EU seeks wildlife trafficking crackdown

The EU is exploring ways to clamp down on illegal wildlife trafficking.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how curb activity such as illegal ivory trade.

Janez Potoċnik, EU Commissioner for environment, said: “We are not talking about tourists bringing home endangered corrals in their suitcases, we are talking about a multi-billion euro illegal business with international criminal networks using and methods we know from trafficking in drugs, trafficking in fire arms and human beings.”

The EU has strict rules for trading in endangered species and supports developing countries in their fight against trafficking.

Nonetheless, wildlife crime prosecutions are still rare, the commission sai