Remi kindly invites me into his office. It’s a normal office with computers, books and papers. Nice, but nothing spectacular. One can hardly imagine that from this very office, wildlife crime in far-away African countries is being detected.
Surprisingly, it all started in another corner of the world, namely Tokyo. Remi worked there at the United Nations University, and developed the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System (WEMS) for the Asian continent. Due to some governance issues it could not be implemented there as planned. Now, Remi’s PhD concentrates on the implementation of the system in Africa.
But what is WEMS exactly? Remi: ‘Government officials report any form of wildlife crime they encounter into a geospatial database, including the offender’s details such as name, nationality, passport number and date of birth.’
Transnational nature
The unique feature lies in its transnational nature. The policy analyst explains: ‘It combines information from various sources and from different countries. That is essential to get an overview of the whole picture, since wildlife criminals are extensively networked and sophistically organised.’ Remi remembers a concrete example: ‘Many wildlife criminals from similar origins were caught in Nairobi airport. The conclusion was drawn that checks on illegal trade were not as thorough elsewhere as in Nairobi. This information can directly influence the decisions of government officials in other countries and show the need for stronger law enforcement capacity. Networked organisations can be stopped with the help of Interpol.’
Just as uniquely, the database also registers the link between the crime and ethnic or armed conflicts through a collaboration with the Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University. ‘This is very useful information to the UN,’ Remi says. ‘The preservation of biodiversity alone could be a reason to commence peace operations.’
Remi’s research might just be the key to finding new mechanisms to form consensus among the various stakeholders working on wildlife policy related issues. Remi: ‘You can’t combat crime, just manage it. The importance of doing that is crystal clear. Several diseases originate from contact with wildlife. HIV and ebola are examples. Increased globalisation and trade in uncertified products accelerate the spread of unknown illnesses. There are many things about wildlife that we don’t know yet, so who is to say that medical science will keep up?’
Shift in mindset
Remi acknowledges that the database alone will not be sufficient. ‘A shift in mindset is crucial. Populations need to know that a huge chunk of their national income derives from tourists, who come to see the exact animals that they are killing now. However, this change in attitude is very difficult, since cultural aspects play a major role. The Masai tribe in Kenya and Tanzania, for instance, follow ancient traditions and kill lions to prove manhood.’
In two years, Remi expects that the first decisions based on this instrument will be made and hopes that it will have the anticipated effect. ‘Nature gives a person peace. Can you imagine a world full of concrete jungles? How boring would that be?’
