Defra Launch Appraisal of UK Wildlife and Forest Crime Legislation and Enforcement

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a UN backed assessment of UK wildlife and forest crime legislation and enforcement using the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) toolkit.

The review will focus on wildlife crime policing structures, including the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and UK Border Force and efficacy of prosecutions, and will include an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of preventive and criminal justice responses.

The UK’s participation in this will help inform recommendations on improving the prevention and enforcement of domestic and international wildlife crime in the UK.