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Design for Conservation

Design for Conservation


Automated Monitoring of Illegal Wildlife Trade in Hong Kong

Illegal Wildlife Trade in Hong Kong, Automated notification of potential cases in the judiciary

To help efforts limiting or banning the trade in endangered species, Design for Conservation is hosting an automated notification system that searches Hong Kong's daily court listings for potential wildlife crime related offenses.

Hong Kong's Customs and Excise Department reports a recent increase in the market value of illegal wildlife seizures in Hong Kong totalling HK$ 117 million for the five-year period ending October 2015. They further estimate only a 10% seizure success rate.

The Hong Kong Judiciary's Daily Cause Lists "provide[s] members of the public with information on the schedule of court hearings and related matters" by 18:30 the day preceding these cases. As the listings are difficult to browse, users of this automated monitoring system will be informed via email roughly around the same time with specific cases involving species from CITES Appendix I, II and III, violations of the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, and even potentially related cases involving unmanifested cargo.

To sign up for notifications, please send a request to ashley@designforconservation.org

Visualized below are Hong Kong's 2015 imports of endangered Species. Appendix I species, such as elephant, rhino, and tiger, are shown in Red, while Appendix II and III trades are shown in gray.

Hong Kong Trade in Endangered Species 2015.
Hong Kong Trade in Endangered Species 2015.

As an aside, this map is drawn in the Cahill-Keyes map projection, which displays country areas and shapes more accurately than common web mapping systems. Additionally, older maps showing global trade and financing of environmental programs are included here for comparison:

  • 1) 2010 China Tropical Timber Trade in Rough and Sawn Wood, shown in Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area;
  • 2) Comparison of global NGO biodivesity regions, shown in Waterman; and
  • 3) 2012 Global Distribution of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Programs), shown in Fuller's Dymaxion projection.
2010 China Tropical Timber Trade in Rough and Sawn Wood.
2010 China Tropical Timber Trade in Rough and Sawn Wood.
Global Biodiversity Regions, as declared by Conservation International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Global Biodiversity Regions, as declared by Conservation International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Global Distribution of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Programs), 2012.
Global Distribution of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Programs), 2012.

Posted by: (Design for Conservation)