WILDLIFE CRIME INITIATIVE A COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE OF WWF AND TRAFFIC TO HELP TACKLE THE GROWING THREAT POSED BY TRANSNATIONAL, ORGANISED WILDLIFE CRIME WILDLIFE CRIME INITIATIVE WILDLIFE CRIME INITIATIVE

WILDLIFE CRIME WILDLIFE CRIME IS IS A THREAT TO A SERIOUS CRIME SPECIES, SECURITY

AND SUSTAINABLE IMAGES / GETTY STIRTON © WWF-UK / BRENT “ Illegal wildlife trade undermines the rule of law and threatens national security; it degrades ecosystems and is a major obstacle to the efforts of rural communities and indigenous peoples striving DEVELOPMENT to sustainably manage their natural resources. Combatting We are in the midst of a global this crime is not only essential for conservation efforts and poaching crisis that threatens decades sustainable development, it will contribute to achieving peace of conservation successes as well as the and security in troubled regions where conflicts are fuelled future of many species. by these illegal activities. I urge all consumers, suppliers and Tens of thousands of elephants are being killed trade in recent years poses an immediate threat governments to treat crimes against wildlife as a threat to our each year in Africa, along with record numbers not only to wildlife but also to national and of rhinos. Meanwhile, Asia’s forests are being regional security, the rule of law, sustainable sustainable future. It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime. ” silenced as poachers strip them of their species development, and the well being of local TENS OF to meet the soaring demand for illegal wildlife communities. THOUSANDS OF products. Attracted by its relatively low risks and high ELEPHANTS ARE Add in the vast trade in illegal timber and returns, transnational, organised criminal BEING KILLED EACH fisheries resources and wildlife trafficking groups have muscled their way into the illegal — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is now estimated to be the fourth largest wildlife trade, bringing with them more YEAR IN AFRICA, transnational criminal activity in the world – sophisticated methods – and greater violence ALONG WITH after the trafficking of drugs, counterfeit goods, and corruption. and people. RECORD NUMBERS Recognition of this growing threat and the OF RHINOS Some of the world’s most iconic species – such potentially devastating impact of wildlife crime as rhinos, tigers and turtles – face a battle for on communities and countries has sparked survival. But so do numerous other species a major shift in global attitudes. And the from pangolins to parrots and primates. But realisation that only an urgent global response the unprecedented surge in the illegal wildlife can tackle the crisis.

th ST RD Front cover WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation 4 LARGEST TRANSNATIONAL 1 3 Mba Ndong Marius, a Parcs Gabon organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. DRUG HUMAN WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build Eco Guard displaying seized poached CRIMINAL ACTIVITY a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological TRAFFICKING TRAFFICKING elephant tusks and poachers’ weapons, diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting IN THE WORLD Oyem, Gabon. the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. © WWF / JAMES MORGAN Estimated revenues from wildlife trafficking, TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is the leading non-governmental organization including the vast trade in illegal timber and ND TH working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity 2 4 fisheries resources, place it fourth on the list of conservation and sustainable development. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of WWF and IUCN. transnational criminal activities. COUNTERFEIT GOODS WILDLIFE © TEXT 2015 WWF TRAFFICKING TRAFFICKING

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The Wildlife Crime Initiative The WCI will facilitate and foster A world where governments and institutions have reduced to (WCI) is a long-term, innovative approaches at local, national negligible levels the catastrophic impacts of wildlife crime on WHAT IS and global levels – from promoting VISION, GOAL VISION biodiversity and the destabilising impact of wildlife crime on collaborative initiative higher enforcement standards in some rule of law and development, enabling wildlife populations to between WWF and TRAFFIC to countries, to designing behavioural thrive with continuing benefits to local communities. THE WILDLIFE help tackle the surge in large- change strategies in states where AND THEORY By 2024, the impact of wildlife crime (poaching, trafficking scale, transnational organised demand is high, to advocating for and demand for illegal products) on the conservation targets wildlife crime. the authorities to ‘follow the money’. GOAL will be halved. CRIME Critically, the WCI will also focus on OF CHANGE Building on the unprecedented building influential relationships and Conservation targets are species that face a major threat from poaching momentum and high-level political will working in concert with a wide and involving large-scale organised crime, and overlap with WWF and INITIATIVE? generated by the joint WWF-TRAFFIC growing number of external partners, TRAFFIC priority species, places, and thematic programmes. Initially, the Illegal Wildlife Trade Campaign in including governments, UN agencies, WCI will focus on elephants, rhinos, tigers, African great apes, and green other NGOs and the private sector. and hawksbill turtles. Additional species will be considered in later years. Combining WWF and TRAFFIC’s existing strengths with new approaches and tools, the WCI will help to catalyse systemic change, and support governments, businesses, THEORY OF CHANGE and consumers to implement the steps necessary to reduce poaching, The WCI will contribute to a sustained reduction in the illegal wildlife trade by making it much trafficking and the global demand for harder for criminals to succeed and by undermining their motivations – at which point they will turn illegal products. their attention away from the illicit trade that is driving the poaching crisis. © WWF / naturepl.com EDWIN GIESBERS The WCI will work with partners to achieve this by focusing on four key pillars – stop the poaching, stop REDUCED POACHING AND ILLEGAL TRADE IN PRIORITY SPECIES the trafficking, stop the buying and

