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Action 5.3
Action 5.5
  • Home
  • Target 5
  • Action 5.4

5.4. Reduce illegal trade of species and products.

Subactions

  • 5.4.1. Encourage all countries to become signatories to CITES.

    Primary tools and resources

    TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal

    The TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal is an interactive tool that displays TRAFFIC’s wildlife seizure and incident database. The results are displayed as a list and as a dashboard, showing, for example, a summary in a chart or on a map. Clicking on individual records shows more in-depth information about a specific incident, such as the species, commodities and locations involved. The results can be exported to CSV format for further analysis. Relevant data or files can be uploaded and checked by TRAFFIC before their inclusion in the Portal.

    The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)

    CPW is a voluntary partnership of several international organizations that have mandates and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The CPW was Current members are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Center for International Forestry Research, CITES, CMS, FAO, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the International Trade Centre (ITC), IUCN, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, TRAFFIC, and UNEP. The goal of CPW is to increase cooperation between partners and other stakeholders and promote the conservation of terrestrial vertebrate wildlife through sustainable management. Its main working areas are the provision of knowledge and support for issues related to wildlife, food security and sustainable livelihoods as well as on solving human–wildlife conflict and illegal and unsustainable hunting.

    FAO tools and resources on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

    Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems. IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). The FAO has produced three volumes in the series Checklists and Technical Guidelines to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. Volume III is a Checklist of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems, operations, procedures and tools. It provides a list of minimum requirements to ensure that the national MCS systems, operations, procedures, and tools aimed at combating IUU fishing are of the desired standard. Additional information on methodologies and indicators is available on the FAO website.

    How to use.

    • Further details of the FAO tools are available at: https://www.fao.org/iuu-fishing/en/
    • The Checklists and Technical Guidelines can be downloaded at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cd0245en

    Zero Poaching Toolkit

    The Zero Poaching Toolkit helps national and state agencies, protected area managers, rangers, and other frontline protection staff in anti-poaching efforts. The toolkit contains resources on assessment, crime prevention strategies, community involvement, technology, capacity, and cooperation. The tools are freely available and well supported by a wide range of organizations including IUCN and many international NGOs. The tools provide the most practical ways to identify and close gaps in protection activities at the field level. The Training Guidelines for Field Rangers is the first of a series of guidelines to provide a standard for training field rangers.

    Other tools and resources

    New International Maritime Organisation Guidelines to Combat Wildlife Smuggling

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’ to combat wildlife smuggling. It’s an important step for the global shipping industry to focus on bringing down the illegal networks exploiting maritime supply chains to traffic wildlife.

    People Not Poaching

    The People Not Poaching online learning platform aims to support community-based approaches to tackling illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

    With contributions from practitioners and communities, we aim to gather a global evidence base that will build awareness and knowledge-sharing about community approaches to reducing IWT.
    This platform will:

    1. Document different approaches – successful and unsuccessful
    2. Bring together useful resources, and
    3. Provide updates on key events and policy developments.

    Read more about what is being done to tackle IWT around the world.

    UNODC wildlife crime

    The trafficking of wildlife is increasingly recognized as both a specialized area of organized crime and a significant threat to many plant and animal species. The second edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report takes stock of the present wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, and provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. It includes a quantitative market assessment and a series of in-depth illicit trade case studies: rosewood, ivory and rhino horn, pangolin scales, live reptiles, big cats and eels. In addition, value chains and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory and rhino horn is presented.

    If the 2016 World Wildlife Crime Report represented UNODC’s first global assessment of the state of wildlife crime, the 2020 edition of this report represents a first assessment of trends. In several instances, these trends have been dramatic. The poaching of both elephants and rhinoceroses has consistently declined since 2011, as have the prices paid for tusks and horns. But the amount of pangolin scales seized has increased 10-fold in just five years, and new markets, such as the trafficking of European glass eels, have emerged in the wake of strengthened controls. For the first time, a consistent pattern of large shipments of unrelated wildlife products – elephant ivory and pangolin scales – has emerged. In addition, organized criminal groups in broker countries, neither the source nor the destination of the wildlife, have consolidated control of multiple markets. The 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report tracks all these trends and more.

    The Research Brief “Illegal wildlife trade and climate change – Joining the dots” has been prepared as a contribution to the COP27 on Climate Change and considers the complex relationships between illegal wildlife trade, biodiversity and climate change. It highlights the implications of illegal wildlife trade for ecosystem function and resilience and the need for more evidence-based long term integrated policies

    Elephant Ivory Initiative

    WWF’s Network-wide Ivory Initiative came to an end in June 2022, after more than four years of successful work, focused on demand reduction and policy advocacy to shut down Asia’s elephant ivory markets. The initiative was built on the game-changing decision by China in 2017 to shutter its domestic market for elephant ivory. WWF-US was one of the key architects, part of a collective drive alongside NGOs, governments, businesses, and other partners.

    The Elephant Ivory Initiative Report: 2018-2022 is an independent assessment that highlights the legacy, achievements, and lessons learned.

    CITES Wildlife TradeView

    CITES Wildlife TradeView is an interactive online tool for exploring and visualising CITES trade data. It enables users to visualise trends in international wildlife trade through three separate views:

    • Global overview: providing a high-level overview of global trade in CITES-listed species
    • Country view: exploring the CITES trade for one or more countries
    • Taxon view: exploring the CITES trade data for one or more species or taxonomic groups

    Within each view, users can identify the top exporters, importers, trade terms, taxa in trade and source of the specimens in trade (e.g. wild, captive-bred) using custom filters. Individual graphs and accompanying data can also be downloaded.

    The tool is directly linked to the CITES Trade Database (managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat) and is automatically updated once CITES annual reports are entered into the trade database. It therefore provides a way to access the most up to date CITES trade data available. CITES Parties are required to report on trade by 31st October of the year following which the trade occurred.

    The development of CITES Wildlife TradeView was made possible thanks to internal investment, and the financial support from the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund under the Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (project number ES/S008160/1).

    Financial support to maintain the underlying dataset held within the CITES Trade Database is provided by the CITES Secretariat.

    CITES ‘Non-detriment findings’

    The preamble to the Convention recognizes that international cooperation is essential for the protection of certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade, and recognizes also the urgency of taking appropriate measures to this end. However, the point at which such over-exploitation starts has never been defined by the Parties.

    Terms used in the text of the Convention such as “threatened with extinction” (Article II, paragraph 1) and “utilization incompatible with their survival” [Article II, paragraph 2. (a)] in relation to inclusion of species in the Appendices have been largely defined through the adoption of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II. However, related concepts linked with the issuance of permits, such as “…detrimental to the survival of that species” [Article III, paragraphs 2. (a), 3. (a) and 5. (a); and, Article IV, paragraphs 2. (a) and 6. (a)] and “maintain that species throughout its range at a level consistent with its role in the ecosystems in which it occurs” [Article IV, paragraph 3], have been little clarified by the Parties. These have become collectively known as the “non-detriment findings” (NDFs).

    UNODC Forest and Wildlife Crime Toolkit

    This ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, now in its fully revised second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the main issues related to addressing wildlife and forest crime in a given location. It serves as a guide to explore and document this crime type in the wider context of crimes affecting the environment and examine the legal, administrative, and practical measures adopted to prevent and address it.

    The ICCWC Toolkit is designed to assist government officials in wildlife and forestry administrations, policymakers, customs officials and officials of other relevant enforcement agencies, and may also be useful for independent experts and research entities. It will allow users to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks, enforcement measures, prosecutorial and judicial mechanisms, international cooperation, and other measures used to prevent and address wildlife and forest crime in a given national context. In addition, other stakeholders at the international and national levels, as well as civil society, may find the Toolkit useful to carry out their mandate and responsibilities.

