Olivia Swaak-Goldman: Taking Down the King Pins of Wildlife Trafficking

Species Unite

elizabeth novogratz

Philosophy, Society & Culture

5.0 • 911 Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2021

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"It's really about bringing the skills and the tools and the techniques that we've already developed and addressing other forms of transnational or international crimes - and applying them to this area that had long been forgotten." – Olivia Swaat-Goldman

Olivia Swaak-Goldman is the executive director of the Wildlife Justice Commission, an organization that goes around the world fighting transnational organized crime against wildlife — like an animal-focused justice league, with a mission to disrupt and help dismantle organized transnational criminal networks that are trading in wildlife, timber, and fish.

Wildlife trafficking is the fourth largest illegal trade globally, after drugs, humans, and arms. Before the Wildlife Justice Commission was formed, governments were not focused on going after the heads of these trafficking organizations. There was a lack of prioritization on wildlife crime.

And since they formed in 2015, the Wildlife Justice Commission has helped to secure the arrests of 155 wildlife criminals and taken down 35 criminal networks.

The Wildlife Justice Commission's work is more important now then ever, as we are losing species at alarming rates and there are so many more at risk of extinction within our lifetimes.

"The Wildlife Justice Commission was created in order to go after high-level criminals. It's the same thing with drugs in a way, if you just go after the dealer on the corner, you're not going to be tremendously successful. You've got to do that but you need to go after the masterminds of the networks in order to get them arrested and successfully prosecuted and, also important… a seizure of assets… make it hurt, make them feel it.

Then they're going to think twice about doing this, especially in an area where we are losing so many species and at risk of losing so many. The quicker we can get them to be doing something else, that the more biodiversity we can save." – Olivia Swaak-Goldman

LINKS:

Wildlife Justice Commission: https://wildlifejustice.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildlifeJusticeCommission/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WJCommission

Transcript

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0:00.0	Species, Unite.
0:15.0	It's really about bringing the skills and the tools and the techniques that we've already developed in addressing other forms of
0:22.0	transnational or international crimes and applying them to this area that had long been kind of forgotten. Hi, I'm Elizabeth Novigrats. This is Species Unite. We have a favor to ask if you like today's episode and you have a spare minute
0:46.0	could you please rate and review Species Unite on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to
0:52.2	podcasts? It really helps people to find the show.
0:55.8	This conversation is with Olivia Swat Goldman.
1:05.0	Olivia is the executive director of the Wildlife Justice Commission.
1:09.0	They go around the world fighting organized crime against wildlife like an animal focused
1:14.4	justice league. This is more important now than ever. We are losing species at an
1:19.5	alarming rate and there are so many more on the brink of extinction.
1:24.4	Wildlife trafficking is the fourth most profitable global crime after drugs, humans, and firearms.
1:31.0	But until the Wildlife Justice Commission was formed, no one was really going after the big guns. Instead, focus was on the low-level more accessible criminals, like poachers and smugglers. But since the Wildlife Justice Commission came into
1:45.6	existence in 2015 they have helped dismantle 36 criminal networks and
1:51.0	prevented them from regrouping
1:53.6	and facilitated the arrest of 156 high-level criminals. Hi Olivia. Hi Beth. Hey it is so nice to be here with you in person to record this.
2:16.0	Thank you so much for doing it.
2:19.0	Well, thank you so much for inviting me and for your great work.
2:22.0	Thank you.
2:22.8	Hey, so before we get into the Wildlife Justice Commission,
2:26.1	which I want to hear all about, I want to talk about,
2:28.9	I mean, you've had a massive career before this,
2:32.4	that in a way it kind of led to this and in a way did
	...

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