Introduction
The proposed study intends to investigate factors that influence management of
environmental/ecosystem crime in the United Kingdom. The cost of environmental
deterioration is high including extinction of valuable wild animals, important forests and
diminishing of natural resources. Due to world capitalism today many countries have settled
for immense economics benefits at the expense of future environmental resources.
International crimes against the environment have been defined in relation to the following:
illegal wildlife trade, illegal trade on ozone-depleting substances, disposal of hazardous
wastes, unregulated and unreported fishing and illegal logging and trade of timber.
Hazardous Wastes
It is therefore the duty of a country to protect its environments through environmental
legislature and publication of academic environmental journals through which the vital
message may be passed to different parties affiliated to the issue. My research will rely
mostly on the following research materials: books, academic journals and internet.
Statement of the Problem
Despite the presence of various bodies propounded to in different parts of the world to deal
with the problem of environmental harm, many people including still think that
environmental deterioration is still escalating. This is as a result of realizing how illegal
wildlife trade, smuggling of ozone depleting substances, illegal logging, unreported and
unregulated fishing and hazardous wastes among others have today become major points of
targets for economic purposes. Global bodies such as G8, European Union, Interpol, UNEP,
and the United Nation Interregional crime and justice Research Institute have been at the
vanguard in identifying various forms of environmental distortion considered as crimes
against environment.
Example of an environmental deterioration.
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Objective of the study
Broad Objectives
To examine factors that influences the management of environmental crime in various parts
of the world.
Specific Objectives
i. To identify the environmental crime management styles employed by various bodies both at
national and international level and their influence on their performance in
environmental/wildlife protection in the UK.
ii. To examine the role of the government, environmental NGOs and International
environmental protection bodies in sensitizing people in the UK on the risks and harm the
destruction of nature may incur to the future generation.
iii. To identify economic factors influencing the management of environmental crimes.
Study Questions
i. How do environmental crime management styles that are employed by various bodies both
at national and international level influence their performance in environmental/wildlife
protection?
ii. Do the UK government, environmental NGOs and International environmental protection
bodies play a role in sensitizing people on the risks and harm the destruction of nature may
incur to the future generation?
iii. What is the link between economic factors and environmental crimes?
Justification
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It is evident that unlawful trade at the expense of the environment has wrecked the limit and
surged into our own lives. The illegal environmental products traffickers are moved by the
economic triumph that takes the form of bottomless profits and unprecedented political
influence. Environmental crimes are by their very nature trans-boundary involving cross-
border criminal consortiums. An ivory tusk or a tiger skin usually passes very many
individuals from the poaching site to the concluding purchaser. Trees felled illegally travel
from the forest through the factory to be sold in the market as finished good.
Communication and movement of goods and money to facilitate the operations of these
environmental crime is being made easier by the fact that we are today in an era of global
free market.
Different environmental protection and investigation agencies have been investigating and
exposing environmental crimes around the world and have found immense political hold up
for strong enforcement measures against these crimes. Despite the fact that environmental
crimes posses a serious threat in the UK, it still remains a low priority for the country’s laws
enforcement agencies.
Literature review
This section gives us a glimpse into what other scholars have commented on the same
subject. Existing literature tries to show the existing economic as well political factors
influencing the management of environmental crimes in the UK. According to the UK
legislative necessities the specific legal responsibility are enforced through a blend of two
lawmaking provisions. The custom and excise management act 1979 (CEMA), enforced by
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HM C&E, normalizes the imports and exports facets of trade at airports and other ports of
entry. Within the UK, the control of trade in scarce species regulations 1997 creates
offences and detail penalty that fulfill the necessities of the EC regulation. (Article 249 EC
Treaty, 1997)
It is at the heart of many countries not to be recognized as collaborators or repository of the
illegal international trade in endangered species especially because such kinds of illegal
trades may have links to other forms of organized crimes. Thus, the United Kingdom is very
capable of combating such trade which it has attempted by even allocating wildlife
inspectors as part of its management authority and as well as a relatively supportive
government working within a structure of powerful supranational law originating from the
EC. However the legal system in the UK is not as effective as it might be and the following
factors are claimed to contribute to the discrepancy: low criminal punishments, differing and
inconsistent judicial or organizational sanctions which largely depend on agencies involved
in the examination, an uninformed approach to a harmful criminal trade with far-reaching
impacts on the sustainability of species and habitats.
An instance of all these tribulations is the case of the rebirth conglomerate. This corporation
Confessed dealing with shawls made from shahtoosh wool, which is produced from the
coats of the Tibetan antelope, a seriously endangered variety. Approximately 1,000 antelope
were eliminated from life to provide the wool for the 138 shawls which were impounded. In
spite of the traders’ severe impact on an endangered variety, and the value of the confiscated
shawls being £353,000, the corporation was fined just £1,500 (Robert, Cook, Jones and
Lowther, 2001).
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There have been several flaws in the way offenders of wildlife law are usually brought to
justice in United Kingdom. This was posited by the belief of Garry Job for an offence which
was not arrest able and for which could not therefore be forced to be present at a police
station for interviews with the police, a situation which later came to be described as not
helpful by the investigating officers.
There are several roles that the UK government should undertake so as to make sure that the
illegal wildlife trade is combated. However a review of all available relevant research
indicate that the main issues in law and its enforcement include the problem of interpreting
the UK’s tripartite legislation, extremely low levels of penalties, the relatively weak and
insufficient sanctions and punishments imposed by the law, lack of resources available to
those responsible for enforcing the law that should protect wildlife which impact on
agencies and problem of identifying the endangered species as well as difficulties in
providing the few cases that do come to court (Roberts et al (2001).