    While the focus is on the criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime, the Toolkit also looks more broadly at the means and measures related to the protection and monitoring of wild fauna and flora and at the illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest resources by criminals, including organized criminal groups. The Toolkit further serves to identify technical assistance needs and may be used as training material for law enforcement.

  • 5.4.2. Comply fully with CITES regulations, non-detriment findings, and reporting on international trade.

    Primary tools and resources

    TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal

    The TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal is an interactive tool that displays TRAFFIC’s wildlife seizure and incident database. The results are displayed as a list and as a dashboard, showing, for example, a summary in a chart or on a map. Clicking on individual records shows more in-depth information about a specific incident, such as the species, commodities and locations involved. The results can be exported to CSV format for further analysis. Relevant data or files can be uploaded and checked by TRAFFIC before their inclusion in the Portal.

    The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)

    CPW is a voluntary partnership of several international organizations that have mandates and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The CPW was Current members are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Center for International Forestry Research, CITES, CMS, FAO, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the International Trade Centre (ITC), IUCN, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, TRAFFIC, and UNEP. The goal of CPW is to increase cooperation between partners and other stakeholders and promote the conservation of terrestrial vertebrate wildlife through sustainable management. Its main working areas are the provision of knowledge and support for issues related to wildlife, food security and sustainable livelihoods as well as on solving human–wildlife conflict and illegal and unsustainable hunting.

    FAO tools and resources on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

    Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems. IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). The FAO has produced three volumes in the series Checklists and Technical Guidelines to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. Volume III is a Checklist of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems, operations, procedures and tools. It provides a list of minimum requirements to ensure that the national MCS systems, operations, procedures, and tools aimed at combating IUU fishing are of the desired standard. Additional information on methodologies and indicators is available on the FAO website.

    How to use.

    • Further details of the FAO tools are available at: https://www.fao.org/iuu-fishing/en/
    • The Checklists and Technical Guidelines can be downloaded at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cd0245en

    Zero Poaching Toolkit

    The Zero Poaching Toolkit helps national and state agencies, protected area managers, rangers, and other frontline protection staff in anti-poaching efforts. The toolkit contains resources on assessment, crime prevention strategies, community involvement, technology, capacity, and cooperation. The tools are freely available and well supported by a wide range of organizations including IUCN and many international NGOs. The tools provide the most practical ways to identify and close gaps in protection activities at the field level. The Training Guidelines for Field Rangers is the first of a series of guidelines to provide a standard for training field rangers.

    Other tools and resources

    New International Maritime Organisation Guidelines to Combat Wildlife Smuggling

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’ to combat wildlife smuggling. It’s an important step for the global shipping industry to focus on bringing down the illegal networks exploiting maritime supply chains to traffic wildlife.

    People Not Poaching

    The People Not Poaching online learning platform aims to support community-based approaches to tackling illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

    With contributions from practitioners and communities, we aim to gather a global evidence base that will build awareness and knowledge-sharing about community approaches to reducing IWT.
    This platform will:

    1. Document different approaches – successful and unsuccessful
    2. Bring together useful resources, and
    3. Provide updates on key events and policy developments.

    Read more about what is being done to tackle IWT around the world.

    UNODC wildlife crime

    The trafficking of wildlife is increasingly recognized as both a specialized area of organized crime and a significant threat to many plant and animal species. The second edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report takes stock of the present wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, and provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. It includes a quantitative market assessment and a series of in-depth illicit trade case studies: rosewood, ivory and rhino horn, pangolin scales, live reptiles, big cats and eels. In addition, value chains and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory and rhino horn is presented.

    If the 2016 World Wildlife Crime Report represented UNODC’s first global assessment of the state of wildlife crime, the 2020 edition of this report represents a first assessment of trends. In several instances, these trends have been dramatic. The poaching of both elephants and rhinoceroses has consistently declined since 2011, as have the prices paid for tusks and horns. But the amount of pangolin scales seized has increased 10-fold in just five years, and new markets, such as the trafficking of European glass eels, have emerged in the wake of strengthened controls. For the first time, a consistent pattern of large shipments of unrelated wildlife products – elephant ivory and pangolin scales – has emerged. In addition, organized criminal groups in broker countries, neither the source nor the destination of the wildlife, have consolidated control of multiple markets. The 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report tracks all these trends and more.

    The Research Brief “Illegal wildlife trade and climate change – Joining the dots” has been prepared as a contribution to the COP27 on Climate Change and considers the complex relationships between illegal wildlife trade, biodiversity and climate change. It highlights the implications of illegal wildlife trade for ecosystem function and resilience and the need for more evidence-based long term integrated policies

    Elephant Ivory Initiative

    WWF’s Network-wide Ivory Initiative came to an end in June 2022, after more than four years of successful work, focused on demand reduction and policy advocacy to shut down Asia’s elephant ivory markets. The initiative was built on the game-changing decision by China in 2017 to shutter its domestic market for elephant ivory. WWF-US was one of the key architects, part of a collective drive alongside NGOs, governments, businesses, and other partners.

    The Elephant Ivory Initiative Report: 2018-2022 is an independent assessment that highlights the legacy, achievements, and lessons learned.

    CITES Wildlife TradeView

    CITES Wildlife TradeView is an interactive online tool for exploring and visualising CITES trade data. It enables users to visualise trends in international wildlife trade through three separate views:

    • Global overview: providing a high-level overview of global trade in CITES-listed species
    • Country view: exploring the CITES trade for one or more countries
    • Taxon view: exploring the CITES trade data for one or more species or taxonomic groups

    Within each view, users can identify the top exporters, importers, trade terms, taxa in trade and source of the specimens in trade (e.g. wild, captive-bred) using custom filters. Individual graphs and accompanying data can also be downloaded.

    The tool is directly linked to the CITES Trade Database (managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat) and is automatically updated once CITES annual reports are entered into the trade database. It therefore provides a way to access the most up to date CITES trade data available. CITES Parties are required to report on trade by 31st October of the year following which the trade occurred.

    The development of CITES Wildlife TradeView was made possible thanks to internal investment, and the financial support from the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund under the Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (project number ES/S008160/1).

    Financial support to maintain the underlying dataset held within the CITES Trade Database is provided by the CITES Secretariat.

    CITES ‘Non-detriment findings’

    The preamble to the Convention recognizes that international cooperation is essential for the protection of certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade, and recognizes also the urgency of taking appropriate measures to this end. However, the point at which such over-exploitation starts has never been defined by the Parties.

    Terms used in the text of the Convention such as “threatened with extinction” (Article II, paragraph 1) and “utilization incompatible with their survival” [Article II, paragraph 2. (a)] in relation to inclusion of species in the Appendices have been largely defined through the adoption of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II. However, related concepts linked with the issuance of permits, such as “…detrimental to the survival of that species” [Article III, paragraphs 2. (a), 3. (a) and 5. (a); and, Article IV, paragraphs 2. (a) and 6. (a)] and “maintain that species throughout its range at a level consistent with its role in the ecosystems in which it occurs” [Article IV, paragraph 3], have been little clarified by the Parties. These have become collectively known as the “non-detriment findings” (NDFs).

    UNODC Forest and Wildlife Crime Toolkit

    This ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, now in its fully revised second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the main issues related to addressing wildlife and forest crime in a given location. It serves as a guide to explore and document this crime type in the wider context of crimes affecting the environment and examine the legal, administrative, and practical measures adopted to prevent and address it.

