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15 cases of wildlife crime involving tigers were reported last year
Yangel Laden
The Department of Forestry and Parks Services (DoFPS) of the Philippines recorded 15 cases of wildlife crime involving tigers last year, linked to the illegal trade in tiger bones and skins.
Among them, eight suspects are serving sentences ranging from one to five years, and seven cases are under review for prosecution.
In 2021, 16 criminals were recorded for cases involving tiger bones and skins, with sentences ranging from one to five years. According to the DoFPS, no illegal wildlife cases were recorded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under Section 490 of the Bhutan Penal Code of 2004, it is illegal to hunt, kill, capture or collect any protected wild animal or plant species.
The tiger is one of Bhutan’s flagship species and is listed as a fully protected species under the Bhutan Forest and Nature Conservation Rules and Regulations 2017. Any crime against these protected species is classified as a fourth-degree felony under the Penal Code.
The increase in wildlife crime is not limited to tigers. DoFPS records show that wildlife crime has steadily increased since 2021, with 1,318 crimes reported last year, compared to 1,284 in 2022, 1,264 in 2021 and 1,917 in 2020.
The most common violations between 2020 and 2023 were illegal logging of timber, illegal logging of non-wood forest products and illegal fishing.
During the same period, the DoFPS collected more than NT$133 million in fines for wildlife crime. Illegal timber harvesting alone accounted for NT$94 million, followed by aquaculture and fisheries offences at NT$6.7 million, and timber misuse at NT$3 million.
Other fines included N2.1 million for illegal non-wood forest products, N1.9 million for wildlife and poaching, and N5.3 million for land-related offences.
A Wildlife Conservation Department official said wildlife crime, including poaching and illegal trafficking, has far-reaching impacts on the ecosystem and the country as a whole. “Wildlife crime leads to severe loss of biodiversity, overexploitation threatens ecosystem functions, creates the risk of endangered species extinction and the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading to humans,” he said.
According to the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report (WWCR), poaching, trafficking and the use of tiger bones for medicinal purposes in Asia remain significant problems globally, with the illegal trade also affecting jaguars and lions.
Wildlife crime is one of the most profitable crimes in the world, with well-organized criminal networks and a high degree of internationalization. The high returns, low risks and low investment required by criminals in the illegal wildlife trade are the reasons why people commit wildlife crime.
WWCR said that while gaps remain in the full understanding of wildlife trafficking and related crimes, there is enough evidence to suggest that it remains a major global problem that is far from solved.
WWCR calls for policy interventions to combat wildlife crime, including community engagement, investigation follow-up, corruption control, prosecutorial support, consumer demand reduction and inter-agency collaboration.
In Bhutan, the wildlife protection and police departments have adopted a comprehensive strategy to combat wildlife crime, including capacity building for frontline officers, collaboration with government and non-governmental organizations, and the use of technologies such as drones for monitoring.
Additionally, the National Wildlife Crime Control Board and the National Zero Poaching Strategy also play a vital role in these efforts.
“We work within a strict legal framework and conduct extensive anti-poaching patrols in hotspots, aiming to address poaching, illegal wildlife trade and human-wildlife conflict, ensure sustainable conservation measures and adhere to international commitments and conventions,” said an official from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation.
Conservation efforts have led to a significant increase in the country’s wild tiger population, which increased dramatically from 103 in 2015 to 131 in 2023. However, this success has also brought challenges, with 580 incidents of human-tiger conflict reported between 2020 and 2024.
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