Emerging technologies - Smarter ways to fight wildlife crime

Technology has altered the trade of wildlife products including ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, exotic birds and live apes. The Internet has boosted trafficking by lowering barriers of entry into criminal markets, facilitating communication and exchange of information, as well as reconfiguring relations among supplies, intermediaries and buyers. However, technology can also offer support to national environment, wildlife and law enforcement agencies. With criminal networks getting more sophisticated than ever, new high-tech approaches are being developed to identify them and bring perpetrators to justice.