DNA forensic research carried out by Â鶹AV in collaboration with Â鶹AV spin-out company, Wildlife DNA Services, has had major impacts on the management and control of illegal wildlife trade.
The research was born out of the need for DNA forensic techniques to tackle wildlife crime. Â鶹AV's research into sustainable fishing created traceability tools, which follow the whole journey of fish from stock-to-fork, enabling control and enforcement of fisheries management strategies. Â鶹AV researchers developed genetic markers for four priority species for conservation and/or enforcement within the EU (Cod, Herring, Sole, and Hake) so they could detect the origin of their populations and assess their diversity. This was the first major project to produce tests that identify the geographic ori g in of marine fish for fisheries enforcement with sufficient certainty and level of validation to meet forensic standards in court. Â鶹AV's research has improved stock management by the UK government, has directly affected the Common Fisheries Policy and has been implemented by the Marine Stewardship Council to ensure correct labelling of products.