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House hearing ties wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and IUU fishing to national‑security and public‑health threats
Summary
Witnesses at a House Natural Resources hearing warned that wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing generate billions for criminal networks, strain U.S. enforcement capacity and raise zoonotic‑disease and economic risks; members pressed for more agents, import controls and international cooperation.
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and expert witnesses at a House hearing on international environmental crime on Jan. 21 framed wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as threats to U.S. national security, public health and domestic producers, and urged stronger enforcement and international cooperation.
Chairman Gosar opened the session by calling environmental crime ‘‘the world’s fourth largest crime sector, generating hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue annually’’ and warned that transnational criminal organizations and other bad actors are using wildlife and timber trafficking to finance violence and illicit markets. "These crimes cause downstream consequences that ultimately harm American producers," he said during opening remarks.
Dr. Evan Ellis, introduced as a senior nonresident associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the committee that Chinese criminal networks engage in IUU fishing, illegal mining, timber and wildlife trafficking across the Western Hemisphere, and that those activities can enable money…
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