ETIS the Elephant Trade Information System

Establishment through CITES Resolution

Established by the CITES Parties in 1997 through Resolution Conf. 10.10, ETIS is the CITES-mandated programme with the following objectives:

1. Measuring and recording levels and trends of illegal trade in ivory and other elephant specimens;
2. Assessing whether and to what extent observed trends are linked to measures taken under the auspices of CITES;
3. Establishing an information base to support the making of decisions on appropriate management, protection, and enforcement needs; and
4. Building capacity in elephant range States and countries involved in trade in elephant specimens, to implement and make use of ETIS in managing elephants and enhancing enforcement.

ETIS is managed and operated by TRAFFIC on behalf of the CITES Parties, in collaboration with the CITES Secretariat and in consultation with the MIKE-ETIS Technical Advisory Group.

ETIS Analyses

ETIS data contains inherent biases as countries differ in their ability to make and report seizures. To address these issues, the ETIS analyses account for the differences in seizure and reporting rates across countries and over time. The peer-reviewed methodologies use indicators of law enforcement effort and reporting behaviour to produce bias-adjusted transaction and weight index trends, providing the Parties with a more accurate picture of the underlying levels of illegal ivory trade.

In addition to the trend analysis, a cluster analysis is used to identify countries with similar characteristics and patterns of involvement in the illegal ivory trade, helping to identify key Parties that may require attention under the NIAP process. More recently, a network analysis was developed in collaboration with the University of Cambridge to highlight significant trafficking routes and emerging dynamics, which can be explored through an interactive tool.