BSC Green Criminology Research Network Webinar Series
BSC Green Criminology Network webinars will run bi-monthly on the last Wednesday of the month. Webinars will run via Teams and will consist of either one speaker presenting for 40 minutes with 20 minutes for questions and discussion or two speakers (one ‘established’, one early career) each presenting for 20 minutes with 10 minutes for questions.
Wednesday 25 September 2024 – 1-2pm
The Barriers to Whale Shark Fin Enforcement
Elliot Doornbos, Nottingham Trent University
Join us online for a discussion which offers a critical analysis of the challeges inherent in achieving effective wildlife crime enforcement.
Globally shark populations have been in decline. In recent decades, more species have been recognised as being endangered as well as further CITES listings and policy protections. Despite this there are a multitude of factors which impact shark decline such overfishing, climate change, pollution, ship strikes and human shark conflict with different factors having different impacts on different species. One area which garners a wide array of media attention is the shark fin trade which is one of these contributing factors for an array of shark species. This paper will explore a niche component of shark fin trafficking by discussing the trafficking of whale shark fins and the challenges to protecting the species. Via a mixed methods approach of semi structured interviews with researchers and practitioners and seizure data and the creation of a whale shark fin trafficking crime script, key themes emerge with create significant challenges to preventing the poaching, smuggling and distribution of whale shark fins. Laundering of shark fins, lack of priority, lack of resources, lack of deterrent and understanding of the issue all play a role in undermining current policy protections of whale sharks. By garnering an understanding of these issues this research aims to provide further knowledge on potential intervention points and gaps in current policy enforcement.