Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris in the Kanha National Park, India © Sanskar Khedekar
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our current projects and ongoing initiatives
Our conservation and development work is spread across a combination of ongoing trade monitoring, data gathering, policy engagement and individual projects.
In addition to our ongoing trade monitoring and provision of expert advice to governments and organisations around the world, we also run dedicated projects targeting key wildlife trade issues.
explore our achievements in protecting biodiversity
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TRAFFIC's projects address some of the most pressing issues within conservation - combining both sustainable human development and the protection of biodiversity.
Caroline Gill, Senior Project Administrative Officer
a selection of TRAFFIC projects
ReTTA
Reducing trade threats to Africa's wild species and ecosystems through strengthened knowledge and action in Africa and beyond (ReTTA).
ReTTA, funded by the Arcadia Foundation, has a broad remit to strengthen actions to conserve wildlife populations, areas of high biodiversity, and communities threatened by illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade from Africa, with a particular focus on trade to Asia.
Wildlife-TRAPS
Wildlife Trafficking Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife-TRAPS).
In 2020, the Wildlife TRAPS Project shifted direction while continuing to pursue innovation and non-traditional partnerships to reduce illegal, unsustainable, and unsafe wildlife trade.
In this new phase, Wildlife TRAPS is building on strong collaborations already developed with key actors in the transport, finance, wildlife forensics, and behavioural change sectors to inform a more singular focus on reducing potential zoonotic disease risks associated with trade in wild animals.
Black-bellied Pangolin Phataginus tetradactyla © Rod Cassidy
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the FairWild Foundation
Promoting the ethical and sustainable use of wild collected plant ingredients in trade.
Approximately 30,000 non-timber plant species have medicinal and aromatic uses, with 3,000 of these in global trade. Whether for medicine, food, health, beauty, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or drinks, wild plants play a crucial, and often unnoticed, role in everyday life. The FairWild Foundation helps guide businesses throughout wild plant supply chains in applying sustainable and ethical practices.
The ROUTES Partnership
Illegal wildlife typically travels great distances from source to market, making it a logistics and transport-intensive activity.
The USAID ROUTES Partnership brings together government agencies, transportation and logistics industry companies and representatives, international conservation, development and law enforcement organisations and donors in order to disrupt wildlife trafficking activities, and forms a key element of the concerted international response to addressing wildlife poaching and associated criminal activities worldwide.
the Global Shark and Ray Initiative
This is a join project between TRAFFIC and various partners working to secure the future of our oceans through shark and ray conservation.
Its goal is to halt the devastating declines in shark and ray populations by 2025, and secure international commitments that will see them protected for future generations.
© Jürgen Freund / WWF
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ongoing cross-project initiatives
Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS)
ETIS is the CITES-mandated tool to track illegal trade in elephant ivory and other elephant products. Managed and operated by TRAFFIC on behalf of the CITES Parties, ETIS has been designed to establish trends in illicit elephant product trade and changes in trends over time, assessing whether or not such trends are related to CITES decisions for elephant conservation. FIND OUT MORE
Experts in Behavioural Change
Social and behavioural change communications is a powerful tool for reducing the motivations behind the consumption of illegal and endangered wildlife products. TRAFFIC has been pivotal in the development and execution of such initiatives throughout Southeast Asia, including running an online toolkit for behavioural change practitioners. FIND OUT MORE
The fight against wildlife crime
Untold numbers of wildlife have been poached to satisfy illegal consumer demand for their products. Keeping up with ruthless criminal networks, heavily equipped poaching syndicates and the exploitation of new e-commerce platforms are some of the many challenges we face in the fight against wildlife crime. We're involved in numerous projects, initiatives and partnerships dealing with the issue head on. FIND OUT MORE
Sustainable timber trade
Illegal logging and unsustainable timber trade are contributing to the rapid deforestation of many African rainforests. The loss of potential revenue to local economies is stunting the development and livelihoods of some of the continents most vulnerable communities. We're working across and between nations to strengthen regulations and enforcement charged with protecting both people and vulnerable forests from unsustainable or illegal timber trade. FIND OUT MORE
Increasing capacity for Wildlife Forensics
Wildlife forensics can be instrumental in securing convictions against wildlife criminals, and in understanding the trends behind evolving illegal trade routes. We have numerous projects working across Africa and Asia to help build the capacity for governments to harness the potential of wildlife forensics in the fight against poaching and illegal wildlife trade. FIND OUT MORE
Trade in Wildlife Information eXchanges (TWIXs)
The EU and AFRICA-TWIX databases have been developed to assist national law enforcement agencies, including CITES Management Authorities and prosecutors, in their task of detecting, analysing, monitoring and prosecuting illegal activities related to wildlife trade covered by international trade regulations. FIND OUT MORE
Trade monitoring
Research and analysis at the heart of our conservation expertise.
Our varied physical and online wildlife trade monitoring gives as an in-depth and up-to-date insight into the latest trade trends, commodities, and target wildlife species, and forms the backbone to our "Evidence to Influence" approach for bringing about lasting change for wildlife and people. FIND OUT MORE
publications, engagement and guidance
Our wealth of knowledge and expert analysis lends us an unrivalled degree of insight into wildlife trade issues.
This insight enables us to inform, guide, advise and engage myriad organisations across the world when it comes to preserving natural biodiversity and promoting sustainable human development.
Explore our publications page for a further insight into our wildlife conservation work.
