#wildlife-trafficking

What happened: In a letter in Science, researchers led by Juan José Alava of Simon Fraser University urge Ecuador to audit airport checks and break up smuggling networks targeting Galápagos marine iguanas, Mongabay reports. In August, authorities in Quito caught a Russian woman with 32 live iguanas packed in eight plastic boxes headed for Iceland; in May, three Thai nationals were arrested with 12. Nearly 50 have been seized this year.

Why it matters: The marine iguana is the only lizard that swims in the sea and eats algae; trafficking piles onto climate change, plastic and pollution pressures.

How much agreement is there? Broad agreement that the trade is harmful and illegal (the species went on CITES Appendix I in 2025). Open questions are how big it is, since more seizures may mean better enforcement or more smuggling, and whether corruption at airports plays a role, which the authors suspect.

Could someone help? Never buy wild-caught reptiles or 'captive-bred' endemics of doubtful origin; the authors also ask CITES countries to close the loophole that lets offspring of smuggled animals be sold legally.

What happened: Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime approved a resolution on Oct. 23 to begin drafting the first international protocol on environmental crime, covering wildlife trafficking, illegal deforestation and illicit waste smuggling. The proposal, from 12 countries in Latin America and Africa led by Brazil, passed 83 to 12 with 27 abstentions. Drafting is expected to take two years.

Why it matters: Environmental crime is valued at up to $281 billion a year and is often run by international syndicates, the LA Times reports. Countries define and punish these offences differently, which makes cross-border cases hard to prosecute.

How much agreement is there? Some disagreement. Conservation groups such as the Wildlife Conservation Society and Born Free call it a landmark, but 12 countries voted no and 27 abstained, and the protocol still has to be negotiated.

Could someone help? Wildlife groups will be following the negotiations, and anyone can avoid buying exotic pets or wildlife products of unknown origin.