FloraGuard: ItTacking the illegal trade in endangered plants

FloraGuard：打击濒危植物的非法贸易

• 批准号: ES/R003254/1
• 负责人: Anita Lavorgna
• 金额: $ 30.63万
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FR003254%2F1
• 关键词: FloraGuard; ItTacking; illegal; trade; endangered

Over the last 60 years, commerce in exotic wild plants increased in Western countries (Sajeva et al 2007). Alongside the legal trade in plants, the profitability of the market also boosted illegal markets. Wild plant crimes have long been a focus of concern mainly in conservation science. In criminology, while the illegal trade in wild animals (and animal parts eg ivory) is receiving increasing attention, the illegal trade in plants has so far been under-investigated. However, wild plant trafficking threatens and destroys numerous species and important natural resources (Herbig & Joubert 2006) and hinders the rule of law and security as profits are also used to finance other forms of trafficking (WWF 2016). The Internet has increased the illegal trade in wild plants, facilitating the encounter of supply and demand; no matter how highly specialised the market in certain wild plants, it is much easier to find potential buyers or sellers online than in the physical world (Lavorgna 2014a). There is consensus that the policing of such a criminal activity is still scarce and poorly resourced (Nurse 2011; Elliot 2012; Lavorgna 2014a; Lemieux 2014; Runhovde 2016). A major challenge is the fact that law enforcement agencies have limited training opportunities and lack of equipment and specific expertise to counter effectively this illegal trade (CITES2016). In this context, the question of how can we best control and prevent this criminal market needs to be addressed.The proposed project combines innovative and cross-disciplinary ways of analysing online marketplaces for the illegal trade in endangered plants and analyses of existing policing practices to assist law enforcement in the detection and investigation of illegal trades of endangered plants. It focuses on the UK, which serves as a major transit and destination market for the European region (EU Commission2016).The result of this research will be of significant importance for the work of law enforcement (eg national wildlife crime units, custom officers) in combating the illegal trade in endangered plants (in both its online and offline elements), disrupt criminal networks involved in such trade, and preserve biodiversity. In line with the latest WWF position paper (WWF 2016), the project fosters the improvement of awareness and technical capacity in investigation and prosecution services for wildlife crimes. The proposed approach will identify and disseminate best practice for other researchers and law enforcement officers with an interest in online crime markets and wildlife policing; in addition, it will improve our understanding of the online marketplaces and the offline market routes for the trafficking of endangered plants into Western countries, supporting new avenues of investigation. By integrating insights and expertise from criminology, computer sciences and conservation science, the proposed project has also important implications for demonstrating interdisciplinary methodological developments.The research is structured around three cumulative work-packages (WP). WP1 comprises analysis of economic, social and geographical dynamics of a sample of online marketplaces active in the UK and associated with the illegal trade of endangered plants. WP2 focuses on the policing of this criminal activity by mapping current law enforcement practices and interventions, assessing their effectiveness in the light of the findings of WP1, and identifying law enforcement's needs for more effective policing. WP3 develops and tests a digital package of resources to assist law enforcement investigations into illegal trades of endangered plants in the UK. In doing so, it promotes engagement and effective communication with a non-academic audience (law enforcement, NGOs, botanic gardens, international institutions). The Royal Botanic Garden (Kew, the scientific authority for CITES plant trade in the UK) and the UK Border Force are formal non-academic partners to this project.

在过去的60年里，西方国家的外来野生植物贸易有所增加（Sajeva等人，2007年）。除了法律的植物贸易外，市场的利润也促进了非法市场的发展。野生植物犯罪一直是保护科学界关注的焦点。在犯罪学中，虽然野生动物（和动物部分，如象牙）的非法贸易越来越受到关注，但植物的非法贸易迄今为止尚未得到充分调查。然而，野生植物贩运威胁并摧毁了许多物种和重要的自然资源（Herbig & Joubert 2006），并阻碍了法治和安全，因为利润也被用于资助其他形式的贩运（WWF 2016）。互联网增加了野生植物的非法贸易，促进了供需的相遇;无论某些野生植物的市场多么专业化，在网上找到潜在的买家或卖家比在现实世界中容易得多（Lavorgna 2014 a）。人们一致认为，对这种犯罪活动的监管仍然很少，资源也很少（Nurse 2011; Elliot 2012; Lavorgna 2014 a; Lemieux 2014; Runhovde 2016）。一个主要挑战是执法机构的培训机会有限，缺乏有效打击这种非法贸易的设备和专门知识（CITES 2016）。在这方面，我们需要解决如何最好地控制和预防这一犯罪市场的问题，拟议的项目结合了创新和跨学科的方法，分析网上濒危植物非法贸易市场，并分析现有的警务做法，以协助执法部门发现和调查濒危植物的非法贸易。它的重点是英国，作为欧洲地区的主要中转和目的地市场（欧盟委员会2016）。这项研究的结果将对执法工作具有重要意义（如国家野生动物犯罪部门、海关官员）打击濒危植物非法贸易（包括在线和离线元素），破坏参与此类贸易的犯罪网络，并保护生物多样性。根据世界自然基金会最新的立场文件（WWF 2016），该项目促进提高野生动物犯罪调查和起诉服务的意识和技术能力。拟议的方法将为其他对在线犯罪市场和野生动物监管感兴趣的研究人员和执法人员确定和传播最佳做法;此外，它将提高我们对向西方国家贩运濒危植物的在线市场和离线市场路线的理解，支持新的调查途径。通过整合来自犯罪学、计算机科学和保护科学的见解和专业知识，拟议的项目对展示跨学科方法的发展也具有重要意义。研究围绕三个累积工作包（WP）展开。WP 1包括对英国活跃的在线市场样本的经济、社会和地理动态的分析，这些市场与濒危植物的非法贸易有关。第二工作方案侧重于对这一犯罪活动的监管，具体做法是对目前的执法做法和干预措施进行摸底，根据第一工作方案的调查结果评估这些做法和干预措施的有效性，并确定执法部门对更有效监管的需求。WP 3开发并测试了一套数字资源包，以协助执法部门调查英国濒危植物的非法贸易。在此过程中，它促进了与非学术受众（执法部门、非政府组织、植物园、国际机构）的接触和有效沟通。皇家植物园（基尤，英国濒危物种贸易公约植物贸易的科学权威）和英国边境部队是该项目的正式非学术合作伙伴。

项目成果

From horticulture to psychonautics: an analysis of online communities discussing and trading plants with psychotropic properties

从园艺到心理航海：对讨论和交易具有精神治疗特性的植物的在线社区的分析

• DOI: 10.1007/s12117-020-09389-5
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Trends in Organized Crime
• 影响因子: 1.7
• 作者: Lavorgna A

Studying Illegal Online Trades in Plants: Market Characteristics, Organisational and Behavioural Aspects, and Policing Challenges

研究植物非法在线交易：市场特征、组织和行为方面以及监管挑战

• DOI: 10.1007/s10610-020-09447-2
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research
• 影响因子: 1.7
• 作者: Lavorgna A

Illegal plant trafficking poses niche challenge to law enforcement.

非法植物贩运给执法带来了利基挑战。

• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Anita

FloraGuard. Tackling the illegal trade in endangered plants. Policy Brief.

弗洛拉卫士。

• 发表时间: 2020
• 作者: Lavorgna A

FloraGuard: Tackling the Online Illegal Trade in Endangered Plants Through a Cross-Disciplinary ICT-Enabled Methodology

FloraGuard：通过跨学科的 ICT 方法解决濒危植物的在线非法贸易

• DOI: 10.1177/1043986220910297
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice
• 影响因子: 2
• 作者: Lavorgna A