Applying green criminology to explain wildlife trafficking in Thailand

Abstract

© 2020, Primrose Hall Publishing Group. Green criminology is an approach used for proving and resolving various environmental crimes. This article aims to present how green criminology can be applied to explain the wildlife trafficking phenomenon in Thailand. In this research, a documentary study was employed, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 58 key informants who had been involved in the prevention and suppression of wildlife trafficking. The findings revealed that wildlife trafficking in Thailand had produced negative impacts in three dimensions: (1) 'impacts on humans and society' by which the way of living for Thai people has changed due to relocation for food, the prevalence of wildlife diseases, insecurity in their lives created by crime related to wildlife trafficking, loss of taxes collected from the legal wildlife trade and a ruined image and reputation in the eyes of the CITES members; (2) 'impacts on wildlife' by which Thai wild animals were constantly hunted, injured, threatened and infected by foreign wildlife diseases, and; (3) 'impacts on environment and ecosystems' by which Thai ecosystems where wild animals had been hunted, killed and destroyed for wildlife trafficking lost their balance, affecting neighbouring ecosystems and other ecosystems as well. Therefore, humans and society, wildlife, and the environment and ecosystems are all victims of the wildlife trafficking happening in Thailand, based on the concept of green criminology.