Poaching and Rare Animal Trade - Southeast Asia 1995-2020s

Poaching and Rare Animal Trade - Southeast Asia 1995-2020s

After 1995, ivory, rhino horn, and sea turtle shells became the target of poaching in Southeast Asia and were traded illegally in Japan and China; in the 2000s, poaching and smuggling expanded in China and Vietnam as demand for traditional medicine increased. In the 2010s, international restrictions on ivory and rhino horn trade were tightened, while reptiles and plants became new targets. smuggling was seized, indicating that more than 4,000 species of plants and animals were subject to illegal trade. Illegal trade takes place online and through virtual currencies, with serious ecological consequences.