In a successful case against wildlife crime, prosecutors in Hungary brought charges against four hunters who killed a strictly protected cinereous vulture and four common buzzards. The perpetrators were caught thanks to the GPS tracker carried by the vulture, and also to the decisive help of poison and carcass detection canine unit of Birdlife Hungary. […]
Illegal poison-baits are the most widely used method for killing predators on a global scale, a massive method of eliminating animals considered harmful to livestock or game species. It is a serious threat to biodiversity in many European countries, as shown by data from Spain where thousands of wild animals -including threatened species- are still […]
With 70 registered participants from all over Europe, on December 13th the LIFE SWiPE project organised an internal knowledge-sharing workshop among its members and colleagues outside the project’s team, to discuss the future of wildlife crime prosecution in the short and mid-term. Different challenges for the fight against wildlife crime were discussed, including the disparities […]
The SWiPE project voices its concerns over the Council’s position on the revision of the Environmental Crime Directive, joining environmental NGOs, including Birdlife, Born Free, EEB, IFAW, Eurogroup for Animals, Humane Society International, and WWF. The Justice Ministers of the EU’s Member States adopted recently their position on the revision of the Directive on the […]
Text by Lucio Biancatelli – WWF Italy / Featured image by Gruppo Guardie Volontarie WWF Italy “A report has just arrived from WWF Italy’s Antipoaching Guards: close to the city of Brescia, next to a house in an area of northern Italy, branches have been smeared with birdlime, a powerful glue where small birds, such […]
On 17-21 October 2022, a workshop on wildlife crime was held in Goniądz, Poland, by WWF Poland as part of the LIFE SWiPE project. The workshop brought together representatives from the tax and customs service, the police and the prosecutor’s office. Participants shared knowledge on, among other topics, identifying species listed in the Convention on […]
Wildlife crime is one of the leading causes of species extinction around the world. A report published by WWF Poland shows that Polish services are fighting an uphill battle against criminals. Between 2015 and 2020 alone, Polish customs officers seized more than 420,000 specimens of protected plant and animal species, and the police recorded 33,870 violations of […]
In 2022, the SWiPE project organized the first intersectorial EU Wildlife Crime Workshop in Madrid. More than 120 wildlife crime experts and law enforcement representatives from 20 countries met at the conference to exchange knowledge and improve cross-border collaboration. This report summarises the analysis and contributions provided by all the participants of the workshop to […]
Global conservation policy makers are meeting in Panama City (Panama) from November 14 – 25 on the 19th Conference of the Parties (CoP19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Conference, the first held in Latin America in 20 years, provides an opportunity for governments to […]
The newly revised EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking (EU-WAP) published recently by the European Commission is a critical step forward in the fight against illegal wildlife trade. Building on five years of activities implemented under the previous plan, it incorporates objectives and actions adapted to newly arising issues which will enable the EU and Member […]
Fauna & Flora International, with the support of WWF Romania, organized the first two training sessions of the B6 activity for specialists in Romania. A total of 49 participants, namely prosecutors, judges, customs officers, police officers, gendarmes, Environmental Guard commissioners and representatives of the CITES management authority, attended the two trainings organized in Sarmizegetusa and […]
A brown bear (Ursus arctos) was shot during a wild boar hunt in the Montaña Palentina, a protected area in the Cantabrian Range of northern Spain where this iconic species is on the brink of extinction. Just two years ago, a female with a cub was killed in the same circumstances and in the same […]
WWF Ukraine presents the first complex study to describe the overall picture of wildlife offences in Ukraine over the period 2015-2020. The information has been collected from official sources, and publicly available data sets, through public information requests, questionnaires, and communication with law enforcement and conservation experts. The report aims to summarize and compile available […]
Britta Jaschinski, award-winner photojournalist and wildlife photographer, presented her work at an event organized in Budapest by the SWiPE project about wildlife trafficking. During the event, held on 15 September 2022 at the Uránia National Film Theatre in Budapest, Hungary, Britta presented her work documenting wildlife crimes for decades. Following her presentation, a roundtable discussion […]
Daniel Garrido, dog trainer at Guardia Civil, received the prize from WWF Spain, in recognition of his work and commitment to the fight against wildlife crime. Prosecution of wildlife crimes greatly depends on the personal awareness, willingness, and commitment of those in charge of it, often facing insufficient resources. The SWiPE project wants therefore to […]
The Serbian national report on wildlife crime published by WWF Adria-Serbia shows the frequency and harmful consequences of these crimes, but also provides recommendations to reduce them. The National Report on wildlife crimes in the Republic of Serbia, published by WWF, contains an overview of the legislative and institutional framework for the protection of wild […]
WWF launched its new national report about most common wildlife crimes, the most affected animals and recommendations for reducing such crimes. Even though environmental crimes were the third most frequently reported criminal offense during the period of 2011–2017 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the awareness about their seriousness is weak and sentences for committing such crimes […]
