TRANSCRIPT:
Globally, the illegal wildlife trade is worth tens of billions of dollars.
In Australia, wildlife is protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act [[1999]], and severe penalties - including fines and up to five years in prison - are in place for anyone caught importing or exporting a regulated species without a permit.
But illegal trade in wildlife still remains a significant issue - so much so that the University of Adelaide has a dedicated research hub for Wildlife Crime.
Katie Smith is a research project manager at the hub, and says it mostly occurs online via e-commerce platforms.
"There is currently no impetus for this trade to go underground, but it would be interesting to revisit this as we see improvements in national legislation to see if we see more of a shift toward the dark web."
The Australian Border Force has cracked down on the issue multiple times in recent years, intercepting around 4000 illegal shipments in a year, including live animals in cruel conditions.
Some of the biggest consumer markets for reptiles and their products are the United States, and Germany.
Wildlife Crime research lead, Doctor Sebastian Chekunov, says smugglers have also tried to send animals out of the country to Asia - in luggage, concealed in clothing and in boxes of chocolate.
"Intercepted parcels at the border are often destined for Hong Kong. Hong Kong does have a market for exotic pets, so sometimes the smuggled reptiles are sold domestically over there, but it is also a global trade and transport hub and a gateway into mainland China. So Hong Kong is often the first step and just one node in the network."
The interest in Australia is because it's a land of rare fauna - and that rarity is a lure for the wildlife black market.
Border Force representatives say some native Australian reptiles are worth up to 100 thousand dollars on the black market.
Doctor Chekunov and Katie Smith both say reptiles are vulnerable because there are as many as 1000 types that are only found in Australia.
"We see that the demand for these species is actually, in time, driven by their rarity. Making them highly sought after when they're rarer and unfortunately making this a significant factor in their risk of extinction. In addition, this trade comes with heavy costs, both economically and environmentally. And it is associated with, not only the introduction of invasive species but the spread of diseases."
It's not just animals being trafficked - but their products too.
Three thousand bird eggs from suspected threatened species were seized from a man in Tasmania last year.
Sharks and shark fin materials are also among the most coveted products being imported out of Australia and New Zealand to Asia.
As part of her PhD research, Charlotte Lassaline has identified a rise in the demand for terrestrial invertebrate species, including spiders, scorpions, ants, stick insects and snails.
"We have identified over 580 invertebrate species that are traded. That is a very big number and this includes a lot of threatened Australian species, including this Flinders Ranges scorpion. This is a range restricted species, meaning that it is only from a small area in South Australia, Flinders Ranges. Yet it is traded very widely throughout Australia for the pet trade and this is very concerning for their small populations."
The trade of native animals is doing cultural harm, too.
First Nations Australians have a relationship with wildlife as cultural totems and as features of Dreamtime stories and links to Country.
Indigenous leaders across the country are lobbying to manage wildlife protection programs, blending Indigenous knowledge with modern conservation methods.
This month, global stakeholders will meet at the 20th meeting of the Conference of Parties in Uzbekistan - where they will discuss any amendments to the international rules governing wildlife trade.
Wildlife crime hub director Professor Phil Cassey says 51 proposals are on the table for this meeting, including Australia's submission to add two reptiles to the list of protected species.
"So there are two that have been listed by the Australian parties, the Mount Elliott Leaftail geko and the ringed, thin-tailed gekko, to be placed on what is known as CITES appendix two. This means no import to other countries or no export from Australia will be allowed without permits and it allows border seizure of those species outside of Australia."
