FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY UNDERSTANDING THREATS TO WEST AFRICAN BIODIVERSITY AND LINKAGES TO WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING LIBERIA FIELD ASSESSMENT REPORT NOVEMBER 2018 i 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. 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 0577 Email: [email protected] Citation: Republic of Liberia Forestry Development Authority, 2019. Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Liberia Field Assessment Report. Edited by Balinga M. and Stroud A in 2019. Cover photo: Chimpanzees at the Rescue and Protection Center in Liberia. Credit: Charles Mackay ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 1 Acronyms .................................................................................................................................. 2 I.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Background information on Liberia ........................................................................... 3 1.2 Methodology and scope of the assessment .................................................................. 8 2.0 Assessment of wildlife trafficking at markets and entry points ................................... 10 2.1 Markets: Duala Market and Red Light Market .......................................................... 10 2.2 Airports: Roberts International Airport and James Spriggs Payne Airport ........ 11 2.3 Seaport: Freeport of Monrovia .................................................................................... 13 2.4 Land boundary border post .......................................................................................... 15 3.0 Overview of wildlife law enforcement ............................................................................ 17 3.1 Proactive enforcement as deterrent to wildlife trafficking ..................................... 17 3.1.1 Enforcement priority ....................................................................................................... 17 3.1.2 Serious crime. .................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.3 National enforcement strategy ...................................................................................... 18 3.1.4 National cooperation ....................................................................................................... 19 3.1.5 International cooperation ............................................................................................... 20 3.1.6 Strategic risk management .............................................................................................. 20 3.1.7 Proactive investigations ................................................................................................... 20 3.1.8 Staffing, recruitment and law enforcement training ................................................. 21 3.2 Detection of wildlife trafficking by law enforcement agencies……………………21 3.2.1 Targeted enforcement presence ................................................................................... 21 3.2.2 Joint / Supportive operations ......................................................................................... 21 3.2.3 Border control staff ......................................................................................................... 21 3.2.4 Border control equipment ............................................................................................. 22 3.2.5 Inspection and seizure powers ...................................................................................... 22 3.2.6 Disposal of confiscated wildlife specimens ................................................................. 22 3.3 Wildlife trafficking thoroughly investigated using an intelligence-led approach . 23 3.3.1 Investigative capacity ........................................................................................................ 23 3.3.2 Information management ................................................................................................ 23 3.3.3 Intelligence analysis ........................................................................................................... 24 3.3.4 Intelligence-led investigations ......................................................................................... 24 3.3.5 Follow-up investigations .................................................................................................. 24 3.4 Specialized investigative techniques used to combat wildlife trafficking. ............ 24 3.4.1 Use of specialized investigative techniques ................................................................. 24 3.4.2 Forensic technology ......................................................................................................... 24 3.4.3 Financial investigations ..................................................................................................... 24 3.4.4 Use of criminal law ........................................................................................................... 25 3.4.5 Case file preparation ........................................................................................................ 25 4.0 Conclusions and recommendations ............................................................................... 26 iii 4.1 Trafficking routes and seizures .................................................................................... 26 4.2 Challenges raised by participants ................................................................................ 32 4.3 Primary recommendations .......................................................................................... 34 Annex 1: Schedule of the assessment .................................................................................. 36 Annex 2: Participants interviewed during the field mission............................................... 37 Annex 3: National Priority Actions Identified at the Assessment Report Validation Workshop ...................................................................................................................... 39 Annex 4: Final Communiqué /Resolution on Illegal Wildlife Trafficking and Threats Assessment Report Workshop for Liberia................................................................. 44 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report would not have been possible without the diligent work and support of Blamah S. Goll, Technical Manager and CITES Focal Point, and Trokon Grimes, Biologist and MIKE Focal Point, within the Forestry Development Authority’s Conservation Department. Both professionals worked tirelessly with their team on the ground to organize and lead the assessments, conduct interviews, and secure the national validation of the report and its findings. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to customs officials and other staff at the land, air and seaports, as well as staff within the National Fishery and Aquaculture Authority of Liberia (NaFAA), Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA), The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Trans-National Crime Unit (TCU), Interpol Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA), Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL), Farmers Associated to Conserve the Environment (FACE), Forestry Cry Liberia, Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), Conservation International Liberia Office, Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection (LCRP). We are also grateful to Dr. Samuel Koffa, Community Forestry Consultant, for participating in the assessments and providing valuable insight into his activities. Finally, we would like to acknowledge and thank the many other individuals and organizations who have also helped WA BiCC ensure excellence in the production of this report. The staff of WA BiCC extend their gratitude to all those who invested their precious time, effort, and thought to improving our organization’s understanding of the existing threats to West African biodiversity and the linkages to wildlife trafficking. UNDERSTANDING THREATS TO WEST AFRICAN BIODIVERSITY AND LINKAGES TO WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING | LIBERIA 1 ACRONYMS BLETWG Biomonitoring and Law Enforcement Technical Working Group BNF Bureau of National Fisheries CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States FDA Forestry Development Authority GDP Gross Domestic Product IWT Illegal Wildlife Trade MT Metric tons NGO Non-Governmental Organization TCU Transnational Crime Unit WCF Wild Chimpanzee Foundation WACI West African Coast Initiative