international policy. >

Initially, the WCI will focus on iconic REDUCE MOTIVATION FOR CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT IN POACHING AND ILLEGAL TRADE species that are being targeted by 2012-13, the WCI will play a key role transnational, organised criminal

2014 in urgent global efforts to address the gangs – such as elephants, rhinos, > > > THE WILDLIFE CRIME poaching crisis, by expanding the scope tigers, African great apes, and green INITIATIVE WAS LAUNCHED and impact of TRAFFIC and WWF’s and hawksbill turtles – with the goal of INCREASE THE EFFORT CRIMINALS INCREASE THE INDIRECT AND DIRECT REDUCE THE REWARDS FOR work on wildlife crime. halving the impact of wildlife crime on NEED TO MAKE RISKS FOR CRIMINALS CRIMINALS Launched in 2014, the initiative these species by 2024.

10-YEAR represents an expanded 10-year By working towards systemic change, > > > > > > > > commitment by WWF and TRAFFIC, the WCI will also contribute to reducing EXPANDED COMMITMENT Protection/ Community Law Seize Consumer and marks a major shift in emphasis the illegal trade in other endangered Private sector Visibility and Behavioural conservation support for avoidance exposure enforcement, criminal demand change BY WWF AND TRAFFIC for both organisations in response to an wildlife. And by pursuing this cohesive at source conservation judicial action assets reduction escalating global crisis. and collaborative approach, WWF and 2024 By strategically using each TRAFFIC will significantly enhance organisation’s specific skills and their collective contribution towards GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY HALVING THE IMPACT OF resources – WWF’s decades of global efforts to curtail the poaching and WILDLIFE CRIME ON ICONIC experience protecting wildlife and illegal wildlife trade crisis. SPECIES working with communities, and These efforts will only succeed if > > > TRAFFIC’s unparalleled expertise in governments, the private sector monitoring wildlife trafficking – the and civil society organisations all STOP THE POACHING STOP THE TRAFFICKING STOP THE BUYING initiative will maximise its long-term work together to ensure the current Helping strengthen field Supporting actions to Motivating consumer impact on wildlife crime. momentum around wildlife crime is protection, conservation and suppress illegal trade demand reduction and wildlife stewardship and smuggling behavioural change The WCI will focus on all points channelled into an effective global along the illegal wildlife trade chain response. With everyone working (poaching, trafficking and consumption) together, today’s poaching crisis can as well as advocating for the adoption be contained and a deeper social and and implementation of more effective environmental crisis averted. INTERNATIONAL POLICY Mobilising policy pressure, ensuring transparency and compliance national and international policies.

4 5 THE WILDLIFECRIME THE POACHING INITIATIVE FOUR PILLARSOF STOP 6 land andseascapes. within atleast30 priority one third from2013 levels flagship species by atleast By 2018,reducepoaching of Objective WILDLIFE CRIMEINITIATIVE protect theirwildlifefrompoachers. need topatroltheirparkseffectively and training, supportandmotivation they priority placeshavetheequipment, ranger force,ensuringthatrangers in global the professionalise to ways be will At theheartofthisanti-poachingtoolkit governments toadoptandimplementit. local conditionsandbyencouraging standards thatcanbeadaptedtosuit toolkit withacommonsetoftoolsand by helpingtodevelopazero-poaching It willbolsterthefirstlineofdefence stewardship ofwildlife. as wellenhancingcommunity work onstrengtheningfieldprotection The WCIwillfocusitsanti-poaching the illegalwildlifemarket. poachers totakegreaterrisks tosupply and committedcommunities will force Together, professionalisedrangers conserving theirwildlife. and givecommunitiesarealstakein will boostsustainabledevelopment equitable distributionofbenefits.This of naturalresources–andforthe for enhancedcommunitymanagement is whytheinitiativewillalsoadvocate backing oflocalcommunities,which They needtheeyesandearsfirm poachers atbay. But rangersalonecannotkeepthe

