While it is true that in recent years there has been a growing social awareness about the protection of the environment, it is no less true that society continues without changing its attitude regarding our individual habits. We continue to pollute and we can see it in the streets of many parts of the world, which are full of garbage of all kinds. To what extent is pollution penalized? Are environmental crimes punished or go unpunished?
At Ecologista Verde we want to address this issue and make known what are environmental crimes with examples and know the bodies in charge of judging them.
Examples of crimes against the environment
These are some examples of environmental crime.
- Indiscriminate felling.
- Illegal hunting of animals.
- Wild animal trafficking.
- Using explosives or poisons for hunting.
- Toxic spills.
- Bad management of hazardous waste.
- Illegal fishing.
- Finning or trading shark fins.
- Introduction of invasive species.
- Introduction of unregulated non-native species.
- Abandonment of domestic animals.
- Hunting, fishing, trapping and trading of protected species of fauna and flora.
Organizations that judge environmental crimes at the international level
After knowing what crimes against the environment are with some examples, we will see which are the main bodies in charge of judging environmental crimes at the international level and who are in charge of finding and arresting criminals:
- International Criminal Court.
- International Court of Justice.
- Interpol.
The International Criminal Court
In 1998, together with the approval of the “Rome Statute”, the International Criminal Court, being in 2002 when it came into force. The International Criminal Court is linked to the United Nations and it is a complementary body of national criminal jurisdictions. This body is empowered to try people on the most serious crimes of international significance, including in 2016 the crimes Crimes against the environment.
The International Court of Justice
Regarding conflicts between states, these are resolved by the international Court of Justice, specifically by the "Environmental Chamber of the ICJ”Which is aware of the demands of one state against another in relation to violations against the environment and crimes against natural resources.
An example of this can be found in 2022, when the International Court of Justice settled a conflict between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, which arose when Nicaragua caused damage to Isla de Portillos (Costa Rica), as a result of dredging work carried out with intention to unite the San Juan River with the Caribbean Sea.
Interpol and the prosecution of environmental crimes
This organization is the “International Criminal Police Organization”And is made up of a total of 194 countries. Its purpose is to help the police of these member countries to collaborate with each other in the prosecution of international crimes, facilitating information between countries and providing technical support to the internal organizations of each country.
The Interpol has a Environmental Safety Unit, whose purpose is to combat environmental crime at the international level. For this, it has a National Group specialized in Environmental Security, whose purpose is to focus the activities to combat environmental crimes that affect a certain country or countries, uniting both the police and customs as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. , thus enabling collaboration with scientists and experts in combating these types of crimes. It also has four teams that operate worldwide (Fishing, Hunting, Pollution and Wildlife), helping to dismantle the organizations responsible for environmental crimes.
Interpol Fisheries Crimes Law Enforcement Team
Working to combat fishing crimes, as the illegal fishing, conducts an assessment of national law enforcement agencies and provides support tools to neutralize and prevent fishing crimes both at sea and in rivers, lakes, lagoons and other aquatic areas.
As an example of crime against the environment Regarding fishing, we highlight the “Operation Spindrift”, carried out in 2014 whose objective was the dismantling of a transactional trade network of a species of conch called “abalone”, exchanging information between seven countries.
Interpol Pollution Law Enforcement Team
Collaborate with member countries to detect and stop pollution crimes, helping national organizations to arrest those responsible for such crimes.
In turn, Interpol has different projects whose purpose is to combat different crimes in the matter of pollution, such as "The Eden Project", in charge of detecting and dismantling the trade in illegal dumping of waste at an international level and the "Maritime Pollution Project", which addresses marine pollution crimes such as illegal dumping from ships, in order to avoid the cost of recycling and treating said waste.
Interpol Wildlife Law Enforcement Team
Helps to detect and neutralize criminal networks of illegal trade in wildlife, coordinating several operations through which numerous species subject to illegal trade have been seized.
Among them, it is worth highlighting the "Operation Thunderstorm" carried out in 2022 and directed at illegal trade in species in 93 countries, mobilizing the Police, customs and border services (among others) and whose action resulted in almost 2,000 seizures, as well as the identification of 1,400 suspects, detained around the world. Another one of the best examples of crimes against the environment related to the illegal trade of species or parts of these is the “Operation Worthy II” in 2015, whose objective was the detection of the networks of ivory trafficking in Africa, detecting a total of 25 criminal groups, which resulted in the seizure of 4.5 tons of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns, as well as the arrest of 376 people involved.
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