Dirty Land, Unadjudicated Shadows - Environmental Crime in Contemporary Japan (2020-2024)
Environmental crimes are on the rise in Japan, with illegal dumping of industrial waste and illegal trade in wild animals and plants becoming more serious. 6649 environmental crime arrests were made in 2020, up from 6189 the previous year. In particular, there were many complaints about illegal dumping of industrial waste, with 9018 of the 20,867 pollution complaints in FY2022 being related to waste dumping. Illegal dumping techniques have become more sophisticated, and people tend to target areas in the mountains and along the coasts, where it is difficult to be seen. Municipalities are installing surveillance cameras and stepping up crackdowns, but there is no end to the number of illegal dumpers exploiting the gaps in the regulations.
Illegal trade in wild animals and plants also continues, with reports of smuggling in violation of the Washington Convention. In particular, rare birds, reptiles, and juvenile eels (baby eels) have become targets of high value trafficking, and although no cases of illegal trade in wild animals or plants were arrested as money laundering in the 2021 survey, there are concerns about the link to organized crime.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the Ministry of the Environment have strengthened their surveillance systems and are working with local governments to tighten patrols and penalties. However, environmental crimes cannot be prevented simply by strengthening crackdowns, and further reinforcement of laws and regulations as well as greater environmental awareness among businesses and citizens are required.
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