Wildlife Trafficking between the European Union and Mexico

Abstract

Illegal wildlife trade or wildlife trafficking is a global threat to all kinds of species, not just charismatic megafauna or wildlife in Africa and Asia. This paper presents the findings of an investigation of the illegal trade in native and non-native wildlife and wildlife products between the European Union and Mexico. Using literature analysis, secondary trade data and expert interviews, this study explores the nature and extent of wildlife trafficking between these two regions, including the involvement of organised crime within an eco-global criminological framework. This is important for the regions studied and for the global community more generally, as wildlife trafficking is contributing not only to species extinction, but also to instability, violence and unhealthy physical environments for humans.

European illegal puppy trade and organised crime

“…There is a vast literature debating and theorising what organised crime is. We, too, have contributed to this discussion (Arroyo-Quiroz and Wyatt 2019 ; Wyatt et al 2020 ). Without repeating those debates in this paper, 3 we adopt a more straightforward approach to organised crime by employing the standardised definition of EUROPOL ( 2017 ).…”

“…There is growing evidence that this trade has opened the door to criminality and is increasingly of interest to organised crime groups. Aspects of the better-known and larger illegal wildlife trade are facilitated by organised crime and the organised crime aspect is increasingly the focus of national and international regulation and enforcement (Arroyo-Quiroz and Wyatt 2019 ; UNODC 2020 ; Wyatt et al 2020 ). Yet, while the illegal wildlife trade, including the trafficking of exotic pets and the potential role of organised crime, has been the focus of a significant amount of research in the last decade (see Arroyo-Quiroz and Wyatt ( 2019 ), Collard ( 2020 ), Sollund ( 2019 ), Van Uhm ( 2016 ), Wyatt et al ( 2017a ), Maher and Sollund ( 2016 ), among others), the trafficking of ‘domestic’ companion animals 2 has received little attention.…”

Connections between trades and trafficking in wildlife and drugs

“…For instance, the leader of a Mexican drugtrafficking organization was murdered for failing to pay $1 million for a shipment of rare and expensive bladders from the totoaba fish destined for Asia. In this context, Mexican officials believed that the Mexican drug cartels in the Baja area of Mexico were shifting their activities into wildlife smuggling through the US and onto China (Felbab-Brown 2017;Martínez and Martínez 2018;Arroyo-Quiroz and Wyatt 2019).…”

Wildlife Trade and COVID-19: Towards a Criminology of Anthropogenic Pathogen Spillover

“…Habitat destruction in one area leads to depopulation, scarcity or extinction of animals and to expanded wildlife trade with adjacent or more distant regions. Increasingly, local wildlife trade becomes national, international and global ( Arroyo-Quiroz and Wyatt 2019 ; Goyes 2019 ; Sollund 2019 )…”