Combatting wildlife crime | A white paper for the Jersey financial services industry
Wildlife and environmental crime is not just a conservation crisis
A white paper for the financial services industry
This white paper delivers practical information and real-world red flags to help financial institutions, regulators, and service providers in Jersey and further afield detect and disrupt criminal financial flows linked to environmental crime. The focus is on proactive governance, embedded compliance frameworks, and leveraging typologies and data to combat this multi-billion-dollar threat.
Background to Wildlife Crime
Wildlife and environmental crime is not only a conservation crisis, but also one of the most profitable and prolific forms of organised crime.
Due in part to weaker oversight and limited financial or criminal consequences, these crimes are now outgrowing many other illegal trades, estimated to be worth up to USD 481 billion annually, as organised crime groups move toward low-risk, high-reward operations.
Help us raise awareness of the vital role financial services providers, authorities and regulators can play in the collective effort to combat international corruption and support global conservation efforts.
Key takeaways from Managing Director Zoe Dixon-Smith and Managing Partner Stephen Baker
“We’re incredibly grateful to our guest speakers and to Durrell for helping Baker Regulatory raise awareness of the escalating crisis of wildlife and environmental crime and the critical role financial services and authorities play in combating it.
While these crimes may not originate or end in tightly regulated jurisdictions like Jersey, we remain vulnerable to their ripple effects, such as money laundering from associated organised crimes.
This event helped us raise awareness and highlight that the fight against environmental crime demands collaboration across conservationists, governments, NGOs, law enforcement, financial institutions, and regulatory bodies. We all have a role to play.”
Zoe Dixon-Smith
Managing Director
Baker Regulatory
What members from the finance industry have to say?
Baker & Partners and Baker Regulatory hosted a powerful evening of thought-provoking discussion to highlight the global crisis of environmental crime and illegal wildlife trafficking. Now the fourth-largest illegal trade worldwide, after arms, drugs, and human trafficking, the trade is consistently linked to serious organised crimes such as money laundering, fraud, and corruption.
In collaboration with Durrell, the event brought together filmmakers, wildlife investigators, conservationists, and regulatory professionals to help raise awareness of the vital role financial services industry, authorities and regulators in Jersey can play in the collective effort to combat international corruption and support global conservation efforts.
The event featured emotive presentations from wildlife filmmakers Justin Purefoy from City Fox Films and Jackie Savery from Maramedia, wildlife investigator Daniel Stiles, and Durrell’s Zoological Director Matt Goetz. Alongside Baker Regulatory’s Managing Director, Zoe Dixon-Smith, the speakers highlighted how wildlife and environmental crime is not only a conservation crisis, but also one of the most profitable and prolific forms of organised crime.
Coming soon
Award-winning cinematographer Justin Purefoy and Jackie Savery, two of the speakers from our event, are working on a special project utilising the power of cinematic storytelling to highlight the consequences of wildlife crime.
