OSINT investigations are increasingly becoming essential in investigating a wide range of crimes. This is the fascinating case study of how EIA (the Environmental Investigation Agency) tracked online trade in endangered marine species using forum and e-commerce scraping. Their methodology allows them to save protected marine life daily, making a positive impact on sea life preservation.
What is EIA?
- The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is an international non-profit organization founded in 1984 in the United Kingdom by environmental activists Dave Currey, Jennifer Lonsdale, and Allan Thornton. It has offices in London and Washington, D.C., and focuses on investigating and campaigning against environmental crime and abuse.
The EIA uses undercover investigations, intelligence reports, and campaigning expertise to expose transnational wildlife crime, illegal logging, deforestation, plastic pollution, by-catch, and commercial exploitation of marine life.
EIA also collaborates with local and international partners to promote sustainable management of natural resources and improve environmental governance.
The decline of vaquitas and totoaba
The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is the smallest and most endangered marine mammal in the world. The species is native only to the northern Gulf of California (in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico). As of 2024-2025, vaquitas are on the brink of extinction, with fewer than ten individuals remaining.
Its decline is driven largely by bycatch in illegal gillnets set to catch totoaba fish. The totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) is a large, endangered fish, also endemic to the same region. Its swim bladder (or “maw”) is highly prized in traditional Chinese medicine and seen as a luxury item in black markets in China and Hong Kong.
One totoaba bladder can sell for USD 10,000-100,000. For this reason, it’s often called the “cocaine of the sea.”
On borrowed time
In 2024, EIA released a report titled “On Borrowed Time.” This report details how totoaba swim bladders (“maws”) are actively offered online. In this report, EIA exposed digital trafficking channels directly contributing to the vaquita’s rapid decline.
Exposing illegal trafficking of shark trophies
Thanks to this report, in March 2025, researchers (including EIA collaborators) deployed web crawlers scanning hundreds of English-language marketplaces and social platforms, searching for species listed under IUCN and CITES.
They identified 546 unique listings for threatened or protected species. 334 (around 61%) of listings were for shark trophies; these included critically endangered species like shortfin mako sharks.
EIA closely monitored evolving platform policies. eBay instituted bans targeting CITES-listed species, blocking ~1 million potential wildlife listings in 2024. However, trafficking appears to have migrated to other platforms like Etsy, Amazon, and social media channels.
The results of the investigation
EIA used the data from their investigation to pressure platforms and regulators. For example, they pushed for eBay’s 2024 wildlife listing ban. At the same time, they provided evidence to CITES and national wildlife agencies to improve enforcement around digital markets.
EIA is still working with platforms to build detection tools such as FloraGuard and systems that flag suspicious posts in real time. There are also plans to expand scraping coverage, include non-English platforms, and measure the long-term impact of interventions.
The methodology
EIA’s methodology can easily be replicated for similar scenarios:
- Create species lists: comprehensive lists fo protected species were drawn from the IUCN red list and CITIES Appendix I.
- Automate web crawlers: custom-built bots crawled 100+ marketplaces over multiple weeks, capturing listings containing key species names or images.
- Aggregate and classify data: machine filters removed duplicates, then manual analysts vetted for listing authenticity and species status.
- Continuos monitoring: ongoing follow‑up studies to track the efficacy of platform bans and compliance.
This method directly contributed to protecting marine biodiversity—especially the critically endangered vaquita and shark species—by translating online intelligence into real-world enforcement and policy change.