Mapping environmental crime to characterize human impacts on islands: an applied and methodological research in Canary Islands.

Environmental crimes are a global issue due to the damage they cause to landscapes and ecosystems. This study focused on characterizing environmental crimes in the Canary Islands (Spain). Four categories of environmental crimes related to construction, mining and tilling, solid waste, and liquid waste) were defined and analysed. A total of 28 databases were generated, corresponding to each of the 7 major islands and each environmental crime typology. Each database was linked to information on land use and the socioeconomic and physical characteristics of the territory. For each database, firstly a descriptive statistical analysis was conducted, followed by the generation of a regularized Random Forest model with the aim of identifying characteristics that may be related to the location of environmental crimes. The results showed that, in most cases, proximity to residential accommodations, agricultural areas and industrial zones act as the main explanatory features of the distribution of environmental crimes. Furthermore, a marked pattern of concentration of environmental crimes in the coastal belt of the islands was observed, mainly associated with urban-tourist development since the 1960s and 1970s.

Bystanders' reactions to animal abuse in relation to psychopathy, empathy with people and empathy with nature.

Social and academic interest in animal abuse has recently increased thanks to greater awareness of the importance of biodiversity in promoting sustainability. The redefinition of human-animal relationships, in the context of the fight against speciesism and the defense of veganism, has also contributed to this greater attention. Moreover, public awareness of animal rights has strengthened social reactions to violence against animals, though there are still some social sectors that are indifferent to these changes. Thus, better knowledge of the psychological mechanisms underlying reactions to animal abuse could contribute to better informal, social control of such abuse. The main aim of this study is to analyze the relationships between psychopathy, empathy with people, and empathy with nature arising from people's reactions to protected and domestic animal abuse and illegal dumping. Also, as previous studies have shown differences between men and women, both in animal abuse and in personality traits, thus gender is taken into account when analyzing these relationships. A total of 409 people, resident in a highly environmentally protected territory, participated in this study. They were aged between 18 and 82 years old and 49.9% women. Participants were asked about assigned punishments, as well as the probability of intervening personally and/or calling the police, in relation to ten scenarios, based on press releases, describing one of three types of transgression of environmental laws: abuse of protected animals, abuse of domestic animals or illegal dumping. They also responded to Spanish adaptations of the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits, the Basic Empathy Scale, the Dispositional Empathy with Nature Scale, and the Social Desirability Scale. Each participant was randomly given ten scenarios corresponding to just one transgression type but all the personality scales. Results show that people's reactions were greater for abuse of domestic than protected animals or for illegal dumping, irrespective of gender. Empathy with nature was related to the reaction against animal abuse more than empathy with people and psychopathy. Results are discussed highlighting the need for future research into similarities and differences between animal abuse and other types of environmental offences, which have many victims but no single being suffering.

The current status of environmental forensic science in the member institutes of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI).

The paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey carried out by The Forensic laboratory of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-FL), aiming to get an overview of the current status of environmental forensic science (EFS) and environmental crimes investigation in the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI). A questionnaire was sent out to 71 ENFSI member institutes and the response rate was 44%. The results of the survey indicate that the issue of environmental crime is taken seriously in most participating countries, but a need for improvement in the approach to the issue was identified. Countries define environmental crime differently and have different law structures regarding what kind of actions are considered environmental crimes. The most frequently mentioned actions were waste dumping, pollution, inappropriate handling of chemicals and hazardous waste, oil spills, illicit excavation and wildlife crime and trading.The different roles of the authorities involved in the investigative process seem to be somewhat unclear in several countries. Most institutes participated on some level in the forensic processes related to environmental crime cases. The most common tasks performed in forensic institutes were the analysis of environmental samples and interpretation of the results. Only three institutes had case coordination services related to EFS. Participation in sample collection was rare but a clear developmental need was identified. A majority of the respondents acknowledged a need for increased scientific collaboration and education in the field of EFS.

