Katie Smith, overseeing research projects at the University of Adelaide’s wildlife crime hub, highlighted to SBS News the challenges posed by Australia’s vast coastlines in regulating illegal wildlife trade.

According to Smith, the black market for wildlife thrives primarily on e-commerce platforms, with rare reptiles being particularly sought after.

She further noted that this illicit trade not only risks introducing invasive species but also has the potential to spread diseases.

Across the nation, Indigenous leaders are advocating for a role in wildlife conservation, aiming to integrate traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary preservation techniques.

Additionally, the trafficking of animal products continues to be a pressing issue in Australia.

Hidden in clothing, boxes

Animal products are also being trafficked in Australia..

The exotic appeal of shingleback lizards is a driving force in black market demand. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

About 3,000 bird eggs from a suspected threatened species were seized from a man in Tasmania last year.

“Yet it is traded very widely throughout Australia for the pet trade and this is very concerning for their small populations.”

Sharks and shark fin materials are also among the most coveted products being imported out of Australia and New Zealand to Asia.

Efforts to address the black market