Illegal Shark Trade Thrives Online Conservationists Want Platforms To Step Up

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One of the spedies offered for sale. - Pic courtesy of WWF-MalaysiaLILLEGAL wildlife trade used to be mainly a "forest-to-fork" story. Now, as a survey conducted in 2022 on sharks and rays uncovered, it is also a "sea-to-screen" tale.
The report by Traffic Southeast Asia, a leading non-governmental organisation monitoring wildlife trade, and WWF-Malaysia, revealed that at least 5.25 million kilogrammes of products worth RM326 million were being listed in e-commerce platforms such as Facebook, Shopee and Lazada.
Most sharks and rays that are said to be native to Malaysia are slow-growing, late-maturing species with few offspring, highlighting the serious extinction threats they face. It is not just about saving sharks and rays, but also about sustaining ocean health that supports livelihoods, co-author and WWF-Malaysia marine conservation officer Serena Adam pointed out.
Here is the bad news. Globally, the report quotes the International Union for Conservation of Nature as warning that overfishing and illegal trade have caused the world's sharks and rays to face an unprecedented crisis, with over one-third of species now assessed to be threatened with extinction.
The news gets worse. To the extent Traffic Southeast Asia is able to identify, all shark species and nearly all ray species listed on the online platforms are said to be native to Malaysian waters, and yet none are specifically protected under the Fisheries Act 1985.
This is alarming, to say the least. As Malaysia seeks to amend the act, expanding the protection for shark and ray species will be crucial to ensure their survival. Ensuring the sustainability of our marine ecosystem, especially the species threatened with extinction, isn't going to be easy, but is a must-do.
The report also highlights major gaps in traceability and seller accountability. Traceability — tracking of products from capture to sale— is crucial to verify where, how and what species were caught, prevent illegal trade, and promote sustainability, the authors of the report argue. The report notes the importance of coordinated action across at least three levels.
For the government, it is the strengthening of the laws already in place, making sure no one is able to exploit legal loopholes. Strengthening labelling and trade monitoring standards is equally critical.
Malaysians, too, have a crucial role in helping the authorities ensure sustainability of marine species, especially sharks and rays that are being fished to extinction. Effective sustainability is only possible if we stop consuming sharks and rays.
Tackling the supply side of the illegal trade is just one part of the equation. Demand, too, must be addressed. We can't fold our arms and let the government do everything. It never worked and it never will.
Finally, we must consider the role of the e-commerce platforms. The platforms think they are not like the physical brick-and-mortar stores. Online platforms say they operate in a non-physical space which is neither bound by borders nor national laws. As legal philosopher Jeremy Bentham said, such an argument is nonsense on stilts.
No business operates in a vacuum. By offering platforms for illegal trade, they are at the very least complicit in the crime. - NST

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