WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING is big business. In monetary gain, it is surpassed only
by drug smuggling--outranking even illegal arms dealing. According to
current estimates, wildlife trafficking generates anywhere from $6-10
billion per year worldwide, with 30% of that from illegal transactions. The
economic ramifications of wildlife trafficking are far greater than one
might imagine. Communities suffer from the loss of legal wildlife and the
resultant impact on tourism. Moreover, a vast amount of money that should
be spent on preservation is being used to support law enforcement efforts.
And then there is the fact that when criminals pursue wildlife for profit or
sport, they push more and more species into endangered status and,
eventually, extinction.
As the only facility in the world dedicated to combating wildlife crimes,
the National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory (Ashland, Oregon) knows
the ramifications of species devastation all too well. Since the lab's
inception in 1989, we have had a singular goal: to link together the victim,
suspect, and crime scene by producing scientific evidence that is precise,
defensible, and unbiased.
P A R T 1 O F 4
Next: The Mystery Unfolds
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A Unique Facility
In 1989, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
opened the National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon.
Dedicated to combating wildlife trafficking, the laboratory is the only
facility of its kind in the world, as compared to over 360 human forensic
crime labs in the United States alone. In addition to its immediate case
work, the lab is compiling wildlife criminology information into an
evergrowing database.
The Ashland-based lab serves wildlife enforcement agencies throughout all
50 states, as well as the more than 130 CITES (Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species) nations worldwide. The $4.5 million,
23,000-square-foot Wildlife Forensics Lab sits on four acres of land
donated by Southern Oregon State College, also located in Ashland, Oregon.
The facility includes a 7,000-square-foot evidence warehouse for wildlife
contraband. Currently, 17 scientists and 11 support personnel staff the lab
with expansion anticipated in the near future. |
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