TY - JOUR
T1 - International Wildlife Trafficking
T2 - A perspective on the challenges and potential forensic genetics solutions
AU - Smart, Utpal
AU - Cihlar, Jennifer Churchill
AU - Budowle, Bruce
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by internal funds.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - International wildlife trafficking (IWT) is a thriving and pervasive illegal enterprise that adversely affects modern societies. Yet, despite being globally recognized as a threat to biodiversity, national security, economy, and biosecurity, IWT remains largely unabated and is proliferating at an alarming rate. The increase in IWT is generally attributed to a lack of prioritization to curb wildlife crime through legal and scientific infrastructure. This review: (1) lays out the damaging scope and influence of IWT; (2) discusses the potential of DNA marker systems, barcodes, and emerging molecular technologies, such as long-read portable sequencing, to facilitate rapid, in situ identification of species and individuals; and (3) encourages initiatives that promote quality and innovation. Interdisciplinary collaboration promises to be one of the most effective ways forward to surmounting the complex scientific and legal challenges posed by IWT.
AB - International wildlife trafficking (IWT) is a thriving and pervasive illegal enterprise that adversely affects modern societies. Yet, despite being globally recognized as a threat to biodiversity, national security, economy, and biosecurity, IWT remains largely unabated and is proliferating at an alarming rate. The increase in IWT is generally attributed to a lack of prioritization to curb wildlife crime through legal and scientific infrastructure. This review: (1) lays out the damaging scope and influence of IWT; (2) discusses the potential of DNA marker systems, barcodes, and emerging molecular technologies, such as long-read portable sequencing, to facilitate rapid, in situ identification of species and individuals; and (3) encourages initiatives that promote quality and innovation. Interdisciplinary collaboration promises to be one of the most effective ways forward to surmounting the complex scientific and legal challenges posed by IWT.
KW - CITES
KW - Genetic markers
KW - IUCN
KW - Massively parallel sequencing
KW - Portable sequencing technology
KW - United Nations
KW - Wildlife forensic genetics
KW - Wildlife trafficking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107779870&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102551
DO - 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102551
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34134047
AN - SCOPUS:85107779870
SN - 1872-4973
VL - 54
JO - Forensic Science International: Genetics
JF - Forensic Science International: Genetics
M1 - 102551
ER -