Research on the Environmental Philosophy of China's Environmental Crime Legislation from the Perspective of Ecological Civilization Construction.

Modern environmental philosophy is a new type of philosophy for humans re-examining the relationship between man and nature and provides the value guidance for modern environmental law. China's environmental crime legislation has gone through the exploration period, establishment period, and optimization period. The environmental philosophy behind this is worth discussing and determines the direction China will take environmental crime in the future and whether China's environmental strategy can really be implemented. At present, the disputes about the environmental philosophy of environmental crime in China are mainly reflected in the contention between anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and eco-anthropocentrism. There are radical risks of pure human centrism or pure ecological centrism, and these two theories struggle to serve as a value basis for environmental crime legislation. Although eco-anthropocentrism seems to be comprehensive, it is actually ambiguous, and it is still difficult to deal with the conflict between people and nature. In recent years, China has continuously emphasized the construction of ecological civilization construction and written this into the constitution. Therefore, in the environmental philosophy issues of environmental crimes in China, we should consider absorbing the advantages of anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and eco-anthropocentrism, while taking the original Chinese ecological civilization philosophy as the value foundation.

Economic pressures of Covid-19 lockdowns result in increased timber extraction within a critically endangered region: A case study from the Pacific Forest of Ecuador.

Although the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 had some environmental benefits, the pandemic's impact on the global economy has also had conservation repercussions, especially in biodiverse nations. Ecuador, which is heavily reliant on petroleum, agricultural exports, and ecotourism, experienced a rise in poverty in response to pandemic shutdowns. In this study, we sought to quantify levels of illegal timber extraction and poaching before and after the start of COVID-19 lockdowns throughout two protected areas (Reserva Jama Coaque [JCR] and Bosque Seco Lalo Loor [BSLL]) in the endangered Pacific Forest of Ecuador. We analyzed chainsaw and gunshot acoustic data recorded from devices installed in the forest canopy from December 2019 to March 2020 and October 2020 to March 2021. Results from generalized linear mixed effects models indicated less chainsaw activity before lockdowns (ßpost.lockdown = 0.568 ± 0.266 SE, p-value = .030), although increased average rainfall also seemed to negatively affect chainsaw activity (ßavg.rainfall = -0.002 ± 0.0006 SE, p-value = .003). Gunshots were too infrequent to conduct statistical models; however, 87% of gunshots were detected during the 'lockdown' period. Observational data collected by rangers from these protected areas also noted an increase in poaching activities beginning mid to late 2020 and persisting into 2021. These results add to the steadily growing literature indicating an increase in environmental crime, particularly in biodiverse nations, catalyzed by COVID-19-related economic hardships. Identifying areas where environmental crime increased during pandemic lockdowns is vital to address both socioeconomic drivers and enforcement deficiencies to prevent further biodiversity loss and disease outbreaks and to promote ecosystem resilience. Our study also demonstrates the utility of passive acoustic monitoring to detect illegal resource extraction patterns, which can inform strategies such as game theory modeling for ranger patrol circuits and placement of real-time acoustic detection technologies to monitor and mitigate environmental crimes.

Open-source intelligence for conservation biology.

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) evolved in spy agencies but now is rapidly changing many fields of study, from anthropology to zoology. Despite the fact that OSINT occasionally is used in conservation biology, there is little recognition that some tools and frameworks used by conservation professionals are drawn from this well-established field. In conservation biology, OSINT is sometimes used to evaluate wildlife crime, human-wildlife and human-environment interactions, animal behavior, and questions of distribution and abundance. Recognizing the conceptual foundations of the field would allow expansion of conservation biology, not only in the areas noted above, but also, for example, in study of habitat use, habitat change, and animal behavior. This recognition would also provide frameworks for conceptual advancement, especially in terms of data and privacy management. Failure to recognize the underpinnings of OSINT tools in conservation biology harms the field because it limits how research is framed, thought about, and implemented. Likewise, taking an OSINT perspective to conservation problems, rather than simply thinking in terms of big data, can enrich the field, expand science, and increase knowledge and understanding of biology and biodiversity.

