Bird eggs' trafficking dismantled
07 June 2024
More than 56,300 bird eggs were seized in a house in northern Norway as the Norwegian National Authority for Environmental Crime, Økokrim, arrested a dozen people charged for stealing them and running a black market for egg collectors. Rare bird eggs are quite valuable with prices often exceeding €1,000. The seized eggs belonged to birds such as mackerel terns, terns, grebes, lapwings, and hooded gulls; many of these species are currently on a "red list" as they are highly endangered. This is the biggest wildlife crime ever discovered in Norway, where keeping bird eggs is forbidden and perpetrators can be punished with up to six years in prison.
 | Daniela De Lorenzo Wildlife crime or trafficking is an international environmental crime that reached its highest peak in the last two decades, due to the existence of online marketplaces. Interpol estimates that the illegal trade in wildlife carried by transnational organised criminal networks is worth up to $20 billion (€18.3 billion) per year across the world. This includes live animals, skins, furs, horns, and eggs. Wildlife crimes impact the livelihood and survival of endangered species and foster illegal hunting in countries where it is difficult to make a living. This is the case of the pangolin, which is widely sought for its meat and use in Chinese medicine. Because of the quantity of eggs found in Norway, Økokrim believes that these traffickers emptied entire nests. This can impact entire natural ecosystems that cannot thrive when animals are removed. Moreover, trafficking live animals can lead to increased zoonotic epidemics and infectious diseases. Countering wildlife trafficking could potentially prevent the next pandemic. |
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