ENVIRONMENTAL

CRIMES
 CONTENTS
 Introduction
 General Overview
 Definition of Terms
 Modus Operandi
 Effects in the Country
 Laws and rules covering the Environmental Crimes
 Conclusion
 Recommendation
 INTRODUCTION
The term ‘environmental crime’
collectively describe illegal activities
and aimed at benefiting certain
companies through the exploitation
natural resources.
is often understood to
harming the environment
individuals, groups or
and theft of, or trade in

The term encompasses serious crimes and transnational

organized crime, often linked to other forms of crime, tax fraud,
corruption and threat finance. In all these manifestations,
environmental crime comes with massive costs to countries
worldwide.
General Overview
Transnational environmental crime is one of the key
reasons why our planet is in peril. Such crimes
include the dumping of toxic waste, the pollution of
land, air, and water, and the illegal trade of plants and
animals, in ways that cross borders and, in many
instances, have a global dimension
 OVERVIEW
They include:
1.  Illegal trade in wildlife,
2. Smuggling of ozone- depleting
substances (ODS), / illicit trade in
hazardous waste;
3. illegal, unregulated, and unreported
fishing, and
4. illegal logging and the associated
trade in stolen timber.
Definition of Terms
Environment - means anything that surround
us. It can be living (biotic) or non-living (abiotic)
things. It includes physical, chemical and other
natural forces. Living things live in their
environment. The environment affects the growth
and development of the person

Ozone depleting substances (ODS)- man-

made gases that destroy ozone once they
reach the ozone layer. The ozone layer sits in
the upper atmosphere and reduces the
amount of harmful ultra violet radiation that
reaches Earth from the sun.
Definition of Terms
Crime - Is an act or omission that constitutes an offense
that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by
law.

Environmental crime - is a behavior harmful for the

natural environment and its population that is punished
with criminal sanctions, according to the nature of the
protected species and the type and magnitude of present
and future damage.
 MODUS OPERANDI
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
Wildlife crime is a big business. Run by dangerous international networks, wildlife and
animal parts are trafficked much like illegal drugs and arms. Traffickers in West and Central
Africa are known to exploit the services of major maritime shipping and air transport
companies to move their illicit cargo. Smugglers use a variety of concealment methods or
“fillers” to disguise ivory and pangolin scales, their choice being dictated by the legality of
the filler, costs, and whether the filler is similar in shape and size to the contraband
 MODUS OPERANDI
Some examples of illegal wildlife trade are well known, such as poaching
of elephants for ivory and tigers for their skins and bones. However,
countless other species are similarly overexploited, from marine turtles to
timber trees. Not all wildlife trade is illegal. Wild plants and animals from
tens of thousands of species are caught or harvested from the wild and
then sold legitimately as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist
ornaments and medicine. Wildlife trade escalates into a crisis when an
increasing proportion is illegal and unsustainable—directly threatening
the survival of many species in the wild.
Where is animal trafficking most common?
These areas are called
“wildlife trade hotspots.”
They include China's
international borders,
trade hubs in
East/Southern Africa
and Southeast Asia, the
eastern borders of the
European Union, some
markets in Mexico, parts
of the Caribbean, parts
of Indonesia and New
Guinea, and the
Solomon Islands.
 MODUS OPERANDI
Smuggling of ozone- depleting substances (ODS)
It is crime related ozone layer Fossil fuels destroy the ozone layer.
The three major forms of fossil fuels are oil, natural gas, coal.
Fossil fuels are used in cars, factories, and for electricity. These
fuels are called fossil fuels because fossil fuels have been formed
from the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals.
 MODUS OPERANDI
Chinese brokering operations, which are usually run by a handful of people,
have been involved in trading ODS for at least a decade and specialize in
refrigerants, even having facilities to decant ODS from bulk containers into
smaller cylinders. Others are more opportunistic and offer ODS amongst other
commodities as general import and export operations. These brokers tend to
have less history in ODS trade and function as classic middlemen between
producers and buyers.
 Modus Operandi
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU)
is an issue around the world. Fishing Industry observers believe IUU
occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches
in some important fisheries
Illegal fishing takes place when vessels or harvesters operate in
violation of the laws of a fishery. This can apply to fisheries that are
under the jurisdiction of a coastal state or to high seas fisheries
regulated by regional fisheries management organizations (RFMO).
 Modus Operandi
Unreported fishing is fishing that has been unreported or misreported to the
relevant national authority or RFMO, in contravention of applicable laws and
regulations.

