An Interpol report commissioned to provide a “snapshot” of Internet-based ivory trafficking in the European Union uncovered over $1.8 million worth of goods in a two-week period, according to an Interpol press release. The investigation, code-named Project Web, focused on national auction sites in 10 European nations and identified 660 items estimated to contain approximately 4,500kg of ivory. Project Web has led to six national and three international investigations, according to Interpol.
Ivory is the most-traded wildlife product over the Web, according to studies by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which described that battle against Internet-based ivory trafficking as “still in its infancy, and present(ing) new challenges”. Key laws concerning ivory trafficking were written before the advent of the Internet, and loopholes in these laws, including the cornerstone 1973 Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), allow opportunistic traffickers to thrive.
While CITES requires the use of import and export licensing to determine the legality of ivory goods, these systems have not been adapted for the Internet age. In practice, the report concludes, this means that online sellers have “no obligation” to prove on the Internet that the ivory being sold adheres to existing legislation. The seller also has no responsibility to inform a buyer of relevant legislation, nor does the auction website have any responsibility to comply with ivory trade laws. This means that a legal and an illegal ivory ad can be side-by-side on a website, which has made policing Internet advertisements an almost impossible task.
The Interpol report offered a number of recommendations to help strengthen policing of Web-based trafficking, the most significant of which was the expansion of e-commerce legislation, including an e-permitting system. The report also recommends stricter legal requirements for the online ivory trade, including a requirement for sellers to link to certificates and permits, and greater responsibilities for website owners with regard to removing advertisements failing to comply with the proposed e-commerce guidelines.