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World – Official Newsletter of the Parties Issue 19 Wildlife law enforcement authorities worldwide have been battling Internet-based wildlife trafficking for over a decade. In the late 1990s, special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, first started spotting online sale postings for items that ranged from live tortoises and waterfowl mounts to seal oil pills and frozen tiger cubs. Ever expanding public access to the Web gives almost anyone anywhere the opportunity to be a 'player' in the illegal wildlife trade. The Internet clearly offers many advantages as a vehicle for international commerce and...

World – Official Newsletter of the Parties Issue 19 Illegal wildlife trade is gaining ground on the Internet, as evidenced by the booming popularity of the Internet and the burgeoning number of websites where wildlife goods are offered, often with clearly suspect origins. A wide range of species are available and openly advertised on popular websites around the world, including those derived from ‘high profile’ animal species, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, the tiger and marine turtles (Williamson, 2004; IFAW 2005; Wu, 2007; IFAW 2008). While wildlife law enforcement has made gains in policing physical markets for wildlife, the Internet presents...