© WWF / JAMES MORGAN TO SUPPLY THEILLEGALWILDLIFEMARKET FORCE POACHERS TOTAKE GREATER RISKS COMMUNITIESWILL AND COMMITTED TOGETHER, PROFESSIONALISEDRANGERS

© WWF / PETER C.H. PRITCHARD © WWF / JAMES MORGAN THE TRAFFICKING third frombaseline levels. products) is reducedby atleastone- horn, tigerpartsandmarine turtle already being monitored (ivory, rhino wildlife productsforwhich tradeis By 2018,trafficking ofkey illegal Objective expensive andriskytosmuggle. help todetertraffickersby making itfarmore With thismulti-prongedapproach,theWCIwill mitigate thisandimproveaccountability. corruption sotheinitiativewillfocusonwaysto Wildlife crimealsobreeds–andfeedsoff the money’. seize theproceedsofwildlifecrimeand‘follow advocating forlawenforcementauthoritiesto with transportandlogisticscompanies, new informationsharingplatforms,working to helpstopthetraffickers,includingdeveloping efforts. TheWCIwillcatalyseinnovativeideas But it’snotjustacaseofstrengtheningcurrent not backonthestreets. processes sothatkingpinsendupbehindbars criminal networks;andimprovedjudicial better intelligencesystemstohelpdismantle detection atports,marketsandincyberspace; will advocatefortheuseofnewtechnologies illegal productsandconvictthoseresponsible.It The WCIwillcatalyseeffortstodetectandseize law enforcementbodiesandtheprivatesector. wildlife productsbyworkingwithgovernments, The WCIaimstohelpstemtheflowofillegal STOP WILDLIFE CRIMEINITIATIVE 7 WILDLIFE CRIME INITIATIVE WILDLIFE CRIME INITIATIVE

and ensure that commitments to tackle INTERNATIONAL wildlife crime are translated into concrete and effective action at the POLICY national level. It will focus on institutions like the © WWF / JAMES MORGAN United Nations and treaties like the ARNOLD © WWF / BRUNO Objective Convention on International Trade By 2018, high-level policy in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna commitments made at key and Flora (CITES), as well as other international and regional international and regional fora, fora lead to effective conventions and institutions that can implementation of WCI priority have the greatest impact on wildlife crime. anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and demand reduction actions The WCI will push for official at the national level in at least recognition of the scale and widespread impact of the illegal wildlife trade, and 10 key countries. the need for a coordinated response.

There is a growing interest in It aims to secure concrete addressing wildlife crime at the highest commitments, including anti-corruption political levels, exemplified in the measures and mechanisms, to increase landmark London Conference on Illegal accountability and compliance. The initiative will run innovative, Wildlife Trade in 2014. STOP evidence-based behaviour change By securing concrete political THE WCI WILL FOCUS ON campaigns, aiming to foster change The international policy pillar aims commitments and stronger policies, the THE BUYING from ‘within’ society. These campaigns to create an enabling environment to international policy pillar will support CHANGING CONSUMER will target emotional motivations, such help sustain this global momentum the work of the other three pillars. BEHAVIOUR IN CRITICAL as fashion trends and status symbols, MARKETS, PARTICULARLY Objective and functional motivations, such as By 2018, the demand for perceptions about the health benefits of CHINA, VIETNAM AND selected threatened species certain products. THAILAND products will be reduced by at Along with urging governments to least one-third in China (ivory, do more to reduce demand, the WCI marine turtle shell products, will run social marketing campaigns © WWF / JAMES MORGAN rhino horn and tiger products), that seek to change the mindsets of influential groups – such as business Vietnam (rhino horn), and leaders and young people – with Thailand (ivory). carefully crafted approaches.

Stemming the supply of illegal wildlife And to reduce the availability of illegal products is vital, but it will only be a products in the market the initiative temporary solution unless demand is will work to convince restaurants, significantly and permanently reduced. shops and Internet companies to stop stocking them. The WCI will focus on changing consumer behaviour in critical markets, Changing behaviour will not happen particularly China, Vietnam and overnight. But it will happen. Slowly but Thailand, by transforming current surely demand will be reduced - and so attitudes towards the consumption of will the incentive for criminals to act illegal wildlife products. and the threat to numerous species.