Unregulated fishing generally refers to fishing by vessels without nationality,

vessels flying the flag of a country not party to the RFMO governing that fishing
area or species on the high seas, or harvesting in unregulated areas
 Modus Operandi
Various Methods of Illegal Fishing

•Bottom Trawling
•Bycatch
•Using of Explosives or Blast Fishing
•Ghost Fishing
•Cyanide Fishing
•Muro-ami
Bottom trawling is a method of
fishing that involves dragging
heavy weighted nets across the
sea floor, in order to catch fish.
It’s a favored method by
commercial fishing companies
because it can catch large
quantities of product in one go.
In New Zealand, commercial
fishing companies bottom trawl
both within our waters and in
international ones. In fact, we
are one of only seven countries
still using this practice in
international waters. 
Bycatch - in the fishing industry, is a fish or other
marine species that is caught unintentionally while
fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife.
Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex,
or is undersized or juveniles of the target species.
Dynamite fishing

Blast fishing, also known as dynamite fishing, is a highly destructive, illegal
method of catching fish which uses dynamite or other types of explosives to
send shock-waves through the water, stunning or killing fish which are then
collected and sold.
Why does ghost fishing happen?
Ghost fishing occurs when lost or discarded fishing gear that is no
longer under a fisherman's control continues to trap and kill fish,
crustaceans, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds. Derelict
fishing nets and traps can continue to ghost fish for years once they
are lost under the water's surface
Cyanide fishing is a method of collecting live fish mainly for use in
aquariums, which involves spraying a sodium cyanide mixture into the
desired fish's habitat in order to stun the fish. The practice hurts not only
the target population, but also many other marine organisms, including
coral and coral reefs.
Muro-ami or muroami -
is a fishing technique employed on coral reefs in Southeast Asia. It uses
an encircling net together with pounding devices. These devices usually
comprise large stones fitted on ropes that are pounded into the coral
reefs
Zhuhai Fishing Port China
A new index ranking vulnerability to illegal, unreported,
and unregulated fishing by country has listed China as
having the highest IUU potential. A new index ranking
vulnerability to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
by country has listed China as having the highest IUU
potential.
 MODUS OPERANDI
Illegal logging
is a pervasive problem throughout the world and generally is defined as the
harvest, transport, purchase, or sale of timber in violation of national laws.
Illegal logging can lead to degraded forest ecosystems and loss of biodiversity,
impede economic development, challenge local governance, and contribute to
crime and corruption. In regions with large tropical forests, such as the Amazon
and areas in Central Africa and Southeast Asia, illegal logging is estimated to
account for 50%-90% of all forestry activities, according to the International
Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
Common modus operandi
identified during Operation
Amazonas II include the use
of forged documents to
transport illegal timber
across international borders,
and the transport of illicit
timber during certain times
of day to avoid detection.
The main trade routes
identified saw the illegal
timber destined for the US,
Europe and Asia.
Effects of Environmental
Crimes in the Country
 EFFECTS IN THE COUNTRY
Illegal wildlife trade
Trafficking in wildlife can
diminish species populations
and cause local or even global
extinction. When endangered
species are involved, any
poaching or harvesting of
that species to supply the
illegal trade risks the species
becoming extinct. 
 EFFECTS IN THE COUNTRY
Effects on ozone- depleting substances (ODS)
Ozone layer depletion causes
increased UV radiation levels at
the Earth's surface, which is
damaging to human health.
Negative effects include
increases in certain types of
skin cancers, eye cataracts and
immune deficiency disorders.
 EFFECTS IN THE COUNTRY
Effects on illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing
Global fisheries face an existential threat in the decades
ahead from surging worldwide demand, declining ocean
health, and continued illegal, unreported, and
unregulated (IUU) fishing. IUU fishing also harms
legitimate fishing activities and livelihoods, jeopardizes
food and economic security, benefits transnational
crime, distorts markets, contributes to human trafficking,
and undermines ongoing efforts to implement
sustainable fisheries policies. It can also heighten
tensions within and between countries and encourage
piracy. The illicit nature of IUU fishing means that the size
of the problem and its negative consequences, can only
be roughly estimated
 EFFECTS IN THE COUNTRY
Effects on illegal logging
The environmental effects of illegal
logging include deforestation, the
loss of biodiversity and the
emission of greenhouse gases.
Illegal logging has contributed to
conflicts with indigenous and local
populations, violence, human rights
abuses, corruption, funding of
armed conflicts and the worsening
of poverty.
 The following are the Laws Governing
Environmental Crime in the Philippines