    The ICCWC Toolkit is designed to assist government officials in wildlife and forestry administrations, policymakers, customs officials and officials of other relevant enforcement agencies, and may also be useful for independent experts and research entities. It will allow users to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks, enforcement measures, prosecutorial and judicial mechanisms, international cooperation, and other measures used to prevent and address wildlife and forest crime in a given national context. In addition, other stakeholders at the international and national levels, as well as civil society, may find the Toolkit useful to carry out their mandate and responsibilities.

    While the focus is on the criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime, the Toolkit also looks more broadly at the means and measures related to the protection and monitoring of wild fauna and flora and at the illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest resources by criminals, including organized criminal groups. The Toolkit further serves to identify technical assistance needs and may be used as training material for law enforcement.

  • 5.4.3. Coordinate and scale-up collaborative actions by enforcement agencies, customs, judiciary, and other relevant entities to combat poaching trade in wild species.

    Primary tools and resources

    TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal

    The TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal is an interactive tool that displays TRAFFIC’s wildlife seizure and incident database. The results are displayed as a list and as a dashboard, showing, for example, a summary in a chart or on a map. Clicking on individual records shows more in-depth information about a specific incident, such as the species, commodities and locations involved. The results can be exported to CSV format for further analysis. Relevant data or files can be uploaded and checked by TRAFFIC before their inclusion in the Portal.

    The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)

    CPW is a voluntary partnership of several international organizations that have mandates and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The CPW was Current members are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Center for International Forestry Research, CITES, CMS, FAO, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the International Trade Centre (ITC), IUCN, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, TRAFFIC, and UNEP. The goal of CPW is to increase cooperation between partners and other stakeholders and promote the conservation of terrestrial vertebrate wildlife through sustainable management. Its main working areas are the provision of knowledge and support for issues related to wildlife, food security and sustainable livelihoods as well as on solving human–wildlife conflict and illegal and unsustainable hunting.

    FAO tools and resources on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

    Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems. IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). The FAO has produced three volumes in the series Checklists and Technical Guidelines to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. Volume III is a Checklist of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems, operations, procedures and tools. It provides a list of minimum requirements to ensure that the national MCS systems, operations, procedures, and tools aimed at combating IUU fishing are of the desired standard. Additional information on methodologies and indicators is available on the FAO website.

    How to use.

    • Further details of the FAO tools are available at: https://www.fao.org/iuu-fishing/en/
    • The Checklists and Technical Guidelines can be downloaded at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cd0245en

    Zero Poaching Toolkit

    The Zero Poaching Toolkit helps national and state agencies, protected area managers, rangers, and other frontline protection staff in anti-poaching efforts. The toolkit contains resources on assessment, crime prevention strategies, community involvement, technology, capacity, and cooperation. The tools are freely available and well supported by a wide range of organizations including IUCN and many international NGOs. The tools provide the most practical ways to identify and close gaps in protection activities at the field level. The Training Guidelines for Field Rangers is the first of a series of guidelines to provide a standard for training field rangers.

    Other tools and resources

    New International Maritime Organisation Guidelines to Combat Wildlife Smuggling

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’ to combat wildlife smuggling. It’s an important step for the global shipping industry to focus on bringing down the illegal networks exploiting maritime supply chains to traffic wildlife.

    People Not Poaching

    The People Not Poaching online learning platform aims to support community-based approaches to tackling illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

    With contributions from practitioners and communities, we aim to gather a global evidence base that will build awareness and knowledge-sharing about community approaches to reducing IWT.
    This platform will:

    1. Document different approaches – successful and unsuccessful
    2. Bring together useful resources, and
    3. Provide updates on key events and policy developments.

    Read more about what is being done to tackle IWT around the world.

    UNODC wildlife crime

    The trafficking of wildlife is increasingly recognized as both a specialized area of organized crime and a significant threat to many plant and animal species. The second edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report takes stock of the present wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, and provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. It includes a quantitative market assessment and a series of in-depth illicit trade case studies: rosewood, ivory and rhino horn, pangolin scales, live reptiles, big cats and eels. In addition, value chains and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory and rhino horn is presented.

    If the 2016 World Wildlife Crime Report represented UNODC’s first global assessment of the state of wildlife crime, the 2020 edition of this report represents a first assessment of trends. In several instances, these trends have been dramatic. The poaching of both elephants and rhinoceroses has consistently declined since 2011, as have the prices paid for tusks and horns. But the amount of pangolin scales seized has increased 10-fold in just five years, and new markets, such as the trafficking of European glass eels, have emerged in the wake of strengthened controls. For the first time, a consistent pattern of large shipments of unrelated wildlife products – elephant ivory and pangolin scales – has emerged. In addition, organized criminal groups in broker countries, neither the source nor the destination of the wildlife, have consolidated control of multiple markets. The 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report tracks all these trends and more.

    The Research Brief “Illegal wildlife trade and climate change – Joining the dots” has been prepared as a contribution to the COP27 on Climate Change and considers the complex relationships between illegal wildlife trade, biodiversity and climate change. It highlights the implications of illegal wildlife trade for ecosystem function and resilience and the need for more evidence-based long term integrated policies

    Elephant Ivory Initiative

    WWF’s Network-wide Ivory Initiative came to an end in June 2022, after more than four years of successful work, focused on demand reduction and policy advocacy to shut down Asia’s elephant ivory markets. The initiative was built on the game-changing decision by China in 2017 to shutter its domestic market for elephant ivory. WWF-US was one of the key architects, part of a collective drive alongside NGOs, governments, businesses, and other partners.

    The Elephant Ivory Initiative Report: 2018-2022 is an independent assessment that highlights the legacy, achievements, and lessons learned.

    CITES Wildlife TradeView

    CITES Wildlife TradeView is an interactive online tool for exploring and visualising CITES trade data. It enables users to visualise trends in international wildlife trade through three separate views:

    • Global overview: providing a high-level overview of global trade in CITES-listed species
    • Country view: exploring the CITES trade for one or more countries
    • Taxon view: exploring the CITES trade data for one or more species or taxonomic groups

    Within each view, users can identify the top exporters, importers, trade terms, taxa in trade and source of the specimens in trade (e.g. wild, captive-bred) using custom filters. Individual graphs and accompanying data can also be downloaded.

    The tool is directly linked to the CITES Trade Database (managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat) and is automatically updated once CITES annual reports are entered into the trade database. It therefore provides a way to access the most up to date CITES trade data available. CITES Parties are required to report on trade by 31st October of the year following which the trade occurred.

    The development of CITES Wildlife TradeView was made possible thanks to internal investment, and the financial support from the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund under the Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (project number ES/S008160/1).

    Financial support to maintain the underlying dataset held within the CITES Trade Database is provided by the CITES Secretariat.

    CITES ‘Non-detriment findings’

    The preamble to the Convention recognizes that international cooperation is essential for the protection of certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade, and recognizes also the urgency of taking appropriate measures to this end. However, the point at which such over-exploitation starts has never been defined by the Parties.

    Terms used in the text of the Convention such as “threatened with extinction” (Article II, paragraph 1) and “utilization incompatible with their survival” [Article II, paragraph 2. (a)] in relation to inclusion of species in the Appendices have been largely defined through the adoption of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II. However, related concepts linked with the issuance of permits, such as “…detrimental to the survival of that species” [Article III, paragraphs 2. (a), 3. (a) and 5. (a); and, Article IV, paragraphs 2. (a) and 6. (a)] and “maintain that species throughout its range at a level consistent with its role in the ecosystems in which it occurs” [Article IV, paragraph 3], have been little clarified by the Parties. These have become collectively known as the “non-detriment findings” (NDFs).

