Supply and demand: regulation and the trade in illegal wildlife

The illegal wildlife trade is a lucrative transnational crime involving extensive ecological destruction, species decline, government corruption and human dislocation. It is an expanding and exploitative industry and a growing threat to the survival of endangered species of internationally protected flora and fauna. Moreover, it is often facilitated by corrupt officials, inadequate regulations, increasing market demands, and organized criminal enterprises motivated by substantial profits. This article examines illegal wildlife trade through a green criminological lens and draws on both treadmill of production theory and the Anthropogenic Allee Effect. In doing so, it critically examines the regulatory policies and practices of the Australian Government, a reported world leader in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.