Wildlife Forensics

Taiwan enacted the Act on Wildlife Conservation in 1989 to strictly protect wildlife species. For instance, individuals involved in smuggling or the illegal trade of protected wildlife and their products may face imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to NT$1.5 million. In investigations or trials of such cases, forensic identification of confiscated items as protected wildlife provides crucial evidence in determining whether a violation has occurred. In 2003, under Article 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office and other prosecutorial agencies designated the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, as the authority responsible for species identification under the Act on Wildlife Conservation. After organizational adjustments in 2004, these responsibilities were transferred to the Forestry Bureau. Following the 2023 reorganization, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency now carries out this work.

To enhance the efficiency and accuracy of investigations and identifications in cases of violations of the Act on Wildlife Conservation, more than 20 illustrated identification manuals for wildlife species and their products have been published, and three product identification laboratories along with one processing center have been established. To further reduce the time needed for identification during customs or local government enforcement operations, the “Virtual Wildlife Forensics Center” was created. This system allows digital photographs taken on site to be uploaded to a website, where results can be quickly and conveniently obtained online without requiring an expert’s physical presence. Additionally, the world’s first rapid test strip for cetacean meat was developed, enabling determination within about 10 minutes of whether a sample is from protected cetaceans. This innovation significantly improves enforcement efficiency and promotes international technical exchanges, including with the United States.