Organized environmental crimes: Trends, theory, impact and responses

Abstract

Once considered peripheral and a green matter, wildlife crimes have moved up global security and policy agendas. The UN General Assembly, for example, adopted two resolutions to tackle wildlife crimes in 2015 and 2016. Meanwhile the South Africa and the Southern African Development (SADC) have declared wildlife trafficking a priority crime issue. Rhino poaching, in particular, has captured the attention of the public, international community and our national government. Less charismatic plant and wildlife species are also harvested and trafficked across the globe. The lesser-known pangolin is considered the most trafficked species while cycads constitute the most threatened plant species on the planet. The illegal or irregular extraction of natural resources, logging, mining, overfishing, trafficking of toxic, nuclear or electronic waste, and industrial dumping have all become areas of concern.

Linking green militarization and critical military studies

“…12 While claims of poachers as terrorists are not well-evidenced, the involvement of organized crime in the illegal wildlife trade is. Organized crime is indeed a poaching-related security concern both locally and globally and is one we see manifest on-the-ground in Southern Africa (HŸbschle and Faull 2017). This has in part, for instance, motivated South Africa to label rhino poaching Òa National Priority CrimeÓ (DEA 2017).…”

“…Another series of responses, however, have set out on a more militarized path. Located primarily within and near protected areas, this militarization of conservation largely overshadows the other responses to the poaching crisis in both its intensity and in the attention and resources it is allocated (Duffy and Humphreys 2014;HŸbschle and Faull 2017;Lunstrum 2014;Roe et al 2015).…”

Cycad Regulation and Community Creation: South African Stakeholder Perspectives on Conservation

“…Cycads are both the most threatened and the most poached plant group in the world, and they also hold significant cultural and symbolic value for many people around the world (Cousins and Witkowski 2017;Hübschle and Faull 2017). While all 37 Encephalartos species and the single species of Stangeria in South Africa are protected, the IUCN currently ranks 12 as critically endangered, 4 as endangered, and 8 as vulnerable.…”