List of Environmental Crimes: Examples & Types

Not many people may realize it, but various types of environmental crime are a growing threat that can affect our planet’s natural resources, fauna and flora, and even biodiversity. What are the most dangerous offences committed against the environment?

Key Points:

• Environmental crimes represent a growing and severe threat that severely damages the planet’s natural resources, biodiversity, and human health.
• The most serious types of offenses committed against the environment include wildlife trafficking, pollution crimes, illegal fishing, uncontrolled logging, and illegal mining.
• These highly profitable illegal activities drive endangered species toward extinction, accelerate global deforestation, and lead to the uncontrolled release of hazardous waste into ecosystems.

Table of Contents:

• The most serious types of environmental crimes – examples
  • Wildlife crimes
  • Pollution crimes
  • Illegal fishing
  • Illegal logging
  • Illegal mining

The most serious types of environmental crimes – examples

The list of environmental crimes includes several primary categories, such as wildlife crimes, illegal mining, pollution crimes, illegal fishing, and illegal logging. All of them breach environmental legislation and may cause significant harm not only to the environment but to human health as well.

Wildlife crimes

Wild animal traffic is the third most profitable illegal business in the world, surpassed only by drug and arms trafficking. The more rare and endangered the animal, the higher price on the black market it will achieve. Species in the highest demand include:

• tropical birds – macaws, parrots,
• reptiles – crocodiles, snakes,
• monkeys – capuchins, lemurs, chimpanzees,
• arachnids – tarantulas.

Not only are the animals trafficked to be companions to humans, but often they’re sold because of their parts, such as ivory.

Pollution crimes

One of the most severe examples of environmental crime is chemical polluting. It can be done in many different ways, including dumping faecal and toxic waste into water, illicit trade in hazardous waste and even electronic waste mismanagement. All actions that include uncontrollable release of waste into the environment are punishable.

Illegal fishing

Illegal fishing includes any unreported and unregulated fishing in violation of controls set by regional organizations that manage fisheries. What’s worse, often, fishermen capture sharks only to cut off their fins and throw them back into the water, condemning them to slow death.

Illegal logging

Next on the list of environmental crimes is uncontrolled logging, which is the primary cause of rapid deforestation in various parts of the world, including the Amazon and Indonesian forests. Usually, people obtain illegal wood for furniture or so they can have additional space for farmlands and the production of palm oil.

Illegal mining

Another type of environmental crime includes mining activities that have been carried out without proper permissions, land rights, mining licenses, and permits to explore or transport minerals. The most significant issues with this type of environmental crime can be observed in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, India, and Nigeria.

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