ENFORCING LAWS AGAINST ILLICIT WILDLIFE TRADING

ENFORCING LAWS AGAINST ILLICIT WILDLIFE TRADING

How can we strictly enforce laws against illicit wildlife trading when the Department of Justice itself, through its spokesman, has admitted that our borders are porous? If people can be smuggled out of the country, how much easier would it be for wildlife—and not just live animals, but also eggs, hides, horns, scales, and even fish brood stock?

Outbound smuggling is one problem, but let us not forget inbound smuggling. What do you call that? Illegal imports. Both flows—outbound and inbound—are happening, and both are serious.

The sad thing is, there are speculations that in some cases, the very officials who are supposed to enforce the law are the ones breaking it. This undermines not only enforcement but also public trust.

The good news is that there is already a mechanism for coordination. The Philippines has a Wildlife Law Enforcement Action Plan (WildLEAP 2018–2028), which brings together agencies like the DENR, PNP, NBI, BFAR, Bureau of Customs, and even LGUs. The bad news? We do not hear much about what they are doing. Silence breeds suspicion. If they are making arrests, why are we not hearing regular reports? Transparency is itself a form of deterrence.

Smuggling Cases Close to Home

Over the years, we have heard about the illegal export of sabalo (mother milkfish), vital for aquaculture seed supply. More recently, there are whispers about ludong (lobed river mullet), one of the rarest and most prized fish in the Philippines, being smuggled out. This is alarming. Ludong is already nearly endangered; smuggling only pushes it closer to extinction.

Wildlife crimes are not victimless crimes. Every pangolin smuggled, every hornbill poached, every ludong exported illegally—these are losses to our biodiversity, our food security, and even our cultural heritage.

Who’s Supposed to Enforce the Law?

The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) under DENR is the lead agency implementing RA 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act). But enforcement requires a whole network:

  • PNP – conducts raids and arrests.

  • NBI – investigates organized wildlife trafficking and cybercrime links.

  • BFAR – protects aquatic wildlife, especially endangered fish and marine species.

  • Bureau of Customs – intercepts smuggled wildlife at airports and seaports.

  • LGUs – enforce local ordinances and monitor public markets.

  • DOJ – prosecutes wildlife crimes.

Internationally, the Philippines also coordinates with CITES, INTERPOL, UNODC, and the World Customs Organization. So the framework is there. The problem is execution and follow-through.

What Needs to Be Done

First, the WildLEAP Task Force should report regularly to the public: How many arrests? How many convictions? How many wildlife rescues? Publishing these numbers will show taxpayers that the law is being enforced.

Second, Congress should review their budget. If the problem is underfunding, then allocate more resources. If the problem is inefficiency, then impose stricter oversight.

Third, we need to strengthen border security. DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano has publicly acknowledged that our archipelagic geography makes guarding borders difficult. But “difficult” does not mean “impossible.” The Philippine Coast Guard and the Navy should be part of the wildlife enforcement system. If we can guard against pirates and smugglers of cigarettes and oil, why not smugglers of wildlife?

Fourth, LGUs should step up. Illegal wildlife trade is not only international—it also happens locally, right in our markets. If LGUs inspected public markets more often, many cases of illegal selling of turtles, exotic birds, and protected fish could be stopped before they even enter the export chain.

The Bigger Picture

Why is this so urgent? Because the Philippines is a megadiverse country, hosting more species per square kilometer than most nations. Sadly, we are also a hotspot for wildlife trafficking. Pangolins, geckos, ivory, and even corals have all been seized in Philippine ports. The United Nations has warned that the illegal wildlife trade is now the fourth largest transnational crime in the world, after drugs, arms, and human trafficking.

We must remind ourselves: protecting wildlife is not just about saving cute animals. It is about maintaining ecological balance, supporting sustainable fisheries, and even preventing future pandemics. Many diseases—SARS, Ebola, COVID-19—are linked to wildlife trade.

Final Thoughts

The enforcement gaps are glaring, but the solutions are within reach. Coordination already exists on paper; it just needs to be lived out in practice. Transparency and accountability must be non-negotiable. And above all, communities must be part of the solution. Barangay-level monitoring, citizen reporting hotlines, and stronger cooperatives can create a grassroots shield against wildlife crime.

Food security and biodiversity are deeply intertwined. Smuggling out sabalo and ludong is not just theft from nature; it is theft from our people.

So the challenge is clear: enforce the law, close the borders, and protect what is ours. Because once these species are gone, they are gone forever. And no amount of apologies or budgets will bring them back.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

12-27-2025

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