    UNODC Forest and Wildlife Crime Toolkit

    This ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, now in its fully revised second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the main issues related to addressing wildlife and forest crime in a given location. It serves as a guide to explore and document this crime type in the wider context of crimes affecting the environment and examine the legal, administrative, and practical measures adopted to prevent and address it.

    The ICCWC Toolkit is designed to assist government officials in wildlife and forestry administrations, policymakers, customs officials and officials of other relevant enforcement agencies, and may also be useful for independent experts and research entities. It will allow users to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks, enforcement measures, prosecutorial and judicial mechanisms, international cooperation, and other measures used to prevent and address wildlife and forest crime in a given national context. In addition, other stakeholders at the international and national levels, as well as civil society, may find the Toolkit useful to carry out their mandate and responsibilities.

    While the focus is on the criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime, the Toolkit also looks more broadly at the means and measures related to the protection and monitoring of wild fauna and flora and at the illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest resources by criminals, including organized criminal groups. The Toolkit further serves to identify technical assistance needs and may be used as training material for law enforcement.

  • 5.4.4. Use behavioural change interventions to reduce demand for products from threatened populations.

    Primary tools and resources

    TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal

    The TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal is an interactive tool that displays TRAFFIC’s wildlife seizure and incident database. The results are displayed as a list and as a dashboard, showing, for example, a summary in a chart or on a map. Clicking on individual records shows more in-depth information about a specific incident, such as the species, commodities and locations involved. The results can be exported to CSV format for further analysis. Relevant data or files can be uploaded and checked by TRAFFIC before their inclusion in the Portal.

    The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)

    CPW is a voluntary partnership of several international organizations that have mandates and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The CPW was Current members are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Center for International Forestry Research, CITES, CMS, FAO, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the International Trade Centre (ITC), IUCN, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, TRAFFIC, and UNEP. The goal of CPW is to increase cooperation between partners and other stakeholders and promote the conservation of terrestrial vertebrate wildlife through sustainable management. Its main working areas are the provision of knowledge and support for issues related to wildlife, food security and sustainable livelihoods as well as on solving human–wildlife conflict and illegal and unsustainable hunting.

    FAO tools and resources on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

    Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems. IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). The FAO has produced three volumes in the series Checklists and Technical Guidelines to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. Volume III is a Checklist of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems, operations, procedures and tools. It provides a list of minimum requirements to ensure that the national MCS systems, operations, procedures, and tools aimed at combating IUU fishing are of the desired standard. Additional information on methodologies and indicators is available on the FAO website.

    How to use.

    • Further details of the FAO tools are available at: https://www.fao.org/iuu-fishing/en/
    • The Checklists and Technical Guidelines can be downloaded at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cd0245en

    Zero Poaching Toolkit

    The Zero Poaching Toolkit helps national and state agencies, protected area managers, rangers, and other frontline protection staff in anti-poaching efforts. The toolkit contains resources on assessment, crime prevention strategies, community involvement, technology, capacity, and cooperation. The tools are freely available and well supported by a wide range of organizations including IUCN and many international NGOs. The tools provide the most practical ways to identify and close gaps in protection activities at the field level. The Training Guidelines for Field Rangers is the first of a series of guidelines to provide a standard for training field rangers.

    Other tools and resources

    New International Maritime Organisation Guidelines to Combat Wildlife Smuggling

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’ to combat wildlife smuggling. It’s an important step for the global shipping industry to focus on bringing down the illegal networks exploiting maritime supply chains to traffic wildlife.

    People Not Poaching

    The People Not Poaching online learning platform aims to support community-based approaches to tackling illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

    With contributions from practitioners and communities, we aim to gather a global evidence base that will build awareness and knowledge-sharing about community approaches to reducing IWT.
    This platform will:

    1. Document different approaches – successful and unsuccessful
    2. Bring together useful resources, and
    3. Provide updates on key events and policy developments.

    Read more about what is being done to tackle IWT around the world.

    UNODC wildlife crime

    The trafficking of wildlife is increasingly recognized as both a specialized area of organized crime and a significant threat to many plant and animal species. The second edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report takes stock of the present wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, and provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. It includes a quantitative market assessment and a series of in-depth illicit trade case studies: rosewood, ivory and rhino horn, pangolin scales, live reptiles, big cats and eels. In addition, value chains and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory and rhino horn is presented.

    If the 2016 World Wildlife Crime Report represented UNODC’s first global assessment of the state of wildlife crime, the 2020 edition of this report represents a first assessment of trends. In several instances, these trends have been dramatic. The poaching of both elephants and rhinoceroses has consistently declined since 2011, as have the prices paid for tusks and horns. But the amount of pangolin scales seized has increased 10-fold in just five years, and new markets, such as the trafficking of European glass eels, have emerged in the wake of strengthened controls. For the first time, a consistent pattern of large shipments of unrelated wildlife products – elephant ivory and pangolin scales – has emerged. In addition, organized criminal groups in broker countries, neither the source nor the destination of the wildlife, have consolidated control of multiple markets. The 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report tracks all these trends and more.

    The Research Brief “Illegal wildlife trade and climate change – Joining the dots” has been prepared as a contribution to the COP27 on Climate Change and considers the complex relationships between illegal wildlife trade, biodiversity and climate change. It highlights the implications of illegal wildlife trade for ecosystem function and resilience and the need for more evidence-based long term integrated policies

    Elephant Ivory Initiative

    WWF’s Network-wide Ivory Initiative came to an end in June 2022, after more than four years of successful work, focused on demand reduction and policy advocacy to shut down Asia’s elephant ivory markets. The initiative was built on the game-changing decision by China in 2017 to shutter its domestic market for elephant ivory. WWF-US was one of the key architects, part of a collective drive alongside NGOs, governments, businesses, and other partners.

    The Elephant Ivory Initiative Report: 2018-2022 is an independent assessment that highlights the legacy, achievements, and lessons learned.

    CITES Wildlife TradeView

    CITES Wildlife TradeView is an interactive online tool for exploring and visualising CITES trade data. It enables users to visualise trends in international wildlife trade through three separate views:

    • Global overview: providing a high-level overview of global trade in CITES-listed species
    • Country view: exploring the CITES trade for one or more countries
    • Taxon view: exploring the CITES trade data for one or more species or taxonomic groups

    Within each view, users can identify the top exporters, importers, trade terms, taxa in trade and source of the specimens in trade (e.g. wild, captive-bred) using custom filters. Individual graphs and accompanying data can also be downloaded.

    The tool is directly linked to the CITES Trade Database (managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat) and is automatically updated once CITES annual reports are entered into the trade database. It therefore provides a way to access the most up to date CITES trade data available. CITES Parties are required to report on trade by 31st October of the year following which the trade occurred.

    The development of CITES Wildlife TradeView was made possible thanks to internal investment, and the financial support from the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund under the Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (project number ES/S008160/1).

    Financial support to maintain the underlying dataset held within the CITES Trade Database is provided by the CITES Secretariat.

    CITES ‘Non-detriment findings’

    The preamble to the Convention recognizes that international cooperation is essential for the protection of certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade, and recognizes also the urgency of taking appropriate measures to this end. However, the point at which such over-exploitation starts has never been defined by the Parties.

    Terms used in the text of the Convention such as “threatened with extinction” (Article II, paragraph 1) and “utilization incompatible with their survival” [Article II, paragraph 2. (a)] in relation to inclusion of species in the Appendices have been largely defined through the adoption of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II. However, related concepts linked with the issuance of permits, such as “…detrimental to the survival of that species” [Article III, paragraphs 2. (a), 3. (a) and 5. (a); and, Article IV, paragraphs 2. (a) and 6. (a)] and “maintain that species throughout its range at a level consistent with its role in the ecosystems in which it occurs” [Article IV, paragraph 3], have been little clarified by the Parties. These have become collectively known as the “non-detriment findings” (NDFs).