La inteligencia de fuente abierta (INTFA) surgió en las agencias de espionaje y en la actualidad está modificando rápidamente muchos campos de estudio, desde la antropología hasta la zoología. A pesar de que se usa ocasionalmente en la biología de la conservación, pocos reconocen que algunas herramientas y marcos de trabajo usados por los profesionales de la conservación tienen su origen en este campo tan bien establecido. En la biología de la conservación, la INTFA a veces se usa para evaluar crímenes contra la fauna, las interacciones humano-fauna y humano ambiente, el comportamiento animal y las cuestiones de distribución y abundancia. Si se reconocen los fundamentos conceptuales del campo, se podría expandir la biología de la conservación, no sólo en los temas antes mencionados, sino también en los estudios del uso de hábitat, el cambio de hábitat y el comportamiento animal, por ejemplo. Este reconocimiento también proporcionaría marcos de trabajo para el desarrollo conceptual, especialmente en términos de datos y manejo de la privacidad. Si no se reconoce la INTFA subyacente en las herramientas de la biología de la conservación, se le causa daño al campo de estudio porque limita cómo se enmarca, se piensa y se implementa la investigación. De igual manera, adoptar una perspectiva de INTFA para los problemas de la conservación, en lugar de sólo pensar en términos de los macrodatos, puede enriquecer el campo de investigación, expandir la ciencia e incrementar el conocimiento y entendimiento de la biología y la biodiversidad.

Awareness of environmental legislation as a deterrent for wildlife crime: A case with Masaai pastoralists, poison use and the Kenya Wildlife Act.

Illegal wildlife crime is a global phenomenon, accelerating the ongoing biodiversity crisis. In the Old World, and particularly in Africa, illegal use of poisons to eliminate carnivores is the main driver of the continental vulture crisis. Knowledge about the underlying source and drivers of this threat is lacking for most areas, including Kenya, a global vulture and biodiversity hotspot. An extensive questionnaire survey of over 1300 respondents was run, using a specialized questioning technique and quantitative analytical approaches. Results show that, while pastoralists have a positive attitude towards vultures, over 20% of them use poisons to eliminate predators. Poisoning was largely driven by livestock losses to predators, and by negative attitude towards predators. Poisoning was less prevalent among respondents aware of the Kenya Wildlife Act. Overall, we suggest that a combination of top-down, e.g. legislation, and bottom-up (such as corrals or compensation) along with awareness campaigns may help reduce poisoning on the ground.

Illegal wildlife trade and other organised crime: A scoping review.

The global illegal wildlife trade has been anecdotally linked to other serious crimes, such as fraud, corruption, and money laundering, as well as the cross-border trafficking of drugs, arms, counterfeit goods, and persons. As research on this topic is scarce and sporadic, we conducted a scoping literature review to gather information across multiple disciplines and evidence types on crime convergences in the illegal wildlife trade. We reviewed 150 papers published between 2000 and 2020. We found that the illegal trade in many of the most frequently trafficked species have reportedly converged with numerous other serious and organised crimes, most commonly drug trafficking. Convergences can occur in a variety of ways, although the diversification of organised crime groups, parallel trafficking of contraband, and use of enabling crimes (such as corruption and violence) were the most frequently described. Possible explanations for our results and future research directions are discussed.

Immunity to Environmental Crime, Harm and Violence: An Ongoing Pandemic and a Possible Narrative Vaccine.

As of June 2020, there have been at least 2,540 mass shootings since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT, on December 14, 2012. Some have suggested that the repeated trauma of these massacres has created a collective "emotional numbness," lessening our empathy. This article asks whether a similar phenomenon is occurring with respect to environmental crime and harm. It considers whether we have developed "compassion fatigue" regarding environmental violence and contemplates a "workout regimen" for empathy for Gaia's suffering. In so doing, it seeks to engage with emerging work in the penumbra of narrative criminology and green cultural criminology.

