In the 1990s, a single moratorium announcement wiped out an entire industry, leaving 37,000 people unemployed overnight. The ecological collapse of the Canadian Grand Banks Cod Fisheries is the most famous historical example of a collapse in fish stocks due to overfishing. Not only were cod stocks severely depleted, it was the largest layoff of […]
Tag: illegal trade

Rare bird spotted in Ohio for potentially the first time
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A rare bird was spotted in Ohio, being documented in the Buckeye State for potentially the very first time. The Ohio Division of Wildlife shared photos on social media of a lazuli bunting officials say was spotted in Meigs County, about three hours from Pittsburgh. “This is very likely the first documented […]

Leopards Each Have Their Own Unique Roar, Study Finds
Each leopard can be identified by their own unique roar, the first large-scale study of its kind has found. Using a combination of camera traps and recordings, the research team was able to identify the vocalizations of individual leopards with 93.1 percent accuracy, a press release from University of Exeter said. “Discovering that leopards have […]

No signs of slowdown in wildlife trafficking in 2024 as demand persists
Wildlife trafficking remains a pressing threat to the survival of countless species, with sharks, pangolins, rhinos, birds, big cats and others among the hardest hit. Mongabay‘s extensive reporting aligns with the 2024 U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) World Wildlife Crime Report, which highlights these species as prime targets of a $20 billion per […]

Thousands of birds seized in massive Indonesian bird-trafficking bust
Authorities in Indonesia have rescued more than 6,500 wild birds being trafficked from the island of Sumatra and destined for Java, in what’s been hailed as the single largest seizure of its kind in the country’s modern history. Quarantine authorities at the port of Bakauheni in Lampung province, the main crossing point from Sumatra to […]

China’s plans to trace wildlife trade risks inflaming trafficking, critics warn
Chinese authorities are considering changes to wildlife trade regulations that govern the live trade in 18 parrot and reptile species, several of which are gravely threatened by poaching and illegal trade. The proposals involve the implementation of a “special marking system” of ID tags on bird leg rings or microchips inserted in reptiles to enable […]

Woman Faces Prison for Attempting to Smuggle Turtles Across Lake to Canada
A woman was caught attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles from the United States to Canada, hiding the protected reptiles inside socks in a duffle bag. Wan Yee Ng, who was arrested in Vermont in June, was preparing to paddle across Lake Wallace in an inflatable kayak when authorities apprehended her. She has since […]

Man Involved in Eagle Trafficking Faces Sentencing
A man involved in a massive wildlife trafficking operation that led to the deaths of at least 118 eagles is set to face sentencing in federal court. Travis John Branson, from Cusick, Washington, was part of a long-running scheme that trafficked eagle parts on the black market. The ring, which operated in Montana’s Flathead Indian […]