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LANDMARK POLICY CONFERENCES TIGER NUMBERS TICKING UP Over 40 countries and the EU took part in an Effective anti-poaching measures have unprecedented high-level summit on illegal wildlife contributed significantly to rising tiger trade in 2014, and agreed to a strong set of numbers in India and Russia, along commitments in the London Declaration. These with enhanced community stewardship NOT ALL DOOM were enhanced at a follow-up meeting in Botswana and greater habitat protection. All 13 in 2015, which illustrated that governments remain tiger range countries also endorsed AND GLOOM: determined to tackle wildlife crime. African nations the zero poaching framework at a also met in Brazzaville to draft the first continental summit in Nepal. SPOTLIGHTING SOME strategy against wildlife crime. SIGNIFICANT SUCCESSES FROM ANTI-POACHING TO INTERNATIONAL POLICY

WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT Long regarded as a low priority ‘environmental’ issue, governments are now focusing far more attention on wildlife crime. Never before has there been such high level political engagement from countries around the world, including priority source, transit and consumer states. World leaders have committed to action in major international fora and are now developing DRIVING DOWN DEMAND IN JAPAN new broader approaches to wildlife crime, with From being the largest consumer of national level task forces and strategic plans. ivory in the world a few decades ago, Wildlife crime has been discussed as a threat Japan’s market has plummeted to a to security in the UN Security Council, while tiny fraction of its former level – thanks key international institutions have become to well-designed and carefully targeted behaviour change campaigns, and increasingly active through the International the influence of senior political and Consortium on Combatting Wildlife Crime commercial leaders adopting a public, (ICCWC) – with Interpol, the UN Office on Drugs anti-ivory stance. and Crime, the World Customs Organization, and the World Bank partnering with CITES, the global authority on wildlife trade. In this environment, WWF and TRAFFIC can play a critical role in catalysing action TRANSFORMING THAILAND’S IVORY MARKET and systemic change. The Wildlife Crime In early 2015, Thailand passed the Elephant Ivory Act, Initiative was launched to make the most of the first piece of legislation ever to regulate its substantial this opportunity – to use WWF and TRAFFIC’s domestic ivory market. Over 38,000 people subsequently combined strengths to boost the global response ZERO POACHING IN NEPAL registered around 200 tonnes of ivory. Meanwhile, over 1.2 to wildlife crime. Three times since 2011, Nepal has million Thais participated in a WWF anti-ivory campaign gone a full year without any rhinos being that highlighted the plight of Africa’s elephants. poached. During one of those years, WILDLIFE CRIME BECOMES A SERIOUS CRIME Nepal did not lose a single elephant or tiger to the poachers either. This In 2013, members of the UN’s Commission on Crime remarkable success is based on high- Prevention and Criminal Justice passed a Resolution level political will, the tireless dedication declaring illicit wildlife trafficking to be a ‘serious crime’, of rangers and conservationists, and the requiring sentences of 4 years or more. In 2015, the active involvement of local communities. UN Crime Congress in Qatar took further steps to boost global efforts to tackle transnational organized environmental crime.

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© WWF / BAS HUIJBREGTS Tel. +44 1223 277427; +44 1223 277427; Tel. [email protected] E. Nepal has registered three years of zero poaching of rhinos since 2011, and one year when not a single tiger, elephant or rhino were poached 0 +41 22 364 9111 9,300% Since 2007, rhino poaching soared by in South Africa has 1,215 9,300% with a record killed in 2014 TRAFFIC’s mission is to ensure that trade in wild plants TRAFFIC’s and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. traffic.org P. Fax +44 1223 277237, Email [email protected] UK Registered Charity No. 1076722, Registered Limited Company No. 3785518. The TRAFFIC symbol The UK Registered Charity No. 1076722, Registered Limited Company No. 3785518. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of WWF ownership is held by WWF. Trademark copyright and Registered and IUCN. Headquarters Office, 219a Huntingdon Rd, Cambridge CB3 ODL, UK

th 4 Wildlife crime is estimated to be the 4th largest transnational criminal activity after trafficking in drugs, counterfeit goods and people Communication Specialist, Wildlife Crime Initiative, WWF International

UP TO 30,000 to 30,000 It is estimated that up poached for elephants are being their ivory in Africa each year There are as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild 3,200 Wildlife Crime Facts Crime Wildlife For more information on the WCI, please contact: Lee Richard