Abstract
Transnational environmental crime is a global problem encompassing not only criminal violations of the law, but harms against the environment and the people reliant upon it as a natural resource. Grounded in the green criminological theory of eco-global criminology, this paper explores the transnational environmental crime of the illegal timber trade in the Russian Far East unpicking the threats to ecological well-being and the global nature and impacts of this crime. In researching transnational environmental crime, it is crucial to uncover the distinct local and regional variations of the forces at play; for this paper that means analyzing the role of organized crime and corruption in Russia’s timber black market. This information was obtained by using the current literature and interviews with Russian and international experts in order to uncover the role of these actors in the harvesting, smuggling and selling of timber. From this exploration, a structure of the illegal timber trade in this region is proposed including at which points along the black market chain organized crime and/or corruption are involved. Additionally, from an eco-global criminological foundation this paper analyzes the consequences to Russia’s people, its environment and the global community if the illegal timber trade is to continue in its current state.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boekhout van Solinge, T. (2010). Equatorial deforestation as a harmful practice and a criminological issue. In R. White (Ed.), Global environmental harm: Criminological perspectives. Cullompton: Willan.
Bolshakov, B.M. (2004). National report of the federation on illegal logging and trade of illegally derived forest products. Deputy Director of Russian Federal Forest Agency. Geneva 16–17 September 2004.
Brack, D. (2007). Illegal logging. Chatham house energy, environment and development program EEDP/LOG BP 07/01.
Brack, D. (2004). The growth and control of international environmental crime. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112(2), A80–A81.
Butler, W. (1997). Criminal code of the Russian federation. London: Simmonds and Hill.
Elliott, L. (2011). Transnational environmental crime: Applying network theory to an investigation of illegal trade, criminal activity and law enforcement responses. Transnational environmental crime project working paper 1/2011. Canberra: National Library of Australia.
Environmental Investigation Agency (2007a). Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: How Wal-Mart’s sourcing practices encourage illegal logging and threaten endangered species. http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/report-Walmart-forests-dec07.pdf. Accessed 1 February 2011.
Environmental Investigation Agency. (2007b). No questions asked: the impacts of US market demand for illegal timber. http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/report--NQA--forests--oct08.pdf. Accessed 1 February 2011.
Environmental Investigation Agency & Telepak. (2001). Timber trafficking—Illegal logging in Indonesia, South East Asia and International consumption of illegally sourced Timber. http://www.eia-international.org/files/reports26-1.pdf. Accessed 8 February 2011.
Graycar, A., & Felson, M. (2010). Situational prevention of organized timber theft and related corruption. In K. Bullock, R. V. Clarke, & N. Tilley (Eds.), Situational prevention of organized crimes (pp. 81–92). Devon: Willan Publishing.
Hagan, F. (1983). The organized crime continuum: a further specification of a new conceptual model. Criminal Justice Review, 8, 52–57.
Halsey, M. (1997). Environmental crime: towards an eco-human rights approach. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 8(3), 217–242.
Holmes, L. (2006). Rotten states? Corruption, post-communism & neoliberalism. London: Duke University Press.
INTERPOL and the World Bank. (2009). CHAINSAW PROJECT: An INTERPOL perspective on law enforcement in illegal logging. Lyon: INTERPOL General Secretariat.
Khatchadourian, R. (2008). Stealing the forests. The New Yorker, 84(October), 64–73.
Lankin, A. (2005). Forest product exports from the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia to China: Status and trends. Washington, DC: Forest Trends.
Lebedev, A. (2006). Twelve angered elements: Anthology of ecological journalism in the Far East in 2005. Bureau of Regional Public Campaigns (Brok). In Russian.
Lebedev, A. (2005). Siberian and Russian Far East timber for China: Legal and illegal pathways, players and trends. Washington, DC: Forest Trends.
Lynch, M. (1990). The greening of criminology: a perspective for the 1990’s. The Critical Criminologist, 2(3), 1–4. 11–12.
Lynch, M., & Stretesky, P. (2003). The meaning of green: contrasting criminological perspectives. Theoretical Criminology, 7(2), 217–238.
