Poaching and trade in rare animals (1995-2020s)

Poaching and trade in rare animals (1995-2020s)

#### Late 1990s
In 1995, ivory, rhino horn and sea turtle shells were being poached in Southeast Asian countries and traded illegally in Asian markets including Japan and China. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), stressing the importance of an international crackdown, established a monitoring center in Singapore, and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulations were being strengthened. There were also moves to strengthen CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulations.

#### 2000s
In the 2000s, poaching and the rare animal trade expanded further. In China and Vietnam in particular, the demand for traditional medicine made rhino horn and tiger bones the center of the trade, and smuggling volumes skyrocketed. In 2004, for example, rhino horn smuggling from South Africa to Vietnam more than doubled from the previous year.

Meanwhile, demand for exotic pets such as otters and lizards surged in Japan, creating a hotbed for illegal trade. In 2008, legal ivory trade was allowed in China and Japan as a temporary measure under CITES, but this measure was later criticized and led to a total ban on ivory trade in the 2010s. This measure was later criticized and led to a total ban on ivory trade in the 2010s.

International cooperation was also strengthened during this period, with the launch of Interpol's "Operation Cobra" and other interdiction activities. This led to the detection of poaching organizations in Southeast Asia and Africa, but illegal trade remained at a high level.

#### 2010s
In the 2010s, international regulations on ivory and rhino horn trade were tightened, leading to a decline in the volume of trade. However, reptiles, birds, and plants such as cacti and orchids became new targets of illegal trade. In particular, Mexican cacti and rare orchids from Southeast Asia were increasingly traded at high prices.

In addition, China announced a total ban on ivory trade in 2017, which led to calls for tighter ivory trade regulations in Japan as well. Meanwhile, demand for exotic pets increased, and slow loris and reptile smuggling remained a problem in Japan.

#### 2020s
Entering the 2020s, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that approximately 130,000 smuggling seizures were recorded in 162 countries between 2015 and 2021, with more than 4,000 species of plants and animals subject to illegal trade. In Japan, in particular, illegal imports of otters and slow lorises continue, and WWF Japan has pointed out the dangers of the exotic pet trade.

The trade in ivory and rhino horn has declined as a result of international regulations, but new forms of illegal trade have emerged, including online trading and the use of virtual currencies. Poaching continues, particularly in the Congo Basin and Asia's Mekong Basin, against a backdrop of regional economic turmoil, with serious ecological consequences.