Insect trafficking: a green criminological perspective

Nurse, A and Doornbos, E ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2410-4830, 2025. Insect trafficking: a green criminological perspective. Laws, 14 (5): 74. ISSN 2075-471X

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Abstract

In May of 2025, four men were sentenced in a Kenyan court for the attempted smuggling of ants. This case underscores a largely overlooked dimension of global wildlife crime: the trafficking of insects. This article aims to discuss the nature of insect trafficking in legal, criminological, and conservation discourses and to argue for its inclusion in broader debates within environmental justice discourse. Exploring legal and policy dimensions of wildlife trafficking through a green criminological lens, this paper underscores the anthropocentric bias in wildlife protection, which marginalises noncharismatic species despite their ecological importance. It concludes that a shift toward ecological and species justice is necessary, advocating for more inclusive legal definitions, improved enforcement mechanisms, and interdisciplinary research. Recognising insects as victims of environmental harm is essential for developing holistic responses to wildlife crime and advancing the goals of green criminology.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Laws
Creators:	Nurse, A. and Doornbos, E.
Publisher:	MDPI
Date:	28 October 2025
Volume:	14
Number:	5
ISSN:	2075-471X
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.3390/laws14050074 DOI 2511760 Other
Rights:	© 2025 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	10 Oct 2025 08:40
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2025 08:40
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54544

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