    UNODC Forest and Wildlife Crime Toolkit

    This ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, now in its fully revised second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the main issues related to addressing wildlife and forest crime in a given location. It serves as a guide to explore and document this crime type in the wider context of crimes affecting the environment and examine the legal, administrative, and practical measures adopted to prevent and address it.

    The ICCWC Toolkit is designed to assist government officials in wildlife and forestry administrations, policymakers, customs officials and officials of other relevant enforcement agencies, and may also be useful for independent experts and research entities. It will allow users to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks, enforcement measures, prosecutorial and judicial mechanisms, international cooperation, and other measures used to prevent and address wildlife and forest crime in a given national context. In addition, other stakeholders at the international and national levels, as well as civil society, may find the Toolkit useful to carry out their mandate and responsibilities.

    While the focus is on the criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime, the Toolkit also looks more broadly at the means and measures related to the protection and monitoring of wild fauna and flora and at the illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest resources by criminals, including organized criminal groups. The Toolkit further serves to identify technical assistance needs and may be used as training material for law enforcement.

  • 5.4.5. Reduce Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated Practices (IUUP) in fisheries.

    Primary tools and resources

    TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal

    The TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal is an interactive tool that displays TRAFFIC’s wildlife seizure and incident database. The results are displayed as a list and as a dashboard, showing, for example, a summary in a chart or on a map. Clicking on individual records shows more in-depth information about a specific incident, such as the species, commodities and locations involved. The results can be exported to CSV format for further analysis. Relevant data or files can be uploaded and checked by TRAFFIC before their inclusion in the Portal.

    The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)

    CPW is a voluntary partnership of several international organizations that have mandates and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The CPW was Current members are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Center for International Forestry Research, CITES, CMS, FAO, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the International Trade Centre (ITC), IUCN, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, TRAFFIC, and UNEP. The goal of CPW is to increase cooperation between partners and other stakeholders and promote the conservation of terrestrial vertebrate wildlife through sustainable management. Its main working areas are the provision of knowledge and support for issues related to wildlife, food security and sustainable livelihoods as well as on solving human–wildlife conflict and illegal and unsustainable hunting.

    FAO tools and resources on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

    Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems. IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). The FAO has produced three volumes in the series Checklists and Technical Guidelines to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. Volume III is a Checklist of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems, operations, procedures and tools. It provides a list of minimum requirements to ensure that the national MCS systems, operations, procedures, and tools aimed at combating IUU fishing are of the desired standard. Additional information on methodologies and indicators is available on the FAO website.

    How to use.

    • Further details of the FAO tools are available at: https://www.fao.org/iuu-fishing/en/
    • The Checklists and Technical Guidelines can be downloaded at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cd0245en

    Zero Poaching Toolkit

    The Zero Poaching Toolkit helps national and state agencies, protected area managers, rangers, and other frontline protection staff in anti-poaching efforts. The toolkit contains resources on assessment, crime prevention strategies, community involvement, technology, capacity, and cooperation. The tools are freely available and well supported by a wide range of organizations including IUCN and many international NGOs. The tools provide the most practical ways to identify and close gaps in protection activities at the field level. The Training Guidelines for Field Rangers is the first of a series of guidelines to provide a standard for training field rangers.

    Other tools and resources

    New International Maritime Organisation Guidelines to Combat Wildlife Smuggling

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’ to combat wildlife smuggling. It’s an important step for the global shipping industry to focus on bringing down the illegal networks exploiting maritime supply chains to traffic wildlife.

    People Not Poaching

    The People Not Poaching online learning platform aims to support community-based approaches to tackling illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

    With contributions from practitioners and communities, we aim to gather a global evidence base that will build awareness and knowledge-sharing about community approaches to reducing IWT.
    This platform will:

    1. Document different approaches – successful and unsuccessful
    2. Bring together useful resources, and
    3. Provide updates on key events and policy developments.

    Read more about what is being done to tackle IWT around the world.

    UNODC wildlife crime

    The trafficking of wildlife is increasingly recognized as both a specialized area of organized crime and a significant threat to many plant and animal species. The second edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report takes stock of the present wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, and provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. It includes a quantitative market assessment and a series of in-depth illicit trade case studies: rosewood, ivory and rhino horn, pangolin scales, live reptiles, big cats and eels. In addition, value chains and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory and rhino horn is presented.

    If the 2016 World Wildlife Crime Report represented UNODC’s first global assessment of the state of wildlife crime, the 2020 edition of this report represents a first assessment of trends. In several instances, these trends have been dramatic. The poaching of both elephants and rhinoceroses has consistently declined since 2011, as have the prices paid for tusks and horns. But the amount of pangolin scales seized has increased 10-fold in just five years, and new markets, such as the trafficking of European glass eels, have emerged in the wake of strengthened controls. For the first time, a consistent pattern of large shipments of unrelated wildlife products – elephant ivory and pangolin scales – has emerged. In addition, organized criminal groups in broker countries, neither the source nor the destination of the wildlife, have consolidated control of multiple markets. The 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report tracks all these trends and more.

    The Research Brief “Illegal wildlife trade and climate change – Joining the dots” has been prepared as a contribution to the COP27 on Climate Change and considers the complex relationships between illegal wildlife trade, biodiversity and climate change. It highlights the implications of illegal wildlife trade for ecosystem function and resilience and the need for more evidence-based long term integrated policies

    Elephant Ivory Initiative

    WWF’s Network-wide Ivory Initiative came to an end in June 2022, after more than four years of successful work, focused on demand reduction and policy advocacy to shut down Asia’s elephant ivory markets. The initiative was built on the game-changing decision by China in 2017 to shutter its domestic market for elephant ivory. WWF-US was one of the key architects, part of a collective drive alongside NGOs, governments, businesses, and other partners.

    The Elephant Ivory Initiative Report: 2018-2022 is an independent assessment that highlights the legacy, achievements, and lessons learned.

    CITES Wildlife TradeView

    CITES Wildlife TradeView is an interactive online tool for exploring and visualising CITES trade data. It enables users to visualise trends in international wildlife trade through three separate views:

    • Global overview: providing a high-level overview of global trade in CITES-listed species
    • Country view: exploring the CITES trade for one or more countries
    • Taxon view: exploring the CITES trade data for one or more species or taxonomic groups

    Within each view, users can identify the top exporters, importers, trade terms, taxa in trade and source of the specimens in trade (e.g. wild, captive-bred) using custom filters. Individual graphs and accompanying data can also be downloaded.

    The tool is directly linked to the CITES Trade Database (managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat) and is automatically updated once CITES annual reports are entered into the trade database. It therefore provides a way to access the most up to date CITES trade data available. CITES Parties are required to report on trade by 31st October of the year following which the trade occurred.

    The development of CITES Wildlife TradeView was made possible thanks to internal investment, and the financial support from the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund under the Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (project number ES/S008160/1).

    Financial support to maintain the underlying dataset held within the CITES Trade Database is provided by the CITES Secretariat.

    CITES ‘Non-detriment findings’

    The preamble to the Convention recognizes that international cooperation is essential for the protection of certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade, and recognizes also the urgency of taking appropriate measures to this end. However, the point at which such over-exploitation starts has never been defined by the Parties.

    Terms used in the text of the Convention such as “threatened with extinction” (Article II, paragraph 1) and “utilization incompatible with their survival” [Article II, paragraph 2. (a)] in relation to inclusion of species in the Appendices have been largely defined through the adoption of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II. However, related concepts linked with the issuance of permits, such as “…detrimental to the survival of that species” [Article III, paragraphs 2. (a), 3. (a) and 5. (a); and, Article IV, paragraphs 2. (a) and 6. (a)] and “maintain that species throughout its range at a level consistent with its role in the ecosystems in which it occurs” [Article IV, paragraph 3], have been little clarified by the Parties. These have become collectively known as the “non-detriment findings” (NDFs).

