WATCH: Meet the Nature Crime Alliance #5

The challenge of nature crime in Peru and the different approaches to tackling wildlife crime in Africa were explored during the fifth edition of the Meet the Nature Crime Alliance webinar series.

Deforestation and illegal mining in Peru

Dr Frank Robert Almanza Altamirano, National Coordinating Senior Prosecutor at the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, Government of Peru, joined the session to discuss how types of nature crime are threatening Peru’s rich biodiversity.

Speaking with Ruth Nogueron, Senior Associate in the Forest Program at World Resources Institute, Dr Almanza highlighted illegal deforestation and timber trafficking as key challenges, alongside illegal gold mining. The increase in the value of gold has driven a rise in informal and illegal mining in Peru, Dr Almanza said. These mining activities also have a devastating impact on forests.

The prosecutor also outlined the policy approaches that are needed, such as legislation to close legal loopholes used by criminals to plunder nature. Dr Almanza also highlighted how aspects of political power can present a challenge to prosecuting nature crime cases.

Tackling wildlife crime in Africa

The network also heard from Shawn Karns, a Founding Director of the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance (WITA), where he also serves as Director of Investigations and Trainings.

Shawn gave an overview of the state of wildlife crime across Africa, and discussed WITA’s approach to tackling the issue – particularly its focus on value chains. WITA trains rangers and investigators together, not in isolation, in order to build connections, relationships and trust between the actors involved at different stages of wildlife crime prosecutions. This bolsters the “criminal justice value chain”, Shawn said.

The importance of putting pressure on the wider networks involved, rather than targeting just poachers, was also highlighted.

Shawn also spoke of the value of partnerships and collaboration – including initiatives like the Nature Crime Alliance – and the need to eradicate silos among stakeholders fighting wildlife crime.

Watch in full

These webinars serve as a platform to share knowledge and best practice among the Alliance network. By bringing actors from different sectors together, we can spark new ideas and foster opportunities for collaboration.

You can watch the session in full below (Spanish and English versions available).

English version

Versión en español

If your organisation is a member of the Nature Crime Alliance and you’d like to share insights with our network through this platform, please contact luke.foddy@wri.org