10 ways we tackled wildlife crime (2019–2021)
2020 was a year none of us will ever forget.
As the world grappled with the impacts of COVID-19, much of the globe was brought to a near standstill. However, the illegal wildlife trade — one of the largest illicit trades on earth — has not stopped, and neither has WWF and TRAFFIC’s work.
Tragically, the pandemic has too clearly demonstrated the adverse impacts that unchecked exploitation of biodiversity — including through illegal wildlife trade — is having on human rights to life, health, food, water, freedom of association and an adequate standard of living. As we look to the future, we know there’s a long way to go, but on the release of our 2019–2021 annual review, we share ten positive steps taken toward ending the global illegal wildlife trade, and highlight the important convergence of IWT and environment, health, human rights, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering.
Wildlife trade and the pandemic
In response to the pandemic, WWF led a global call to action on COVID-19 and wildlife trade (preventpandemics.org), endorsed by 380 experts and advocates in more than 60 countries. We called on policymakers to shut down high-risk wildlife markets, scale up efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade, and strengthen efforts to reduce consumer demand for high-risk wildlife products.
At the same time, we’ve sought to improve understanding of these issues: TRAFFIC’s briefing on COVID-19 and Zoonotic Disease Risks in April 2020, for example, identified challenges and unintended consequences associated with calls to “shut down wildlife trade”, while WWF’s 2021 white paper Assessing Risk Factors for Viral Disease Emergence in the Wildlife Trade examined risks around issues such as live trade and human consumption of different species, intensive wildlife farming and markets for live animals.
2. Supporting rangers across the world
There is no one definition of a ranger; they come from a variety of backgrounds, but they all play a vital role in our lives — and our future. From urban settings to suburban communities to remote areas, rangers protect the wild and our right to a healthy environment. But in this dangerous line of work, rangers face immense challenges. WWF’s 2019 report Life on the Frontline survey, based on interviews with more than 7,000 rangers in 28 countries, presented a pattern of poor working conditions, undermining their right to work in decent conditions. Late pay, a lack of equipment and support, abuse and threats are among the issues they face. 57% of rangers don’t always have access to clean water. 31% faced verbal abuse in the last year.
In 2020, WWF was one of eight partners that set up the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA) to professionalise, support and motivate the global ranger workforce, with the aim of supporting rangers’ rights, while ensuring an accountable and rights-respecting ranger workforce.
URSA has already developed a global ranger Code of Conduct, and, in July 2021, launched its 2021–2025 Action Plan setting out a range of targets and measures. Also in development are a set of minimum welfare standards and a safeguarding policy. Through URSA, we’re also exploring the critical issues of gender in the ranger workforce and trust between rangers and communities.
3. Advancing knowledge on corruption
Exploring and addressing the threats corruption poses to wildlife, forests and fisheries, and to human rights in general, is the focus of the Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project, a WWF collaboration with TRAFFIC, TRACCC and the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre. Over the last two years, TNRC has published nearly 20 knowledge papers covering issues ranging from corruption risks in the wild plant trade and the CITES permitting process, to community-based anti-corruption efforts and the role of gender. TNRC has shared these learnings with conservation and natural resource management professionals through regular webinars and panel discussions, blogs and podcasts.
4. Tackling financial crime
Illegal trade in wildlife, seafood and timber generates billions of dollars — but it’s only recently that the finance industry has begun to get serious about money laundering and illicit financial flows connected with wildlife crime.
In response, we’ve established a new partnership with the Association of Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) — which seeks to drive collaboration among financial institutions, governmental bodies and non-profit groups by raising awareness and developing tools. We’ve launched a free training kit and certificate covering the steps that the financial sector should take to identify, report, mitigate and remedy the risks associated with each stage of the illegal wildlife trade supply chain. Also, TRAFFIC has worked with UNODC — the UN Office on Drugs and Crime — to highlight the various payment methods and money laundering techniques of criminal networks related to wildlife crime. In Laos, we worked with the government, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and UNODC on a review of closed cases related to ivory seizures that didn’t follow financial leads or financial information, identifying missed opportunities in the original investigations.
“These important partnerships go a long way towards bridging the gaps in the financial systems that criminals exploit to move, hide and launder the proceeds of the illegal trade in wildlife.”