    UNODC Forest and Wildlife Crime Toolkit

    This ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, now in its fully revised second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the main issues related to addressing wildlife and forest crime in a given location. It serves as a guide to explore and document this crime type in the wider context of crimes affecting the environment and examine the legal, administrative, and practical measures adopted to prevent and address it.

    The ICCWC Toolkit is designed to assist government officials in wildlife and forestry administrations, policymakers, customs officials and officials of other relevant enforcement agencies, and may also be useful for independent experts and research entities. It will allow users to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks, enforcement measures, prosecutorial and judicial mechanisms, international cooperation, and other measures used to prevent and address wildlife and forest crime in a given national context. In addition, other stakeholders at the international and national levels, as well as civil society, may find the Toolkit useful to carry out their mandate and responsibilities.

    While the focus is on the criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime, the Toolkit also looks more broadly at the means and measures related to the protection and monitoring of wild fauna and flora and at the illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest resources by criminals, including organized criminal groups. The Toolkit further serves to identify technical assistance needs and may be used as training material for law enforcement.

  • 5.4.6 Reduce in-country illegal trade, including of illegally obtained animals and plants and readily recognisable parts or derivatives of such.

    Primary tools and resources

    The Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable use of Biodiversity

    The Addis Ababa principles were adopted by the CBD in 2004 and they provide an overall framework to assist Governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders ensure that the use of species and other elements of biodiversity is sustainable in the long-term. They contain 14 interdependent principles covering policies, laws, adaptive management, research, the needs of indigenous communities, participatory approaches, and education and awareness. The principles are each supported by a set of operational guidelines. The principles are all of general relevance, but each one may not apply equally in all situations and their application will vary according to the species, local conditions, and the institutional and cultural context.

    Other tools and resources

    FACE Biodiversity Manifesto database

    The Biodiversity Manifesto is a substantial database of hunting-related conservation projects which support FACE’s advocacy work in Brussels. We now have strong evidence to show that hunters make a crucial contribution to habitats restoration, protected areas, species monitoring and much more.

    Bern Convention Charters

    The Council of Europe’s Bern Convention is an international legal instrument, binding for its Contracting Parties, in the field of nature conservation, which covers most of the natural heritage of the European continent.

    The Convention places a particular importance on the need to protect endangered natural habitats and vulnerable species, including migratory species. Its Standing Committee (T-PVS) monitors the implementation of the Convention at each of its meetings by reviewing reports, processing case-files and adopting recommendations.
    Hunters contribute to the fulfilment of the conservation aims of the Bern Convention through regulating game populations and caring for their habitats, assisting in monitoring and research, and raising public awareness for conservation issues. Thus, hunters and hunting play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity.
    In November 2004, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation 1689 regarding Hunting and Europe’s environmental balance, recommending inter alia that the Council of Europe “draw up a European charter on hunting, as a guide setting out common principles and good practices for hunting, particularly for the organisation of hunting tourism on the continent”. Three years later, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention adopted such Charter, prepared by a Working Group of relevant experts and representatives from Contracting Parties and from NGOs – including FACE, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) and the World Conservation Union/Special Survival Commission – European Sustainable Use Specialist Group (IUCN/SSC-ESUSG).
    The European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity promotes principles and guidelines intended to ensure that hunting and hunting tourism in Europe are practiced in a sustainable manner, making a positive contribution to the conservation of species and habitats and the needs of society.

    AEWA Guidelines on National Legislation

    These Conservation Guidelines are intended to assist countries in drafting new legislation, and reviewing and amending their existing national legislation, on the conservation and sustainable use of migratory waterbirds and their habitats. They are written for conservation professionals and officials in conservation ministries and agencies who develop draft and final legislation and make suggestions for improvement of existing and proposed legislation. The guidelines can also provide assistance to lawyers reviewing or vetting draft legislation. They are presented in simple terminology, and are intended to be accessible to non-lawyers.

    The principal objective of these guidelines is to assist Parties in evaluating whether their national legislation complies with AEWA’s provisions and, where it does not, developing laws which fulfil their commitments under the Agreement. The guidelines are not intended to provide detailed advice on the drafting of either general conservation legislation or legislative provisions which (although beneficial to bird conservation) go beyond the requirements of AEWA. The guidelines also are not intended to duplicate, but rather to supplement, existing guidance. They should thus be read alongside AEWA’s other Conservation Guidelines (several of which make recommendations regarding legislation), as well as other relevant guidance documents (a list of which is provided in Annex I).

  • 5.4.7. Identify and implement targeted economic activities as an alternative to illegal trade.
  • 5.4.8. Assess the role of safe and sustainable wildlife farming and cultivation where appropriate.
  • 5.4.9. Ensure that measures to reduce illegal trade and trafficking do not create barriers to sustainable use that conserves species and supports livelihoods and the ecosystems on which they depend.

    Primary tools and resources

    The Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable use of Biodiversity

    The Addis Ababa principles were adopted by the CBD in 2004 and they provide an overall framework to assist Governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders ensure that the use of species and other elements of biodiversity is sustainable in the long-term. They contain 14 interdependent principles covering policies, laws, adaptive management, research, the needs of indigenous communities, participatory approaches, and education and awareness. The principles are each supported by a set of operational guidelines. The principles are all of general relevance, but each one may not apply equally in all situations and their application will vary according to the species, local conditions, and the institutional and cultural context.

    2017

    Guidelines for the application of IUCN Red List of Ecosystems categories and criteria

    The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is a global framework for monitoring the status of ecosystems. It is part of the growing toolbox for assessing risks to biodiversity and aims to support conservation, resource use, and management decisions by identifying ecosystems most at risk of biodiversity loss. The basis of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria, a set of eight categories and five criteria that provide a consistent method for assessing the risk of ecosystem collapse. These Guidelines assist correct implementation of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria by providing information on the development of the protocol and a detailed overview of the scientific foundations supporting the categories and criteria.

    Other tools and resources

    FACE Biodiversity Manifesto database

    The Biodiversity Manifesto is a substantial database of hunting-related conservation projects which support FACE’s advocacy work in Brussels. We now have strong evidence to show that hunters make a crucial contribution to habitats restoration, protected areas, species monitoring and much more.

    Bern Convention Charters

    The Council of Europe’s Bern Convention is an international legal instrument, binding for its Contracting Parties, in the field of nature conservation, which covers most of the natural heritage of the European continent.

    The Convention places a particular importance on the need to protect endangered natural habitats and vulnerable species, including migratory species. Its Standing Committee (T-PVS) monitors the implementation of the Convention at each of its meetings by reviewing reports, processing case-files and adopting recommendations.
    Hunters contribute to the fulfilment of the conservation aims of the Bern Convention through regulating game populations and caring for their habitats, assisting in monitoring and research, and raising public awareness for conservation issues. Thus, hunters and hunting play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity.
    In November 2004, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation 1689 regarding Hunting and Europe’s environmental balance, recommending inter alia that the Council of Europe “draw up a European charter on hunting, as a guide setting out common principles and good practices for hunting, particularly for the organisation of hunting tourism on the continent”. Three years later, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention adopted such Charter, prepared by a Working Group of relevant experts and representatives from Contracting Parties and from NGOs – including FACE, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) and the World Conservation Union/Special Survival Commission – European Sustainable Use Specialist Group (IUCN/SSC-ESUSG).
    The European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity promotes principles and guidelines intended to ensure that hunting and hunting tourism in Europe are practiced in a sustainable manner, making a positive contribution to the conservation of species and habitats and the needs of society.

