Shark fins on a plane, seahorses in your bag, and sea cucumbers in the post — these are just a few examples of illegal marine wildlife trafficking.
This crime can be hard to detect. But in a new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability, we show how artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed as a complementary detection tool to help stop marine wildlife trafficking at international airports and mail facilities.
A global crime
The cross-border trade in live animals, animal parts, or products is a global crime, facilitating the flow of billions of illicit dollars each year. It’s known to converge with other criminal activity, including the trafficking in drugs, arms, and humans.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime identifies five sources of demand for wildlife trafficking: food, medicine, pets and ornamental plants, specialist collection, and adornment.
In some cases, such as pet prestige, people are motivated both by the desire to have a pet and the perceived status it brings to own an exotic animal.
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