wildlife trade news reports, seizures, policy, development, conservation

Geneva, Switzerland, 16th August 2019—representatives from governments across the world meet today in Geneva for the opening of the 18th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP18). read full story >

Lao Cai, Viet Nam, 16th May 2019—Three men caught in an attempt to smuggle rhino horn across the Vietnamese border into China have been sentenced to a combined total of 27 years in prison. The sentences, handed down this Tuesday in a Lao Cai courtroom, were prosecuted under Viet Nam’s recently amended penal code which includes a provision for higher penalties for those convicted of wildlife crime. read full story >

Cambridge, UK, 22nd April, Earth Day 2019—this year’s Earth Day theme is Protect our species, a topic that should concern every one of us as the world lurches towards its sixth mass extinction event, with the effects of biodiversity loss plain to see.  read full story >

TRAFFIC has been keeping a close watch on the trade and consumption trend of illegal wildlife, conducting monitoring on online trade on a regular basis. read full story >

Johannesburg, South Africa, 15th February 2019—South Africa has announced the official number of rhinos illegally killed in the country during 2018 as 769 animals: a decrease on last year’s 1028 but still more than two animals per day. read full story >

Hanoi, Viet Nam, 14th Dec 2018—A new study provides insights on consumption patterns for rhino, elephant, and pangolin products Viet Nam. The research, funded by USAID, will guide the design and implementation of demand reduction interventions to Vietnamese consumers.  read full story >

Cambridge, UK, 10th September 2018—a new study investigating effective approaches for changing the behaviour of consumers of illegal wildlife products was launched today, to support global efforts to suppress the demand that fuels wildlife crime. read full story >

Luanda, Angola, 28th August 2018—Authorities in Angola have announced the arrest of five Vietnamese nationals in connection with a massive seizure of wildlife products, including 27 rhino horn pieces, almost 800 kg of worked and raw elephant ivory and almost 900 kg of pangolin scales. read full story >

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20th August 2018—Authorities have discovered 50 pieces of rhino horn at a postal aviation centre in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in what is believed to be Southeast Asia’s largest single seizure of rhino horns. read full story >

Hanoi, Viet Nam, 2 March 2018—Representatives of TRAFFIC, WWF, and the French Development Agency (AfD) held a workshop in Hanoi today to reflect on the achievements of their three-year project to curb demand for rhino horn in Viet Nam, and to discuss how the initiative will continue into the future. The event included around 40 representatives from government, civil society organisations (CSOs), and other parties who contributed to the initiative’s success. read full story >

Cambridge, UK, 31st January 2018—a new study released today summarises the motivations behind the use of endangered wildlife products in Viet Nam, with an ultimate goal of helping behavioural science practitioners develop messages and initiatives to help reduce their consumption. read full story >

Johannesburg, South Africa, 25th January 2018—South Africa today announced the official number of rhinos illegally killed in the country during 2017 as 1028 animals: a tiny decrease on last year’s 1054. read full story >