New Report Highlights Facebook as Main Hub for Illegal Wildlife Trade, SA Flagged

• Facebook is reported to be the primary platform for illegal wildlife trade, facilitating 74% of detected trafficking ads
• The Global Initiative report highlights a shift from physical markets to social media for wildlife trafficking
• Stricter regulations and accountability are needed to combat the growing online wildlife trafficking crisis

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

Facebook has been identified as the primary platform for illegal wildlife trade, with traffickers openly advertising endangered animals and products, according to a new report.

SA flagged for crime and active online wildlife markets

According to IOL, the study by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, using the ECO-SOLVE Global Monitoring System, found that nearly three-quarters of all detected wildlife-trafficking adverts worldwide were posted on Facebook between April 2024 and March 2026. Researchers Russell Gray and Simone Haysom recorded more than 21,900 adverts linked to over 266,000 wildlife products across 61 online platforms. Of these, more than 16,000 adverts, about 74%, were found on Facebook. The report stated that Facebook has become the central public infrastructure through which online wildlife trafficking is concentrated, discovered and expanded.

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South Africa was included among the countries monitored, having been flagged for high levels of environmental crime and active online wildlife markets. The findings point to a shift from physical markets to social media platforms, where traffickers openly advertise endangered species and wildlife products, including pangolin scales, cobras, bats, scorpions and slow lorises. More than 80% of the Facebook-linked adverts involved species protected under the most strictly regulated international categories.

Online wildlife trafficking would continue

Investigators found that Facebook groups were the main hubs for the activity, accounting for the majority of listings. In many cases, users were exposed to illegal content without actively searching for it, indicating that the platform's recommendation systems were pushing such material to wider audiences. Around 60% of the adverts included prices, with the total advertised value exceeding $66 million, almost all linked to Facebook.

The report found that the trade operates across borders, with wildlife sourced in one region, sold through platforms in another and shipped globally. Researchers said voluntary efforts by technology companies to curb wildlife trafficking have failed, with illegal sales continuing despite platform policies prohibiting such activity. They called for stricter regulation, improved monitoring across multiple languages and greater accountability for social media companies, warning that without structural changes and effective oversight, online wildlife trafficking would continue to expand on mainstream digital platforms.

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Nine arrested for illegal harvesting in Robben Island Marine Protected Area

Briefly News also reported that nine suspects were arrested following two separate incidents of attempted illegal harvesting of marine resources.

The arrests were made during an intensified enforcement operation targeting organised poaching syndicates. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) confirmed that no serious injuries were reported during either incident.

Source: Briefly News