Crimes against the environment should have a tough punishment

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Environmental crimes
Environmental crime has become a serious and growing problem internationally. Such crimes have taken various different forms. Generally, pollution can be described as the introduction of any substance capable of causing harm to living organisms and man into the environment. Wildlife crime, on the other hand, can be defined as exploitation of the wild flora and fauna. The following are some of the environmental crimes in contravention of international and national laws (Marry 115).
Illicit trade in hazardous waste and dumping.
Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing
Trade in stolen timber and logging in violation of national laws
Illegal trade of wildlife in endangered species.
Compared to other crimes, environmental crimes are distinct due to their potentially large scale impacts on the community, habitats and wildlife. Environmental crimes also lead to serious long-term effects on the future generations and the environment at large, effects that go beyond the loss of amenity and simple visual blight. For instance, depletion of the ozone layer due to the emission of ozone-depleting substances into the atmosphere can result into long-term drought hence the mass death of the wildlife.
Environmental crimes are not border-restricted. They can affect nation’s security, economy and even its existence. For example, Most African countries rely on tourism as a source of income, and killing of wildlife animals li…