CRIMEANHROP and the COVID pandemic

The guest researchers; Tanya Wyatt, Christoph Stefes and Teresa Fajardo de Castillo were meant to visit Oslo and the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law in the spring of 2020, but were hindered by the pandemic. Their research stays are – for now - postponed until spring 2021.

Data collection was meant to take place in the spring of 2020, much in form of qualitative interviews, and collection of case law. Interviews are now instead mostly being carried out by electronic means, and hopefully data collection for the Norwegian case study on the implementation of the CITES, as well as the case studies of the implementation of the CITES and Bern convention will be concluded in the fall. 

Concerning the outbreak of the pandemic it is a striking example of the consequences of the wildlife trade, impacting not only on the threat of extinction of many species subject to trade, such as the pangolins that have been connected to the outbreak, but also on the repercussions this trade has for humans, for the economy and social security. 
Media reports also document the abuse against animals who are traded, something which has   opened the eyes of many people to the harms and crimes of wildlife trade. 

The project leader of CRIMEANTHROP, Ragnhild Sollund, has taken part of public debate in the course of the outbreak and has argued for a total ban against wildlife trade. 

The arguments building up to this suggestion will be discussed and elaborated upon in forthcoming publications.