Why is this issue important?

Environmental crime typically refers to any breach of a national or international environmental law or convention that exists to ensure the conservation and sustainability of the world's environment (Elliot, 2007). Five areas are considered to be of major importance: illegal trade in wildlife; illegal logging and its associated timber trade; illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; illegal trade in controlled chemicals (including ozone-depleting substances); and illegal disposal of hazardous waste. New types of environmental crime are also emerging, for example in carbon trade and water management (INTERPOL, 2012).

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