Illegal Vulture Trade in South Africa - Green Criminology and Environmental Crime

Running head: Green Criminology and Environmental Crime
Green Criminology and Environmental Crime
-Illegal Vulture Trade in South Africa
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1Green Criminology and Environmental Crime
Green criminology is a branch or type of criminology in which crime against
environment are reported. This crime can be performed by nearby community as well as by
the corporate group that harm the environmental immunity badly. This term was discovered
in 1990s and nowadays are used to register crimes that affect environment badly (Ruggiero
and South 2013). The following case study is on the ongoing illegal trade of vulture parts in
South Africa that is used as traditional medicines and African voudon rituals or ceremonies.
These parts are displayed and sold openly in the markets. The vultures are usually caught
using poison baits which in turn enter the human food chain when consumed (Ogada et al.
2016).
According to the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute
includes an elaborate list of activities which are illicit and considered environmental crimes,
such as wildlife trading, illicit trade of hazardous substances, fishing illegally, without permit
or reporting, smuggling ozone depleting substances, illegal timber trade and logging. These
crimes are considered to have the potential to be a serious and growing concern for global
stability, development and international security (White 2017). Environmental crimes not
only affects the quality of air, water or soil and endangers the survival of other species, and
also lead to environmental disasters, and extinction of species, but also poses a threat to the
safety of a large number of people and challenges the development of new rules and
regulations. The case study here is on illegal trade of wildlife (Johnson 2015).
According to EUROPOL, as of 2011, the estimated annual value for the illegal market
for wildlife between 7.8 to 10 billion USD. This is the third biggest market among all the
other illegal businesses in the world, following illegal drug trafficking and illegal arms
trafficking. Trafficking of wild animals, especially endangered species can jeopardize the
survival of the species and thus threaten the biodiversity (Van Uhm 2016). Illegal trading of
animals is a global phenomenon, and the animal parts of rare, endangered and even critically

2Green Criminology and Environmental Crime
endangered species are sold in these illegal markets. These parts are bought for various
purposes, such as ornamentation, traditional medicines, ceremonies or rituals. In Africa, a
wide network of illegal trade for vulture exists (Duffy et al. 2016; Cooney et al. 2016).
The trade involves poaching, trafficking and sale of vultures or their parts, which are
used as bush meat, traditional medicine or for traditional customs or rituals. Even apart from
the wildlife trade, the vultures are also killed by poachers in Africa, as the sight of vultures
can alert the authorities of a carcass. The vultures are mainly killed by poisoning their food
which is done using agrochemicals in their food or trapping and is the cause of 90% of the
deaths of vultures. In East Africa, particularly in Kenya and Tanzania, vultures are traded
mainly for bush meat causing the capture and death of thousands of vulture every year. In
West Africa, the vulture population has declined significantly in Somalia, where vultures are
both consumed as bush meat and also used for traditional medicines and rituals. In Central
Africa the demand for vulture as bush meat is on the rise, and has resulted in significant
decline in the vulture population in this region. In South Africa vultures are sold as forms of
traditional medicines or to be used in rituals or ceremonies (Ogada et al. 2016).
The traditional use of vulture parts as medications or to be used in traditional rituals
or ceremonies is based upon the keen senses of the vulture. According to traditional beliefs,
using vulture parts as medications or in rituals, one can attain special abilities such
clairvoyance, improve luck, increase intelligence, and give foresight. These are mostly used
by business people for success and prescribed by traditional healers for different ailments,
such as headaches. Many of such practices are widespread in South Africa, and thus support
the rapid growth in the demand for Vulture parts. These vultures are mostly hunted by
poisoning, and sometimes using shotguns or traps (Williams and Whiting 2016).