Primary tools and resources

View all

Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA)

A coalition of conservation organisations supporting and promoting the International Ranger Federation to build a network of well-supported, professional, and capable rangers, who can act effectively as custodians of the natural world. It has produced numerous guidelines and standards of relevance to professionalizing the ranger work-force, including a Code of Conduct, ranger competences, and a document on how rangers support delivery of 30×30. There are 8 organizations URSA can be linked with (for filtering purposes).

TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal

The TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Portal is an interactive tool that displays TRAFFIC’s wildlife seizure and incident database. The results are displayed as a list and as a dashboard, showing, for example, a summary in a chart or on a map. Clicking on individual records shows more in-depth information about a specific incident, such as the species, commodities and locations involved. The results can be exported to CSV format for further analysis. Relevant data or files can be uploaded and checked by TRAFFIC before their inclusion in the Portal.

TRAFFIC Learning Centre

The TRAFFIC Learning Centre contains online courses, presentations, case studies, and guidelines that support legal trade and assist action on illegal trade. A “search” facility allows users to filter resources by format.

The Wiki CITES Identification Manual

This new tool has been developed by the CITES Secretariat and the United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) to support CITES Management and Scientific Authorities, Customs officials, and all others involved in implementing and enforcing CITES. It contains six volumes: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles-Amphibians-Fish-Invertebrates, Plants, and Parts and Derivatives (2 volumes).

In addition, over 4000 identification resources are available in different formats.

 

CITES Virtual College

The CITES Virtual College was launched in 2011 and was developed to strengthen the understanding of CITES by Parties and others involved in its implementation and to increase awareness. During 2024, the Virtual College will be revamped with a new interface and a new set of online training courses. The online platform provides details of Training courses, Training materials, Identification guides, Non-detriment findings, References and tools.

CITES Trade database

The CITES trade database currently holds 7 million records of trade in wildlife and 50,000 scientific names of taxa listed by CITES. It is managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat. Trade data can be searched by year, taxon, purpose, or importing / exporting country. The complete database can be downloaded (version 2023.1).

The CITES Trade Database can be queried using the novice querying route (a step by step by wizard) or the expert query route (for those already familiar with CITES trade data).

A Guide to Interpreting Outputs from the UNEP-WCMC CITES Trade Database is available.

Species+

The Species+ website was developed jointly by UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat to assist Parties to implement CITES, CMS and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Species+ contains information on all species listed in the Appendices of CITES and CMS, other CMS Family listings, and in the Annexes to the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. The species pages contain information on legal, species names and distribution, Appendix listings, references, and other documentation.

The data can be searched by species, location, or Convention. The “Locations” filter allows a search for a species or group of species occurring in a particular country, territory, or region.

Key species lists can be downloaded in an Excel-ready format as a csv file. The terms of use should be reviewed prior to downloading.

The Checklist of CITES Species

This checklist provides the official list of species listed on the CITES appendices and associated information, including scientific names and synonyms; common names in English, French and Spanish (where available), the CITES Appendix in which they are currently listed, distribution, and history of listings. Over 4000 Identification resources sourced from the CITES Identification Manual and the CITES Virtual College are also available. Users can search and filter by name (including higher taxa), CITES Appendix and country/territory/region of occurrence (“All locations”).

How to use

  • The checklist, CITES listing information, and Identification materials can be viewed or downloaded in different formats at: https://checklist.cites.org
  • A full guide to all the materials can be found on the “About” page of the CITES Checklist at: https://checklist.cites.org/#/en/about

The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)

CPW is a voluntary partnership of several international organizations that have mandates and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The CPW was Current members are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Center for International Forestry Research, CITES, CMS, FAO, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the International Trade Centre (ITC), IUCN, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, TRAFFIC, and UNEP. The goal of CPW is to increase cooperation between partners and other stakeholders and promote the conservation of terrestrial vertebrate wildlife through sustainable management. Its main working areas are the provision of knowledge and support for issues related to wildlife, food security and sustainable livelihoods as well as on solving human–wildlife conflict and illegal and unsustainable hunting.

FAO tools and resources on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems. IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). The FAO has produced three volumes in the series Checklists and Technical Guidelines to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. Volume III is a Checklist of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems, operations, procedures and tools. It provides a list of minimum requirements to ensure that the national MCS systems, operations, procedures, and tools aimed at combating IUU fishing are of the desired standard. Additional information on methodologies and indicators is available on the FAO website.

How to use.

  • Further details of the FAO tools are available at: https://www.fao.org/iuu-fishing/en/
  • The Checklists and Technical Guidelines can be downloaded at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cd0245en

The Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable use of Biodiversity

The Addis Ababa principles were adopted by the CBD in 2004 and they provide an overall framework to assist Governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders ensure that the use of species and other elements of biodiversity is sustainable in the long-term. They contain 14 interdependent principles covering policies, laws, adaptive management, research, the needs of indigenous communities, participatory approaches, and education and awareness. The principles are each supported by a set of operational guidelines. The principles are all of general relevance, but each one may not apply equally in all situations and their application will vary according to the species, local conditions, and the institutional and cultural context.

Zero Poaching Toolkit

The Zero Poaching Toolkit helps national and state agencies, protected area managers, rangers, and other frontline protection staff in anti-poaching efforts. The toolkit contains resources on assessment, crime prevention strategies, community involvement, technology, capacity, and cooperation. The tools are freely available and well supported by a wide range of organizations including IUCN and many international NGOs. The tools provide the most practical ways to identify and close gaps in protection activities at the field level. The Training Guidelines for Field Rangers is the first of a series of guidelines to provide a standard for training field rangers.

View all

Other tools and resources

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WildLabs Conservation Technology Community

WILDLABS is home to the global conservation technology community of 8,600 people in 120 countries discussing 1,500 topics like biologging, camera traps, and machine learning. With engaging spaces to ask questions and collaborate together, share your own work, and discover new ideas and innovations, WILDLABS is your platform to connect with #Tech4Wildlife experts and projects from around the world.

Shell Bank

ShellBank has shown that, with complete Rookery and In-Water databases, we can get an understanding of connected nesting populations, marine stock boundaries and which populations have been impacted by poaching. By comparing across databases it will be possible to accurately trace the population origin, enhance a country’s enforcement efforts against illegal traders, and advance marine turtle conservation at national and regional levels.

FACE Biodiversity Manifesto database

The Biodiversity Manifesto is a substantial database of hunting-related conservation projects which support FACE’s advocacy work in Brussels. We now have strong evidence to show that hunters make a crucial contribution to habitats restoration, protected areas, species monitoring and much more.

New International Maritime Organisation Guidelines to Combat Wildlife Smuggling

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’ to combat wildlife smuggling. It’s an important step for the global shipping industry to focus on bringing down the illegal networks exploiting maritime supply chains to traffic wildlife.

People Not Poaching

The People Not Poaching online learning platform aims to support community-based approaches to tackling illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

With contributions from practitioners and communities, we aim to gather a global evidence base that will build awareness and knowledge-sharing about community approaches to reducing IWT.
This platform will:

  1. Document different approaches – successful and unsuccessful
  2. Bring together useful resources, and
  3. Provide updates on key events and policy developments.

Read more about what is being done to tackle IWT around the world.

UNODC wildlife crime

The trafficking of wildlife is increasingly recognized as both a specialized area of organized crime and a significant threat to many plant and animal species. The second edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report takes stock of the present wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, and provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. It includes a quantitative market assessment and a series of in-depth illicit trade case studies: rosewood, ivory and rhino horn, pangolin scales, live reptiles, big cats and eels. In addition, value chains and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory and rhino horn is presented.