Contemporary Perspectives on Environmental Enforcement.

Green criminology allows for the study of environmental and criminal laws, environmental criminality which includes widespread environmental harm, and the abuse and exploitation of nonhuman animals. Yet many environmental crimes are not the core focus of criminal justice systems or public concern about crime and safety despite having the potential to cause far wider social harm and a large number of deaths. Instead much environmental enforcement is regulatory or administrative in nature, particularly in respect of corporate environmental wrongdoing, which is often categorized as accidental wrongdoing, largely considered to be the fault of "rogue" employees or the unintended consequences of governance failures. Unlike traditional street and property crimes, environmental crimes (and environmental harms) frequently have long-lasting and irreversible effects. This raises questions about the effectiveness of justice systems in dealing with environmental offenders and the damage they cause. This paper explores the effectiveness of contemporary environmental enforcement mechanisms. In particular, the paper explores the extent to which they such mechanism are equipped to deal with corporate environmental offending which in many cases is a consequence of the operation of neoliberal markets. This paper examines whether the drive for profits and anthropocentric attitudes toward the environment and exploitation of natural resources create a situation where corporate environmental crime is a foreseeable and even natural/inevitable consequence. Where that is the case and where corporations have the resources to continue paying fines and the expertise to navigate regulatory justice systems, an alternative to the law enforcement "detection apprehension and punishment" approach might be required.

Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources.

The illegal harvest of marine species within exclusive economic zones can have a strong impact on the function of local ecosystems and livelihoods of coastal communities. The complexity of these problems is often overlooked in the development of solutions, leading to ineffective and sometimes harmful social and environmental outcomes. One-dimensional, oversimplified perspectives can lead to conservation prescriptions that exacerbate social stressors. This is particularly critical in the case of international illegal trade of endangered, high-value species, which generate a value chain in which artisanal fishers are the first operational and often the weakest link of an intricate web. We examined 2 illegal fisheries, totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) and sea cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus and Holothuria floridana), in Mexico. Although these are 2 separate and independent fisheries, important ecological (resource condition, fishery impacts at the ecosystem level) and social (governance, markets) similarities improve understanding of their complexity. Our findings are relevant globally and show the need for interdisciplinary decision-making groups, community engagement, and the development of demand reduction measures.

Pesquerías Ilegales, Crímenes Ambientales y la Conservación de los Recursos Marinos Resumen La cosecha ilegal de especies marinas dentro de las zonas económicas exclusivas puede tener un impacto serio sobre la función de los ecosistemas locales y el economia de las comunidades costeras. La complejidad de estos problemas generalmente se ignora durante el desarrollo de soluciones, lo que conlleva a resultados ambientales y sociales poco efectivos y algunas veces dañinos. Las perspectivas unidimensionales y sobresimplificadas pueden derivar en prescripciones de conservación que empeoran las condiciones sociales sociales. Lo anterior es particularmente crítico para el caso del mercado ilegal de especies en peligro y de alto valor, lo que genera una cadena de valores en la que los pescadores tradicionales son el primer eslabón operativo y con frecuencia el más débil de una red intrincada. Examinamos dos pesquerías ilegales, la de la totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) y la del pepino de mar (Isostichopus badionotus y Holothuria floridana), en México. Aunque estas dos pesquerías son diferentes e independientes, las importantes similitudes ecológicas (estado del recurso, impactos de la pesquería a nivel de ecosistema) y sociales (governancia, mercados) mejoran el conocimiento de su complejidad. Nuestros hallazgos son relevantes a escala global y muestran la necesidad de tener grupos interdisciplinarios para tomar decisiones, la participación de la comunidad y el desarrollo de medidas para reducir la demanda por el producto pesquero.