A new WWF report shows that wildlife crime in Croatia most often affects birds such as European goldfinch, large carnivores and protected marine species. WWF launched a national report which provides insights into the most common wildlife crimes in Croatia, the animal species that are most affected and recommendations for reducing and discouraging such crimes […]
The carcasses of two bottlenose dolphins have been recently found mutilated in Sardinia, Italy, to make “mosciame”, fillets of dried meat sold on the black market. Illegal trade and wildlife crime This episode is only the latest of many similar recorded in recent years and reveals the current extent of this serious crime. The motivation […]
More than 120 wildlife crime experts and law enforcement representatives from 20 countries met at the conference in Madrid to exchange knowledge and improve cross-border collaboration Simultaneously with the NATO Summit, more than 120 European wildlife crime experts met in Madrid to exchange the latest findings on the matter and analize best practices. The interagency […]
Low sentences and hundreds of thousands of euros in damages that the State does not claim. The State does not claim compensation for damage caused by crimes committed against protected species. Penalties are at the lower end of the penalty range, sometimes even lower, and do not deter offenders from illegal activity. These are some […]
The SWiPE project organized the past June the EU WLC workshop for experts to review the latest wildlife crime findings and strengthen transnational working relations. Recent EU initiatives highlight the need for better enforcement of laws and enhanced prosecution to tackle wildlife crime, including improved cross-border cooperation. This workshop brought together leading experts in wildlife […]
More than 1200 specimens were affected by this criminal activity, only among protected species. The figure increases significantly when crimes involving unprotected species are taken into account. WWF Romania’s report provides an overview of wildlife crime on a national level, through an assessment of crimes and contraventions, but also of the institutional challenges faced by […]
Control authorities recorded only 2,818 injured wild animals in five years WWF Bulgaria publishes the first-ever study on the scale of wildlife law violations in Bulgaria, based on official information received from relevant institutions. The results show that endangered species enjoy significantly less protection than the so-called economically important species, i.e. those that can be […]
The Criminalistic training module will help all relevant stakeholders, such as rangers, inspectors, police and customs officers, to detect and prevent crimes against wild species as successfully as possible in Croatia. One of the weaknesses identified in previous actions of the SWiPE project is the reduced capacity of stakeholders in the chain of prosecuting crimes […]
The perpetrators have been condemned to up to 6 years of imprisonment and to compensate civil parties, such as WWF Italy, for the significant environmental damages caused WWF Italy, partner of the SWiPE project, welcomes an exemplary ruling issued today in Italy: the Court of Naples has condemned those responsible for the illegal fishing and […]
On the occasion of World Wildlife Day, the association inaugurates the awareness week #STOPCRIMINIDINATURA – #STOPWILDLIFECRIME. The key findings of the report include lack of databases, strict rules, and controls, the fundamental role of animal recovery centres, and Lombardy as the first region for reported offences. Italy is a key crossroads for the trafficking of […]
SWiPE recommendations for the revision on the EU Action Plan Against Wildlife Trafficking (EU WAP) The LIFE SWIPE project welcomes the commitment of the European Commission to revise and improve the EU Action Plan Against Wildlife Trafficking (EU WAP) and contribute to the implementation of the goals of the European Green Deal and the 2030 […]
The European Commission has adopted this week a proposal for a new EU Directive to crack down on environmental crime. The SWiPE project has engaged in the consultation process and considers the revision an important step, given that the evaluation published in October 2020 found that the Directive has not fully met its objectives and […]
SWiPE organized together with the European Bureau for Conservation and Development an online event to discuss opportunities for joint efforts to fight these crimes. The event was presented by MEP Eleonora Evi (Greens/EFA) and included the participation of representatives from relevant institutions as DG JUST (EC), CITES (DG ENV, EC), OCLAESP (French gendarmerie), WWF and […]
The SWiPE LIFE project launches its campaign to draw social and political attention and raise awareness of the true impact of wildlife crimes in Europe. Wildlife crimes, such as illegal killing, poisoning, trapping or illegal trade of species constitute a major threat to many of the planet’s species. In fact, unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade […]
Thursday 14 October 2021, 15:00 – 17:00 CEST Online event hosted by: MEP Eleonora Evi CLICK HERE TO FIND THE RECORDING AND OTHER DOCUMENTS Unprecedented levels of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife have greatly increased high-level political attention around the globe to this issue. The EU’s response to this crisis was in part the […]
WWF Spain launches the campaign Poison Sentinels, a pilot case within the SWiPE project to show the potential of birds equipped with GPS devices to fight poisoning and other wildlife crimes. The illegal use of poisoned baits is a crime that kills animals indiscriminately, seriously threatens biodiversity and involves a hazard to public health. Perpetrators […]