Project Minerva: Establishing Malaysia’s baseline of wildlife crime court cases
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Evidence
VALUE £98,978
WHERE Malaysia
Summary
The wildlife crime case intake throughout the criminal justice system in Malaysia is rarely studied. There is no baseline established, particularly on the sociodemographic background of offenders, prosecution, and the overall damage of these crimes to Malaysian wildlife. Project Minerva aims to foster transparency and provide baseline figures on the state of wildlife crime cases in Malaysia, identify gaps during post-arrest and prosecution, and supplement resource allocation towards enforcement work. The activities include attending court sessions and analysing court reports.
Nature Based Solutions (NBS), EIA - Environmental Investigation Agency, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Government of Malaysia - DWNP, Judiciary of Malaysia
Over 600 arrests and more than 500 convictions in wildlife crime since 2017, alongside a decline in ivory trafficking cases and an increase in elephant and rhino populations.