Margaret Kinnaird, Wildlife Practice Leader, WWF
5. Clamping down on trafficking in the Golden Triangle
The “Golden Triangle” — the border area connecting Laos, Myanmar and Thailand — is one of the epicentres of the illegal wildlife trade. Trafficking thrives across porous borders, and products from endangered wildlife, including tigers, elephants, bears, pangolins and rhinos, are openly sold in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, attracting tourists from China and Viet Nam. With support from the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, we’re running a joint project to increase cross-border collaboration to clamp down on wildlife trafficking.
6. Using DNA data to protect turtles
We’re using DNA analysis to disrupt the trade in tortoiseshell products that threatens the future of critically endangered hawksbill turtles. Illegal trade in hawksbill products — from small-scale local markets to large-scale international operations — has changed significantly, so being able to trace turtle products back to their source is critical to understand and address illegal harvesting and trafficking.
In partnership with researchers, universities, NGOs and governments, we’re developing and applying genetic tools that will identify poaching hotspots and pinpoint the hawksbill populations that are most affected across the Asia-Pacific region.
7. Tackling wildlife crime in air, by sea and on land
Wildlife smuggling happens across all terrains. For instance an estimated 72–90% of illicit wildlife products by volume is trafficked by sea, with over 90 tonnes of pangolin scales and 15 tonnes of elephant ivory seized from container cargo transported between Africa and Asia in 2019. This is why we’re working with the transport sector to close down wildlife trafficking routes by air, sea and land.
At sea… In September 2020, member states of the International Maritime Organization approved a proposal by the Kenyan government to develop guidelines to prevent wildlife smuggling using international shipping.
By air… Our work with the aviation industry continues through the USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership led by TRAFFIC. The ROUTES Partnership is now expanding into Latin America. In Southern Africa, we’ve worked with ROUTES partners to launch a transport taskforce to help combat wildlife crime. And AirAsia became the latest airline to incorporate illegal wildlife trade modules developed by ROUTES into staff training.
And on land… We’ve been working with the freight forwarding industry, responsible for the logistics of international shipments. “Prevention of wildlife trafficking” is now one of the standards companies must meet in order to obtain a diploma from FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations.
8. Shutting down cyber trafficking
Tech companies removed or blocked more than 3 million online listings in the first two years after the formation of the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online in 2018. These included live tigers, reptiles, primates and birds for the exotic pet trade, as well as products derived from species like elephants, pangolins and turtles. WWF, TRAFFIC and IFAW convened the Coalition to address the growing threat of illegal online wildlife trade, with 21 of the world’s biggest social media, e-commerce and tech companies on board.
9. Adopting a holistic and human-rights based approach to IWT
Wildlife crime is a complex issue requiring a multifaceted response, based on human rights. In the past year, we have invested time and effort to understand the many underlying drivers of wildlife crime, and to design effective, evidence-based interventions, by building our own knowledge base on the links between wildlife crime, human rights, gender, and corruption. For example, we sought to understand what drives people to become involved in poaching and wildlife crime — and how can a better understanding of their motivations help design effective interventions? In order to do so, we carried out two research projects in Southern Africa with people serving time for wildlife crime offences during 2020.
This research will form a critical resource for the future, helping us design holistic and more efficient responses to IWT, addressing the root causes of poverty and inequality.
We also led ground-breaking work aimed at helping us adequately consider the gender implications of IWT (Gender and IWT: overlooked and underestimated), which will open up avenues to better understand, prevent and respond to IWT, while moving toward gender equality.
10. A global approach to a global problem
In the face of a global crisis, a coordinated and global response is needed. The regional Wildlife Crime Hubs are WWF and TRAFFIC’s answer to the need for collaboration at scale: last year, Latin America and the Caribbean joined the global wildlife crime hub architecture, which also includes hubs in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, and in the Asia Pacific region. The Latin America hub is helping 12 countries to innovatively address wildlife crime. In Africa, three regional Hubs cover 13 countries and help them to deliver a coordinated and consistent approach to addressing wildlife crime. In the Asia Pacific, the Hub focuses on key points along the illegal wildlife trade chain: transport bottlenecks, financial transactions and online sales. The hubs provide a platform for strengthening WWF / TRAFFIC collaboration, as well as partnerships with external actors including governments, international organisations, the private sector, academics and other NGOs.
To find out more about WWF and TRAFFIC’s efforts to tackle wildlife crime over the past year, download the full report here.
