We know wildlife trafficking has become a huge problem for wild animals and imperiled species, but making it illegal is only part of the solution. Without the ability to identify wildlife products moving through ports, authorities have less power to stop the trade. The good news, according to a recent report published in the journal Biological Conservation, is that conservationists are successfully developing mobile apps to help authorities working around the world with the identification of wildlife that they believe are helping crack down on the problem.
We know wildlife trafficking has become a huge problem for wild animals and imperiled species, but making it illegal is only part of the solution. Without the ability to identify wildlife products moving through ports, authorities have less power to stop the trade.
The good news, according to a recent report published in the journal Biological Conservation, is that conservationists are successfully developing mobile apps to help authorities working around the world with the identification of wildlife that they believe are helping crack down on the problem.
“Law enforcement officials often have only a few minutes to decide whether or not to let an item through a checkpoint. These tools provide a quick check for individuals with no background in biology,” said Dr. Heidi Kretser, the study’s lead author.
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) looked at case studies on three apps being used that rely on a decision-tree style approach, which lets users identify products through the process of elimination and access support from experts.
In China, which has become the world’s largest market for wildlife products, officials are using Wildlife Guardian – a smartphone based app that allows users to identify as many as 475 species and provides them with guidelines to identify wildlife products from ivory to big cat claws.
WCS gives an example of how easy it would be for someone using the app to go into a pet store and identify a bird being sold by choosing characteristics to find out it’s a protected species that’s illegal to sell, which is bad news for the store owner.
According to WCS, the app is supported by CITES Management Authority of China, Anti-smuggling Bureau of China Customs and China Wildlife Conservation Association and as of now, more than 1,173 users have installed the system and previous surveys of users found it to be a useful tool.
In Vietnam, another hotspot for trafficking, authorities are using a website that was launched in 2012 to help detect and prosecute wildlife crimes. Users can identify 152 of the country’s protected species, in addition to commonly traded items including rhino horn, elephant ivory and tiger body parts.
As of this summer, the site has had over 8,599 views, with more than 300 personnel from Customs, the Forest Protection Department and the Environmental Police registering to use it.
Continue reading at ENN affiliate, Care2.
Mobile app image via Shutterstock.