If the 2016 World Wildlife Crime Report represented UNODC’s first global assessment of the state of wildlife crime, the 2020 edition of this report represents a first assessment of trends. In several instances, these trends have been dramatic. The poaching of both elephants and rhinoceroses has consistently declined since 2011, as have the prices paid for tusks and horns. But the amount of pangolin scales seized has increased 10-fold in just five years, and new markets, such as the trafficking of European glass eels, have emerged in the wake of strengthened controls. For the first time, a consistent pattern of large shipments of unrelated wildlife products – elephant ivory and pangolin scales – has emerged. In addition, organized criminal groups in broker countries, neither the source nor the destination of the wildlife, have consolidated control of multiple markets. The 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report tracks all these trends and more.

The Research Brief “Illegal wildlife trade and climate change – Joining the dots” has been prepared as a contribution to the COP27 on Climate Change and considers the complex relationships between illegal wildlife trade, biodiversity and climate change. It highlights the implications of illegal wildlife trade for ecosystem function and resilience and the need for more evidence-based long term integrated policies

Elephant Ivory Initiative

WWF’s Network-wide Ivory Initiative came to an end in June 2022, after more than four years of successful work, focused on demand reduction and policy advocacy to shut down Asia’s elephant ivory markets. The initiative was built on the game-changing decision by China in 2017 to shutter its domestic market for elephant ivory. WWF-US was one of the key architects, part of a collective drive alongside NGOs, governments, businesses, and other partners.

The Elephant Ivory Initiative Report: 2018-2022 is an independent assessment that highlights the legacy, achievements, and lessons learned.

CITES Wildlife TradeView

CITES Wildlife TradeView is an interactive online tool for exploring and visualising CITES trade data. It enables users to visualise trends in international wildlife trade through three separate views:

  • Global overview: providing a high-level overview of global trade in CITES-listed species
  • Country view: exploring the CITES trade for one or more countries
  • Taxon view: exploring the CITES trade data for one or more species or taxonomic groups

Within each view, users can identify the top exporters, importers, trade terms, taxa in trade and source of the specimens in trade (e.g. wild, captive-bred) using custom filters. Individual graphs and accompanying data can also be downloaded.

The tool is directly linked to the CITES Trade Database (managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat) and is automatically updated once CITES annual reports are entered into the trade database. It therefore provides a way to access the most up to date CITES trade data available. CITES Parties are required to report on trade by 31st October of the year following which the trade occurred.

The development of CITES Wildlife TradeView was made possible thanks to internal investment, and the financial support from the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund under the Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (project number ES/S008160/1).

Financial support to maintain the underlying dataset held within the CITES Trade Database is provided by the CITES Secretariat.

CITES ‘Non-detriment findings’

The preamble to the Convention recognizes that international cooperation is essential for the protection of certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade, and recognizes also the urgency of taking appropriate measures to this end. However, the point at which such over-exploitation starts has never been defined by the Parties.

Terms used in the text of the Convention such as “threatened with extinction” (Article II, paragraph 1) and “utilization incompatible with their survival” [Article II, paragraph 2. (a)] in relation to inclusion of species in the Appendices have been largely defined through the adoption of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II. However, related concepts linked with the issuance of permits, such as “…detrimental to the survival of that species” [Article III, paragraphs 2. (a), 3. (a) and 5. (a); and, Article IV, paragraphs 2. (a) and 6. (a)] and “maintain that species throughout its range at a level consistent with its role in the ecosystems in which it occurs” [Article IV, paragraph 3], have been little clarified by the Parties. These have become collectively known as the “non-detriment findings” (NDFs).

UNODC Forest and Wildlife Crime Toolkit

This ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, now in its fully revised second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the main issues related to addressing wildlife and forest crime in a given location. It serves as a guide to explore and document this crime type in the wider context of crimes affecting the environment and examine the legal, administrative, and practical measures adopted to prevent and address it.

The ICCWC Toolkit is designed to assist government officials in wildlife and forestry administrations, policymakers, customs officials and officials of other relevant enforcement agencies, and may also be useful for independent experts and research entities. It will allow users to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks, enforcement measures, prosecutorial and judicial mechanisms, international cooperation, and other measures used to prevent and address wildlife and forest crime in a given national context. In addition, other stakeholders at the international and national levels, as well as civil society, may find the Toolkit useful to carry out their mandate and responsibilities.

While the focus is on the criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime, the Toolkit also looks more broadly at the means and measures related to the protection and monitoring of wild fauna and flora and at the illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest resources by criminals, including organized criminal groups. The Toolkit further serves to identify technical assistance needs and may be used as training material for law enforcement.

Bern Convention Charters

The Council of Europe’s Bern Convention is an international legal instrument, binding for its Contracting Parties, in the field of nature conservation, which covers most of the natural heritage of the European continent.

The Convention places a particular importance on the need to protect endangered natural habitats and vulnerable species, including migratory species. Its Standing Committee (T-PVS) monitors the implementation of the Convention at each of its meetings by reviewing reports, processing case-files and adopting recommendations.
Hunters contribute to the fulfilment of the conservation aims of the Bern Convention through regulating game populations and caring for their habitats, assisting in monitoring and research, and raising public awareness for conservation issues. Thus, hunters and hunting play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity.
In November 2004, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation 1689 regarding Hunting and Europe’s environmental balance, recommending inter alia that the Council of Europe “draw up a European charter on hunting, as a guide setting out common principles and good practices for hunting, particularly for the organisation of hunting tourism on the continent”. Three years later, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention adopted such Charter, prepared by a Working Group of relevant experts and representatives from Contracting Parties and from NGOs – including FACE, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) and the World Conservation Union/Special Survival Commission – European Sustainable Use Specialist Group (IUCN/SSC-ESUSG).
The European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity promotes principles and guidelines intended to ensure that hunting and hunting tourism in Europe are practiced in a sustainable manner, making a positive contribution to the conservation of species and habitats and the needs of society.

AEWA Guidelines on National Legislation

These Conservation Guidelines are intended to assist countries in drafting new legislation, and reviewing and amending their existing national legislation, on the conservation and sustainable use of migratory waterbirds and their habitats. They are written for conservation professionals and officials in conservation ministries and agencies who develop draft and final legislation and make suggestions for improvement of existing and proposed legislation. The guidelines can also provide assistance to lawyers reviewing or vetting draft legislation. They are presented in simple terminology, and are intended to be accessible to non-lawyers.

The principal objective of these guidelines is to assist Parties in evaluating whether their national legislation complies with AEWA’s provisions and, where it does not, developing laws which fulfil their commitments under the Agreement. The guidelines are not intended to provide detailed advice on the drafting of either general conservation legislation or legislative provisions which (although beneficial to bird conservation) go beyond the requirements of AEWA. The guidelines also are not intended to duplicate, but rather to supplement, existing guidance. They should thus be read alongside AEWA’s other Conservation Guidelines (several of which make recommendations regarding legislation), as well as other relevant guidance documents (a list of which is provided in Annex I).

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Actors

Governments

UN/Inter-Governmental organisations and biodiversity-related conventions and agreements

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Secretariat
International Criminal Police Organization
International Whaling Commission
United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Universal Ranger Support Alliance

Regional organisations

Regional Wildlife Enforcement Networks

Civil society organisations (including NGOs)

Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management
Resource beneficiary Non-Governmental Organisations
TRAFFIC
Universal Ranger Support Alliance

Private sector and financial institutions

Business sector

IUCN

IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group

Seed Partners

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