REPUBLIC ACT 9003 ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF

2000

The law ensures proper segregation, collection, storage, treatment and

disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adaptation of best eco-
waste products.
REPUBLIC ACT 9275 PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT OF 2004
The law aims to protect the country's water bodies from pollution from
land-based sources (industries and commercial establishments,
agriculture and community/household activities).

REPUBLIC ACT 8749 PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1999

The law aims to achieve and maintain clean air that meets the National Air
Quality guideline values for criteria pollutants, throughout the Philippines,
while minimizing the possible associated impacts to the economy.
REPUBLIC ACT 6969 TOXIC SUBSTANCES, HAZARDOUS AND
NUCLEAR WASTE CONTROL ACT OF 1998
The law aims to regulate restrict or prohibit the importation, manufacture,
processing, sale, distribution, use and disposal of chemical substances and
mixtures the present unreasonable risk to human health.

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 1586 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS)

STATEMENT OF 1978 
The Environment Impact Assessment System was formally established in 1978
with the enactment of Presidential Decree no. 1586 to facilitate the
attainment and maintenance of rational and orderly balance between socio-
economic development and environmental protection.
 CONCLUSION
Environmental crimes continue to impact society. The significance of
environmental harms, particularly with regard to public health and
sustainability, is real. Much progress has been made in the short time that
major environmental laws, and the EPA, have been in existence. While it is
easy to draw attention to the limitations of environmental protection efforts,
one must consider the progress that has taken place since 1970. Fifty years
ago, there was no EPA. There were no substantial environmental laws.
Environmental protection was a non-issue to many.
The future of environmental protection is full of hope. Progress toward a
better environment demands consideration of the complexities inherent in
environmental crime.
• Legislation will need to continuously emerge and develop, society must
maintain its interest in environmental protection, and sustainability will
hopefully be the status quo and not simply a buzzword.

• Researchers will need to extend beyond their academic boundaries, and

countries will need to work collaboratively as expansive efforts are required
for environmental protection. Anything less would be a step backward in
the evolution of environmental protection and contribute to the ignorance
of environmental crime.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
A Strategy Team supports to function in an interdependent world where international policy
and partnerships are essential to achieve excellence in and keep an innovative approach to law
enforcement.

• A National Environmental Security Task Force (NEST) brings together police, customs,
environmental agencies, prosecutors, non-governmental organizations and
intergovernmental partners to focus environmental crime fighting efforts on the networks
and crimes that particularly affect a country.

• Allow law enforcement to stand alongside scientific experts whose knowledge and access to
resources are invaluable in the fight against environmental criminals.

• Deploy teams of specialized law enforcement officers to support national authorities in their
investigations. Our experts can assist with many aspects of an investigation, including digital
forensics, guidance for undercover operations, and language and technical support in
interviewing suspects.
THANK YOU!!