Illegal Wildlife Trade: Responsible for COVID?

The Impact: Coronavirus and Organized Crime

We explore the illegal wildlife trade and it's apparent role in the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. The huge socio-economic consequences on the communities where this trade takes place, not to mention the threat to biodiversity, environmental sustainability, the brutality suffered by the animals themselves.

The illegal wildlife trade is complex and far reaching – it’s estimated to be worth between seven and 23 billion US dollars, making it one of the most lucrative forms of transnational organised crimes.

It's also used as a way to launder illicit proceeds from other illegal markets such as narcotics, the arms trade and modern slavery.

Guests

Aron White - Wildlife Campaigners and China specialist at the Environmental Investigation Agency.

Nirmal Ghosh – US Bureau Chief of the Straits Times & environmental crime journalist (GI Network).

Jo Shaw – Senior Manager of the Wildlife programme for WWF, South Africa.

Alastair Nelson – Resilience Fund Coordinator for Mozambique for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Carl Miller - Research director at CASM (GI Network).

Meredith Gore – Conservation Social Scientist and Associate Professor at Michigan State University.

John M. Sellar OBE – Senior Advisor to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and the former Chief of Enforcement at CITES.

Global Initiative Digital Dangers

#CovidCrimeWatch