Nina Treguer -
The distinctive characteristic of the Pacific region is its important reliance on natural resources making it highly vulnerable to transnational organized crime. Timber, among many other species composing the flora and fauna of the Pacific such as corals and fishes, has fallen victim to poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Usually forgotten, timber remains an important revenue for large and small islands. In the Solomon Islands for instance, exports of timber represent between 50% to 70% of the annual export revenue of the country. However, each year, tons of timber are traded illegally, costing the world economy more than 30 billion USD. Hence, not only does it disrupt the preservation of timber but it has had a severe socio-economic impact on their populations.
Bibliography
UNODC. Transnational Organized Crime in the Pacific : A threat Assessment
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