Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries.
Between 2015 and 2024, global authorities seized 370 metric tons of pangolin scales and 193 metric tons of elephant ivory. The latest report from the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted trafficking networks, and that the lull has, surprisingly, endured. Seizures plummeted in 2020 and remain far below pre-pandemic highs, with pangolin seizures down 84% from their 2019 peak and ivory seizures down 94%, reports Mongabay’s Spoorthy Raman.
“The report was motivated by a need to present up-to-date findings,” said Olivia Swaak-Goldman, WJC’s executive director.
Supply chains fractured as crime bosses were grounded by travel bans. Intelligence-led enforcement intensified, and countries like Nigeria and China began prosecuting kingpins.
Still, fewer seizures do not necessarily mean less trafficking. Some experts believe traffickers are relying on hidden stockpiles or shifting tactics to avoid detection.
“It is possible that trafficking is down because the populations have crashed,” said Susan Lieberman of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Pangolins, consumed across West and Central Africa and prized in East Asia for their scales, remain the most trafficked mammals. All eight species are threatened with extinction. Ivory, once the commodity of choice, has lost its luster as prices collapsed after China shuttered its domestic market.
Nigeria remains a central export hub, though Angola and Mozambique are rising nodes in the network. Enforcement is improving — Mozambique convicted two major traffickers this year — but critics warn that prosecutions lag behind seizures.
Changing consumer behavior may prove most crucial.
“We need to change the buying,” Lieberman said. “That’s not just hearts and minds; it’s also laws and regulations.”
Swaak-Goldman sees reason for optimism.
“If the current trajectory continues — with strong law enforcement and international cooperation — it may be possible to not only sustain but build on these gains,” she said.
Recovery, though tentative, is within reach.
Read the full story by Spoorthy Raman here.
Banner image: Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals, poached for their scales. Image by flowcomm via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
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