Control del aprovechamiento ilegal de flora a partir de la anatomía de siete especies maderables en estado de amenaza: aportes a la política nacional ambiental / Controle do uso ilegal da flora a partir da anatomia de sete espécies madeiráveis em estado de ameaça: Contribuições para a política nacional ambiental / Controlling the illegal use of flora based on the anatomy of seven threatened timber species: contributions to the narional environmental policy

Considerando que la Policía Nacional de Colombia es una de las instituciones firmantes del "Pacto Intersectorial por la Madera Legal en Colombia" y con el fin de asegurar que la cadena de custodia de la madera provenga de fuentes legales, se realizó una caracterización microscópica de siete especies forestales en estado de amenaza, como contribución académica a la actividad policial en el marco de la legislación ambiental. La investigación es un aporte a la gestión ambiental estatal; igualmente, es un incentivo para elaborar una guía técnica de campo para el reconocimiento de maderas, debido a que la Policía colombiana, como ente de control en la movilización de especímenes de diversidad biológica, además del cumplimiento de su misionalidad específica, lidera procesos de protección, conservación y recuperación de recursos naturales, en apoyo a las demás autoridades ambientales regionales y locales, mediante el despliegue de estrategias orientadas a prevenir el tráfico ilegal de madera, que en la actualidad asciende a un promedio del 40% a nivel nacional. El presente estudio realiza una caracterización microscópica de las especies Aspidosperma polyneuron, A. megalocarpon, Humiriastrum procerum, Hymenaea oblongifolia, H. courbaril, Isidodendron tripterocarpum y Juglans neotropica, como herramienta para la identificación de muestras que respalden el control y proceso postdecomiso de la movilización ilegal de maderas.

Considerando que a Polícia Nacional da Colômbia é uma das instituições signatárias do "Pacto Intersetorial pela Madeira Legal na Colômbia" e para garantir que a cadeia de custódia da madeira provém de fontes legais, uma caracterização microscópica de sete espécies florestais no estado de ameaça foi realizada, como contribuição acadêmica para a atividade policial no âmbito da legislação ambiental. A investigação é uma contribuição para a gestão ambiental do Estado. Também é um incentivo para desenvolver uma guia técnica de campo para o reconhecimento das madeiras, devido a que a polícia colombiana, como órgão de controle na mobilização de espécimes de diversidade biológica, e da conformidade com a sua missão específica, lidera processos de proteção, conservação e recuperação dos recursos naturais, em apoio a outras autoridades ambientais locais e regionais através da implantação de estratégias destinadas a impedir o tráfico ilegal de madeira, que atualmente ascende a uma média de 40% a nível nacional. O presente estudo faz uma caracterização microscópica das espécies Aspidospermapolyneuron, A. megalocarpon, Humiriastrumprocerum, Hymenaeaoblongifolia, H. courbaril, Isidodendrontripterocarpum e Juglansneotropica, como uma ferramenta para a identificação de amostras para apoiar o controle e processo post-confisco da mobilização ilegal de madeiras.

Considering that the National Police of Colombia is one of the institutions having signed the “Pacto Intersectorial por la Madera Legal en Colombia” designed to verify by means of an inter-sector covenant or alliance, the legality and the legal source of both the wood and the chain of custody, a microscopic characterization of seven threatened forest species, as an academic contribution to police activity within the framework of environmental legislation. This research not only contributes to state environmental management but also as an incentive to the preparation of a technical field guide to the recognition of woods, since Colombian Police, as a control entity in the mobilization of biological diversity specimens, leads –apart from meeting its specific mission–, protection, preservation, recovery or reclamation or natural resources in support of the other regional and local environmental authorities, by deploying strategies oriented to prevent the illegal wood traffic which, at present, amounts to 40% on average, nationwide. This study carries out a microscopic characterization of the Aspidospermapolyneuron, A. megalocarpon, Humiriastrumprocerum, Hymenaeaoblongifolia, H. courbaril, Isidodendrontripterocarpum, and Juglansneotropica species, as a tool for the identification of samples serving to support verification, control, and the post-seizure process in illegal wood mobilization.