Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime in the Danube-Carpathian Region

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Environmental crime is not a niche problem. It is now the fourth largest type of criminal activity in the world, and valued at anywhere between 91 and 258 billion USD every year. This colossal sum fuels organized crime, undermines the rule of law and robs us of the natural resources and ecosystems we need to survive.

This joint UN Environment - WWF - Eurac Research publication focuses on wildlife and forest crime in the Danube-Carpathian region. The analysis highlights the findings of a 2016 legal analysis, and pays special attention to illegal logging, illegal fishing of sturgeon and the caviar trade, the illegal killing of birds and the poaching of large carnivores. The facts are frightening. Europe’s last remaining oldgrowth forests and their unique biodiversity are disappearing at alarming rates.