Any optimistic changes in battling illegitimate wildlife trading would have to take up a point
of no excuses. This is common in relation to current hardening of political approaches to
youth offending and to mobile phone theft, for instance. The subject of tolerance thresholds
is a linked, but more multifaceted, one. One way in which prohibited wildlife trading is
.justified in court feeds on the idea of unawareness. For instance, judges and magistrates do
not take responsibility that perpetrators are ignorant of the fact that cannabis or heroin
trafficking is illegal, yet they are often convinced that wildlife smugglers do not realize that
their activities are prohibited and damaging (Hardstaff, 2000).
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QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
Scope of the study
This study shall be confined to the environmental crimes agencies, the law enforcing bodies
within the government and individuals in the UK. This will enhance efficiency by providing
a reasonable target population of the study. Furthermore the study shall focus on
heterosexual adults (male and female) aged 18-60 years since by the virtue of their
knowledge, exposure and opinions are well versed with key factors influencing
environmental crimes management in the UK. Further it is the age bracket that is exposed to
the economics needs and either through direct or indirect linkage may be in a way involved
in such activities.
Purposive sampling will be used whereby the selected persons will be served with
questionnaires relevant to the study. A sample size of 200 subjects will be selected. Primary
data will be collected using questionnaires on a survey basis. Data will later be analyzed
descriptively and inferentially by statistical data analysis software recommended. The study
is expected to contribute to the curbing of the ongoing global crisis caused by environmental
crimes escalation.
Questionnaire on factors affecting the environmental crime management and control within
the United Kingdom
SECTION A: Personal Information
1. Age ………………………………………………………………
2. Designation …………………………………………………………………
3. City of Residence…………………………………………………………
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4. Age ……………………………………
5. Education level: Primary ( ) Secondary ( ) Tertiary ( )
6. Gender: Male ( ) Female ( )
7. Work experience (years) ……………………………………………………
SECTION B: to be completed by randomly selected persons in the selected environmental
enforcing agencies.
Instructions: Complete the following information on environmental crimes
management/control styles employed by law enforcing agents in United Kingdom
8. Have you ever prosecuted a suspect of environmental law violation?
Yes ( )
No ( )
9. If yes which of the following crimes had you charged the suspect?
Logging of trees ( )
Smuggling of elephant/rhino tusks/snake skin/ tiger skin ( )
Illegal depleting of ozone layer with waste substances ( )
Illegal deposit/transportation of hazardous waste product ( )
10. What was the action of the suspect during the arrest?
Violent ( )
He submitted ( )
He escaped ( )
Other (specify)
11. Did you encounter any problem while in the process of arresting?
Yes ( )
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No ( )
12. If yes, what are the problems you encountered while trying to arrest the offender?
List them
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13. Do you believe that that the smugglers are usually supported and protected by
political giants? Please explain
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14. Do you believe that the process of enforcing the environmental laws is at many
instances affected by factors beyond their capacity? Please list and briefly explain.
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SECTION THREE: On factors affecting effective management and control of
environmental crime. To be answered by persons in the selected Environmental
organizations as well as individuals within the United Kingdom.
15. What is your opinion of the performance in the environmental crime management
and control agencies and organization in the United Kingdom?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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16. Is the government of UK involved in protection of environment in any way?
Yes ( )
No ( )
17. If yes, list some manifested ways in which the government has been at the forefront
in protecting the environments
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18. What are the social economic factors in your own view that are contributing much in
environmental crime offences? List them
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19. Do you think that political factors are a great issue in this study?
Yes ( )
No ( )
20. If yes please explain further.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Methodology and ethical issues
This part highlights the procedures that will be followed in conducting the study. It include:
techniques of obtaining data, the research design, study site description, target population,
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sample selection, data collection techniques and data analysis techniques that will be
adopted by the study.
Problems in data gathering
Some of the major problem we may encounter during data gathering will be when some
selected subjects’ defaults to fill the questionnaires. Also the survey may turn out to be very
expensive. Some answers provided may also be inaccurate thus affecting the whole
research.
Ethical concerns
Plagiarisms: this is one of the areas I am supposed to watch with extra care. Wherever using
other scholars literature in my study citations absolutely necessary.
Subjects concern: subjects should not be forced to fill in the questionnaires but should be
given a room to make decision whether or not to do so.
Since this is a social research, there is no much moral issue that could arise out of the
research conducting. This is because the research does not require empirical experiments
which could involve usage of humans or animals.
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Reference List
Book
Beverly, 1976. Environmental criminology. Brantingham (Eds.)
Schlosberg, David. 2007. Defining Environmental Justice: Theories, Movements, and
Nature. Oxford University Press.
Jeffery, C. Ray. 1977. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. Beverly Hills,
CA: Sage Publications.
Journal
Kenneth, P., P. 2009. The environment court in new Zealand: UK application
university of aukland. Journal of environmental crime management and control,
65(4), Pp. 9-11
Website
Penny, G.,P 2011. The Impacts of environmental crimes on the future of humanity. Online
<www.environmentalcrimes+control.com> [accessed on 4 th Jan, 2012]
News Paper Article
David Waterson, B 1987, 'Saving the future', Weekend British Magazine, 7-8 February, p.
6.
Professor Malcolm Forster, 2007, ‘The fourth age of environmental law London’, University
College London, January, p. 19.