- In 2023, EU authorities recorded nearly 5,200 wildlife trafficking seizures, mostly involving endangered European eels, timber, and medicinal plants, reinforcing the bloc’s status as a key global trade hub, a new report notes.
- More than 1 million CITES-listed specimens — including more than 600,000 live animals and 10,000 live plants — were intercepted across EU countries, according to the TRAFFIC report.
- Authorities documented 88 species seized for the first time, including poison frogs and tarantula look-alikes, while 28% of fauna seizures were linked to the exotic pet trade.
- The EU’s response includes updated legislation and participation in globally coordinated enforcement actions such as Operation Thunder.
The European Union remains a major hub for global wildlife trafficking, with nearly 5,200 seizures reported in 2023. The confiscations mostly involved critically endangered European eels (Anguilla anguilla), timber and medicinal plants, according to a new report by wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC.
Worth an estimated $23 billion a year, the illegal wildlife trade is a major driver of biodiversity loss and transnational crime, according to the U.N. The report underscores the urgent need for stronger enforcement, increased public awareness, and global cooperation to curb the trade.
TRAFFIC’s latest report draws on data from the European Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange website, which compiles centralized seizure and offense records from 34 European countries. The report found that more than 1 million specimens were seized across the EU between January and December 2023. These included more than 600,000 live animals and 10,000 live plants. The seizures involved at least 574 species — 489 animals and 85 plants — listed under the global wildlife trade convention CITES.
“The EU remains a significant market for wildlife trafficking, as commercial entities and individuals continue to smuggle wild species and their products into, through, and from EU Member States,” Anastasiya Timoshyna, director of TRAFFIC’s European program office, said in a news release.
Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain accounted for nearly 75% of reported seizures. While 86% of intercepted shipments were destined for the EU market, destination details in seizure records indicate that others were en route to countries such as the United States and United Kingdom. Top countries of origin included Thailand, the U.S., Ukraine, mainland China, and India, with transport mostly by air, mail, or sea.
The number of seizure records in 2023 rose from around 4,550 in 2022, though still fell below the pre-pandemic peak of 6,150 in 2019. “While not indicative of the complete picture of illicit activities — reported seizure data does provide valuable insight into illegal wildlife trade patterns, allowing authorities to monitor trends and tailor interventions to address priority risks,” TRAFFIC noted in the news release.
European eels, highly prized in East Asian cuisine, topped 2023 seizure counts by number, with 1 million specimens intercepted. Portugal (44%), Spain (27%) and France (23%) accounted for the bulk of live eel seizures in 2023, while most shipments were bound for France (11%), China (8%) and Senegal (6%).
Timber led in volume, with more than 33,000 cubic meters (1.17 million cubic feet) confiscated. More than half of the wood seized in the EU in 2023 came from rosewood species (Dalbergia spp.), commonly used to make traditional furniture and musical instruments. North Indian rosewood (D. sissoo) and Brazilian rosewood (D. nigra) appeared frequently in seizures, with India and Madagascar as key exporters. Cedar from the genus Cedrela also grew in prominence, accounting for 15% of timber seizures — up from 12% in 2022 and none in earlier years.
Other frequently intercepted items included plant-based medicinal products (i.e., extracts, derivatives and chips), live birds, reptiles and corals. Around 28% of fauna-related seizures were believed to be linked to the exotic pet trade — one of the EU’s largest illegal wildlife markets — while the rest involved animals trafficked for food, traditional medicine, ornaments and other commercial uses, according to TRAFFIC.
“The findings highlight both persistent threats and fast-evolving trends,” Louisa Musing, TRAFFIC’s senior program officer for Europe, told Mongabay by email. “This underscores the urgent need for coordinated enforcement at the EU and national level, robust legislation, and greater public awareness.”
The findings also align with trends observed online by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which was not involved in the report. “The latest report from TRAFFIC further reinforces the EU as a hub for various forms of the illegal wildlife trade with recorded seizures showing just the tip of the iceberg,” Christian Plowman, IFAW’s wildlife cybercrime program manager, told Mongabay by email.
The EU Digital Services Act, which was adopted in October 2022 and took full effect in February 2024, aims to curb the illegal online wildlife trade. Under this law, watchdog groups including IFAW have been designated as “trusted flaggers,” allowing them to work directly with online platforms to identify and report illicit wildlife sales. “We’re seeing a booming market for live pets and illegal wildlife products,” Plowman said.
The report also highlighted emerging trends, including the first-time seizure of 88 species in 2023 within the 2017–2023 assessment period. These included brightly colored poison frogs and tarantula look-alikes. Birds showed the highest species diversity, with 196 distinct CITES-listed species seized, about 24% of which are classified under the global wildlife conservation authority IUCN as either threatened or near threatened.
Meanwhile, Plowman highlighted a surprising decline in elephant ivory seizures: “Only 4% of seizures were related to ivory, which could be encouraging — showing awareness of its illegality. Ivory trading online is also not as prolific, and when it is seen, it is usually fake or antique. This report reflects the picture of what we are seeing online.”
Enforcement efforts continue to ramp up. EU countries participated in global crackdowns such as Operation Thunder, a joint initiative led by Interpol and the World Customs Organization targeting wildlife and timber trafficking. The operation led to more than 2,000 seizures and 500 arrests worldwide. Within the EU, 17 EU member states reported 709 domestic seizures, mostly at airports and mail centers, while maritime ports proved key in detecting large timber shipments.
The release of the TRAFFIC report also coincides with the 10th anniversary of the EU’s accession to CITES on July 8, 2015 (individual EU member states were already parties). It comes as the bloc pushes toward its 2030 biodiversity targets and boosts efforts to combat environmental crime.
“As the EU moves forward with strong global environmental commitments … it has a crucial opportunity to reinforce its leadership and drive systemic change in tackling wildlife trafficking,” Musing said.
Banner image:A mimic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator). Several of the species seized in the EU in 2023 were visually striking or exotic species. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.
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