Wildlife Crime Case Study

Ridley Road market in Dalston has been identified at least twice as a hotspot for the sale of illegal bush meat, most recently by a BBC investigation in 2012 which revealed that a shopkeeper was selling Cane Rat and ‘smokies’ – charred sheep or goat skin – which had not undergone health checks. The trade in bush meat is a persistent problem for UK authorities, with illegal meat products smuggled in by passengers in ferry terminals and airports. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has expressed concern that bush meat could pose a serious risk to those who eat it and to others from contamination.