Nelleman, C. and INTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme (eds). (2012). Green Carbon, Black Trade: Illegal Logging, Tax Fraud and Laundering in the Worlds Tropical Forests. A Rapid Response Assessment. UNEP, GRID-Arendal.
Newell, J. (2004). The Russian Far East: A reference guide for conservation and development. McKinleyville: Daniel & Daniel.
Paoli, L. (2001). Drug trafficking in Russia: a form of organized crime? Journal of Drug Issues, 31(4), 1007–1038.
Passas, N. (Ed.). (1995). Organized crime. Brookfield: Dartmouth.
Pye-Smith, C. (2006). Logging in the Wild East: China and the forest crisis in the Russian Far East. Royal Institute of International Affairs. http://www.illegal-logging.info/textonly/papers/Forest_Trends_China_Russia.pdf. Accessed 8 July 2010.
Schloenhardt, A. (2008). The illegal trade in timber and timber products in the Asia-Pacific Region (Research and public policy series (no 89)). Australia: Canberra.
Seneca Creek and Associates. (2004). Illegal” logging and global wood markets: The competitive impacts on the U.S. wood products industry. Washington, DC: American Forest and Paper Association.
Sheingauz, S. (2004). Overview of the forest sector in the Russian Far East: production, industry and the problem of illegal logging. Forest trends. http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/publications/Sheingauz_final.pdf. Accessed 20 February 2007.
South, N. (1998). A green field for criminology?: A proposal for a perspective. Theoretical Criminology, 2(2), 211–233.
Tacconi, L. (2007). Illegal logging and the future of the forest. In L. Tacconi (Ed.), Illegal logging: Law enforcement, livelihoods and the timber trade (pp. 275–291). Sterling: Earthscan.
Tacconi, L. (2007). The problem of Illegal logging. In L. Tacconi (Ed.), Illegal logging: Law enforcement, livelihoods and the timber trade (pp. 1–17). Sterling: Earthscan.
Turner, J., Katz, A. & Buongiorno, J. (2007). Implications for the New Zealand Wood products sector of trade distortions due to illegal logging. http://www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/illegal-logging/trade-distortion-implications/Final_Report.pdf. Accessed 8 July 2010.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2006a). Russian federation solid wood products annual 2006. Gain report RS 6007. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture.
Vandergert, P., & Newell, J. (2003). Illegal logging in the Russian Far East and Siberia. International Forestry Review, 5(3), 303–306.
Walters, R. (2010). Toxic atmospheres, air pollution. Trade and the Politics of Regulation. Critical Criminology, 18, 307–323.
Westerhuis, D. Walters, R. and Wyatt, T. Introduction. In Westerhuis, D., Walters, R. and Wyatt, T. (eds). Emerging issues in green criminology: Exploring power, justice and harm. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan: 2–19.
White, R. (2013). The conceptual contours of green criminology. In D. Solomon-Westerhuis, R. Walters, & T. Wyatt (Eds.), Emerging issues in green criminology: Power, harm and environmental justice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
White, R. (2011). Transnational environmental crime: Toward an eco-global criminology. London: Routledge.
World Bank. (2006). Strengthening forest law enforcement and governance: Addressing a systematic constraint to sustainable development. Report No. 36638-GLB. Washington, DC: World Bank.
World Bank. (1999). Forest sector review. New York: World Bank.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF). (2005). Failing the forests. Europe’s illegal timber trade. Washington, DC: World Wildlife Fund.
Wyatt, T. (2012). Green criminology & wildlife trafficking: The illegal fur and falcon trades in Russia Far East. Saarbrücken: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.
Wyatt, T. (2009). Exploring the organization in Russia Far East’s illegal wildlife trade: two case studies of the illegal fur and illegal falcon trades. Global Crime, 10(1 & 2), 144–154.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wyatt, T. The Russian Far East’s illegal timber trade: an organized crime?. Crime Law Soc Change 61, 15–35 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-013-9461-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-013-9461-y