USAID's Work to Combat Wildlife Trafficking

Poachers often operate in conjunction with international criminal networks that exploit weak laws and enforcement, porous borders, and corrupt officials. These networks are violent and sophisticated, and their profits finance the activities of terrorist and other criminal organizations. The loss of iconic wildlife and the presence of violent elements linked to trafficking threatens nature-based tourism, an important source of revenue in many developing countries. In response, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has implemented a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combat wildlife trafficking. This approach involves working with park guards, customs officers, the judiciary, and the media to stem demand for wildlife products and stop poaching and trafficking. In 2014, USAID participated in Operation Cobra II, a month-long endeavor that resulted in 400 arrests and 350 major wildlife seizures across Asia and Africa. The agency also provided training, rations, equipment, and logistical support for a crackdown on poaching in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, helping to secure at least 70 percent of Salonga National Park and allowing elephants to return to areas they had been avoiding for fear of poachers. USAID is partnering with businesses in the travel and hospitality sectors to combat wildlife trafficking. For example, the agency worked with Delta Airlines and Kenya Airlines in Asia to train employees on how to detect and respond to wildlife trafficking through airports. USAID's work with Fin Free Thailand has encouraged 99 prominent hotels and restaurants to keep shark fin soup off their menus. The ARREST program, USAID's largest initiative to fight wildlife trafficking, is a key component of the agency's efforts. Drawing on the expertise of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Justice, and others, the program reduces consumer demand for illegal products, enhances law enforcement, and fortifies cooperation in Asia. ARREST trains park rangers, customs officers, police, and lawyers in wildlife forensics and border inspections, as well as tactics for arrests and prosecutions. Since 2011, the ARREST program has trained more than 8,500 local government officials in law enforcement, resulting in a tenfold increase in wildlife trafficking confiscations. In Africa, USAID's support of strengthened law enforcement is paying dividends, with Kenya's new Wildlife Law increasing penalties for poaching and trafficking. In Central Africa, more than 400 rangers, law-enforcement agents, and judicial officials were trained in anti-poaching techniques, resulting in the arrest and prosecution of more than 130 criminal poachers and the seizure of dozens of weapons. Regional training workshops in Central and East Africa introduced the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) for making conservation patrols more strategic and accountable. SMART is being piloted in more than 20 sites across 12 countries in Africa. The USAID-supported ARREST program is strengthening regional law enforcement, with a component focusing on the detection of illegal wildlife products, including criminal investigations, forensics, and border inspections.