and Non-Governmental Organisations dealing with wildlife crime in the United Kingdom.  A key aim is to identify from a conservation perspective enforcement priorities to advise the National Wildlife Crime Unit. In addition, the group discusses ways of preventing, deterring, detecting and prosecuting wildlife crime.  Members also share information about the consequences of wildlife crime as well as other relevant matters.

 

Criteria for identifying wildlife crime priorities

 

The following criteria for the selection of UK priorities for enforcement of crimes of conservation importance have been agreed by the WLEWG.

 

1. The feature of conservation interest is known, or is believed or suspected, to be subject to significant and persistent criminal activity.
2. a) Such criminal behaviour may prevent the feature of conservation interest from being maintained at, or recovering to, favourable conservation status
   OR
   b) for species occurring in other countries, illegal trade to the UK is at a level which is likely to have a detrimental impact on wild populations of the species.
3. Action by enforcement agencies, through prevention, intelligence gathering or detection and prosecution of offences, is necessary to make a significant contribution to overall conservation efforts to maintain the feature at, or enable it to recover to, favourable conservation status.
4. The relevant features of conservation interest are also subject to complementary action to enhance their conservation status, such as through species recovery programmes or similar with co-ordinated actions involving a number of partners.

 

 

Priorities for action against wildlife crime

 

The WLEWG has identified the following priorities for action against wildlife crime for 2009/10:

 

• Raptor persecution (including poisoning, egg theft, chick theft and nest disturbance/destruction) with a focus on golden eagle, goshawk, hen harrier, red kite and white-tailed eagle
• Freshwater Pearl Mussel collection
• Bat persecution
• Illegal trade of CITES-listed species with 5 current priorities of caviar, ivory, ramin timber,
• tortoises and traditional medicines)

In addition, the following issues have been identified as requiring additional intelligence:

• Illegal trade in orchids listed in Annex A of the EC CITES Regulations
• Off-road vehicle use that damages sensitive habitats
• European eel (over-harvesting and illegal trade)
• Plant collection (e.g. lichens for traditional medicine and moss for hanging baskets)

 

Membership

 

Membership includes the Police (ACPO, coordinating, specialist and lead officers), the conservation agencies (CCW, NIEA, JNCC, NE and SNH) dealing with species and sites enforcement issues, international matters including CITES, other appropriate agencies (RBG Kew, Environment Agencies etc.), dealing with national and international wildlife crime, Defra and devolved administrations dealing with national and international wildlife crime, Non-Governmental Organisations dealing with wildlife crime affecting species and habitats.  Others may be invited to join the Group for one or more meetings as needed and with the agreement of the WLEWG.

 

Meetings

 

The WLEWG is convened regularly as needed, approximately annually.  The JNCC acts as Secretariat to the WLEWG. 

 

Reporting

 

The WLEWG reports to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) within the statutory conservation agencies and to the designated lead officer within the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

JNCC Contacts

 

Links to other websites

 

JNCC CITES

Kew CITES

National Wildlife Crime Unit

The Partnership for Action Against Crime (PAW)

Wild Bird Crime

WWF/TRAFFIC

 

 

February 2010

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