WEST AFRICA BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE (WA BiCC) Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking (Volume 2) A West Africa Regional Perspective: A Review of Threats to Biodiversity in West Africa, Current Status of Wildlife Trafficking, Ongoing or Planned Actions or Programs to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, and CITES Implementation in the Focal Countries and across West Africa (JANUARY 2021) This publication was produced for the United States Agency for International Development by Tetra Tech ARD, through a Task Order under the Prosperity, Livelihoods, and Conserving Ecosystems (PLACE) Indefinite Quantity Contract Core Task Order (USAID Contract No. AID-EPP-I-00-06-00008, Order Number AID-OAA-TO-11-00064). For more information on the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change program, contact: USAID/West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Tetra Tech 2nd Labone Link, North Labone Accra, Ghana Tel: +233(0)302 788 600 Email: www.tetratech.com/intdev Website: www.wabicc.org Stephen Kelleher Chief of Party Accra, Ghana Tel: + 233 (0) 302 788 600 Email: [email protected] Vaneska Litz Project Manager Burlington, Vermont Tel: +1. 802.495.0303 Email: [email protected] Citation: USAID/West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC). (2021). Understanding threats to West African biodiversity and linkages to wildlife trafficking (Volume 2): A West Africa regional perspective. 2nd Labone Link, North Labone, Accra – Ghana. 130p. Cover photo: Elephants playing in the water. © Martin Heigan (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode). Cropped from the original. Disclaimer: This document was made possible by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) program. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... III LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... III LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................IV INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................VI 1.0 MAIN THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY IN WEST AFRICA .......................................... 1 1.1 BIODIVERSITY OVERVIEW .................................................................................. 1 1.2 SPECIES AFFECTED BY WILDLIFE CRIME ........................................................ 2 1.2.1 TERRESTRIAL FAUNA .............................................................................................................. 2 1.2.2 TERRESTRIAL FLORA ............................................................................................................. 55 1.2.3 MARINE AND FRESHWATER FAUNA ................................................................................... 61 1.3 CITES DECISIONS CONCERNING WEST AFRICA .................................................... 78 2.0 EXISTING WILDLIFE POLICIES AND LEGISLATION IN WEST AFRICA ........... 80 2.1 OVERVIEW OF ROBUST LEGAL LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMBATTING WILDLIFE CRIME ...................................................................... 80 2.2 REGIONAL ASSESSMENT OF GAPS IN LEGAL FRAMEWORKS SET UP TO ENFORCE CITES ............................................................................................ 81 2.2.1 DESIGNATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF AUTHORITY ......................................................... 82 2.2.2 PROHIBIT TRADE IN VIOLATION OF THE CONVENTION ................................................ 82 2.2.3 PENALIZE ILLEGAL TRADE AND CONFISCATE ILLEGALLY TRADED SPECIMEN ............. 83 2.3 REGION-WIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE .......................................................................................................... 84 2.3.1 NATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORKS ...................................................................................... 84 2.3.2 REGIONAL ENFORCEMENT CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................ 85 3.0 NATIONAL STRUCTURES SET UP TO IMPLEMENT CITES ................................. 87 3.1 OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL STRUCTURES ..................................................... 87 3.1.1 CITES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES ................................................................................. 87 3.1.2 CITES SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITIES ........................................................................................ 87 3.1.3 NATIONAL WILDLIFE CRIME STRATEGIES AND TASK FORCES ....................................... 88 3.2 EFFECTIVENESS OF CITES IMPLEMENTATION ............................................ 92 3.2.1 POLITICAL COMMITMENT AND PRIORITIZATION OF CITES .......................................... 92 3.2.2 STAFFING ............................................................................................................................... 93 3.2.3 COLLABORATION WITH NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ....................................................... 93 3.2.4 COLLABORATION WITH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ................ 93 3.2.5 COLLABORATION WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ........................................................................... 93 3.2.6 TRAINING .............................................................................................................................. 94 3.2.7 AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES.............................................................................................. 94 UNDERSTANDING THREATS TO WEST AFRICAN BIODIVERSITY AND LINKAGES TO WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING (VOL. 2) i 3.3 PROCESSES TO STRENGTHEN CITES IMPLEMENTATION ........................................ 94 3.3.1 NATIONAL PROCESSES ......................................................................................................... 94 3.3.2 REGIONAL PROCESSES.......................................................................................................... 95 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS AND A ROADMAP FOR DEVELOPING A STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT AND COMBATTING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING IN THE REGION .............................................................. 96 4.1 OVERARCHING RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................... 96 4.1.1 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................... 96 4.1.2 SPECIES-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................. 98 4.2 ROADMAP FOR DEVELOPING A STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT AND COMBATTING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING ..................................................................................................... 107 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 109 ANNEX. 1 CITES TRADE SANCTIONS CURRENTLY AFFECTING ECOWAS MEMBER STATES ...................................................................................................................................... 129 UNDERSTANDING THREATS TO WEST AFRICAN BIODIVERSITY AND LINKAGES TO WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING (VOL. 2) ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: West African elephant population figures ................................................................................................... 3 Table 2: West African MIKE sites .................................................................................................................................. 7 Table 3: NIAP Parties ..................................................................................................................................................... 11 Table 4: Elephant Ivory Seizures in ECOWAS Member States (2016-2017) .................................................... 20 Table 5: West African populations of Hippopotamus amphibius ......................................................................... 50 Table 6: Examples of tree species in urgent need of status assessments. All of these species were last assessed in 1998. .............................................................................................................................................................. 55 Table 7: Status of CITES listed Sharks and Rays ...................................................................................................... 62 Table 8: Distribution of CITES-listed shark species in the West African Region ............................................ 63 Table 9: Distribution of CITES-listed ray species in the West African Region ................................................ 64 Table 10: Distribution of Marine Turtles in West Africa ....................................................................................... 68 Table 11: Assessment of CITES Implementing Legislation ..................................................................................... 83 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Hub of Core Legislation ................................................................................................................................ 81 UNDERSTANDING THREATS TO WEST AFRICAN BIODIVERSITY AND LINKAGES TO