Illegal trade of wildlife is thriving in different parts of the world.

A unique regional project in order to curb wildlife trafficking and illegal wildlife trade in South Asia and to strengthen and build the capacity of law enforcement agencies in Bhutan, India and Nepal and strengthen cooperation among them was conducted recently in Dehra Dun, India. This was a joint endeavour of TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce) India and the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) India, in collaboration with the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), the Government of India. Officers from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will also be participating in the workshop. The project is being implemented with funding support from the US Government.

As the WWF press release on the project states, wildlife crime decimates endangered species populations, fuels corruption, and enriches transnational criminal syndicates. South Asia, a region rich in biodiversity, is a crucial source of poaching for wildlife trafficking, as well as a transit hub for illegal wildlife trade. As earlier stated by WWF-India, South Asia has evolved as a crucial source of poaching for wildlife trafficking, as well as a transit hub for illegal wildlife trade, as it is a rich biodiverse region and a home to many iconic wildlife species. Many of these species may be seriously endangered or even be on the brink of extinction. Rampant poaching and unscrupulous illegal trade of wildlife for the sale of hides, trophies, ornamental plants, musical instruments and for traditional medicine, often in outside markets, adds pressure on wildlife. Traffickers exploit the porous borders of South Asia to smuggle wildlife products and timber within the region and beyond to other lucrative international destinations.

The training was attended by 34 officials, 10 from Bhutan, India, Nepal, and two from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The officials are from various law enforcement agencies in their country, including forest departments, customs, police, and para-military forces. The nine-day training workshop focussed on building the participant’s knowledge and skills in curbing wildlife trafficking in the region. The various sessions planned during the training include an overview of wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade in South Asia; CITES and its implementation; coordination and cooperation for tackling wildlife crime in Asia; learnings from the successes of conservation; role of rangers; human-wildlife conflict fueling wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade; role of an investigator; introduction to wildlife forensics; methods to identify certain wildlife species from derivatives and differentiate between counterfeit; plant identification; protocol for mortality of protected and regulated species and other species with case studies; wildlife crime scene management;  sample collection; wildlife forensic evidence collection; seizure of live animals (exotic/native);  handling live animals; wildlife cybercrime and cyber forensics. Field sessions on search and collection, wildlife crime scene management, evidence collection, seizure of live animals (exotic/native)/ derivative and documentation process were also carefully designed for the participants.

Various initiatives under this regional project include conducting capacity building for trainers, national capacity building for law enforcement, new tools and technologies for identification and detection, and support for more effective prosecution and judiciary work. The project will support officials in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and will help strengthen SAWEN as the primary regional organisation combating wildlife trafficking.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime website highlights that South Asian countries account for 15% of world biodiversity. The iconic tiger and elephant, snow leopard and other big cats,  one-horn rhino, pangolin, brown bear, deer, reptiles, seahorse, star tortoise, butterflies, peacocks, birds, red sander, orchids, shells, corals to name some of the species -partly endemic to South Asia - are seriously endangered or even on the brink of extinction, mainly because of rampant poaching and unscrupulous illegal trade of wildlife for the sale of hides, trophies, ornamental plants, music instruments and for traditional medicine, often in outside markets. It is already 35 years ago, that in 1975, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) came into force to protect endangered wildlife. Most South Asian countries have ratified the Convention. Nevertheless, wildlife has decreased substantially over the years symbolized prominently by the drastic reduction of tigers in the wild.