Global Challenges Assignment- Wildlife Trafficking by Jalen Davis https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om The purpose of this project is to explore how international law and intergovernmental organizations address wildlife trafficking. It will explore the creation, effectiveness and constraints of their policies in response to this growing issue. The project will also introduce potential future solutions. en-us 2021-10-28 17:05:35 UTC 2026-04-16 10:19:45 UTC hello@padlet.com U.S. Fish and Wildlife's International Affairs jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1852005892 This government website discusses how the international section of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department strives to stop illegal wildlife trade. It describes how the illegal business is an unsustainable practice that is harming animal populations and violently affecting local communities. The page details different efforts by the United States in foreign countries and how foreign aid is being used to try to curtail the illegal trade. Recently, the international branch known as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Without Borders helped "und a cooperative training and joint poaching investigation by the Kenya Wildlife Service and Royal Thai Police officials" that resulted in the seizure of multiple mass ivory shipments. Furthermore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department's Division of International Conservation "oversees the implementation of several international grant programs, including the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund, the African Elephant Conservation Fund, and the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund". These grants help finance counter-poaching measures in the foreign regions being directly affected.

https://www.fws.gov/international/travel-and-trade/illegal-wildlife-trade.html]]> 2021-10-28 17:19:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1852005892 CITES- The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1852006227 CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, one of the oldest international treaties designed to protect wildlife. According to the treaty website, CITES has been in force since 1975 and currently has 183 parties. The treaty aims to prevent international trade from negatively affecting animals and plants. It regulates trade in participating members' countries and is credited for holding its members accountable through both mandatory data reporting and annual conferences. Since its inception it has greatly expanded to address growing issues such as environmental exploitation and poaching. This treaty has also helped create more communication between states about wildlife movement and conservation efforts. CITES also advocates for its members to adopt their own domestic policies and has formed several branch organizations to further combat poaching.

https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php]]> 2021-10-28 17:19:54 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1852006227 UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1852007852 This is a report first published by the United Nations in 2016 and updated in 2020 on data found about wildlife trafficking crimes in member states. It is an extensive report on what animals are directly being affected and what products these animals are being trafficked for; examples include perfume, furniture and  fashion. The research findings clearly show that the data for "CITES-related seizures" is strongly increasing, which means that while more poachers are being caught there are also more species being poached. The report also addresses the limitations of the CITES treaty, such as the lack of jurisdiction over domestic black markets and how the treaty "is limited to regulating international trade, so the illegal harvesting of wildlife, such as the poaching of protected species, does not fall within its scope if the product is not transported internationally". 

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/wildlife.html]]> 2021-10-28 17:20:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1852007852 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925432370 The 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears is an international treaty signed by the five countries with the highest polar bear populations: United States, Denmark, Canada, Norway and Russia (the USSR at the time the treaty went in force). This is one of the oldest and most successful wildlife treaties that directly addresses poaching. The treaty "prohibits unregulated sport hunting of polar bears... the five nations must take appropriate action to protect the ecosystems of polar bears". The treaty has directly caused a distinct decrease in commercially-based killings of polar bears and resulted in valuable research data shared between parties. 

https://www.polarbearscanada.ca/en/legislation/international/1973-agreement-conservation-polar-bears
]]> 2021-12-02 15:30:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925432370 International Union for Conservation of Nature's Community Outreach jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925446365 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an intergovernmental organization that promotes nature conservation and conducts extensive research on threatened species. This community outreach report explains their collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme in an effort to increase awareness among the local populations that share an ecosystem with the endangered species. The report found that "involving local people is critical to successful conservation... current approaches to wildlife management often fail to take into account the needs and rights of local communities, which are fundamental to success". Increasing awareness at a young age when people are most impressionable is a valuable tool in fighting poaching because it makes them less likely to join a poaching syndicate in their teenage years. Local community outreach is a better alternative to the authoritarian "boots on the ground" approach that "emphasizes fences... guns and boots" and leads to human rights violations. 

1. https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-environmental-economic-and-social-policy/our-work/specialist-group-sustainable-use-and-livelihoods-suli/resources-and-publications/wild-life-wild-livelihoods-involving
2. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/22864/WLWL_Report_web.pdf]]> 2021-12-02 15:36:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925446365 The Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime's Proposal for a New Protocol Within UNTOC jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925463808 This proposal is for wildlife trafficking to become the fourth protocol of the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), "the main international instrument in the fight against transnational crime". The proposal calls for the criminalization of "intentional illicit trafficking of specimens of wild fauna and flora... parties to the Protocol would be agreeing to adopt legislation establishing as a criminal offence the illicit trafficking". This proposal would be beneficial because CITES lacks jurisdiction over domestic trade and many parties don't have domestic poaching laws. The proposed protocol also suggests increasing the exchange of information, enhancing border controls, and increased training while taking measures to discourage demand. This would provide a much needed support system for anti-poaching efforts and further create the necessary united front against wildlife trafficking.

https://endwildlifecrime.org/untoc-wildlife-protocol/]]> 2021-12-02 15:43:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925463808 NRDC Report on How Poachers are Selling Wildlife as Captive-Bred jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925482630 This article published by the National Resources Defense Council explains how poachers take advantage of a loophole within the CITES international treaty. The treaty categorizes wildlife based on their conservation status and how close they are to extinction; the treaty allows for "Appendix II animals... can be bought and sold across borders". This is because the writers of the treaty didn't think that captive-bred animals would directly affect the wild population. However, as the article explains poachers use this rule to their advantage by "falsely labeling wild-caught animals as captive-bred". This has resulted in several factory-like environments where endangered species are kept within terrible conditions and then sold as captive bred. The article explains that to combat this issue, CITES needs to amended to allow for more frequent examinations of captive breeding facilities.

https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/poachers-international-loophole-captive-breeding]]> 2021-12-02 15:51:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925482630 ICCWC's Formation and Subsequent Acccomplishments jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925490307 The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) is a partnership between CITES, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and the World Customs Organization (WCO). The ICCWC has had arguably the most success in tracking down wildlife trafficking criminals by using "state of the art globally mandated databases and secure communication channels". The ICCWC also offers authorities "the tools, services and technical support they need to effectively combat wildlife and forest crime". This collaboration has shown repeated success at helping parties in receiving advanced training to combat poaching and protect endangered species from those who would exploit them. The ICCWC has helped raise awareness about wildlife crime and worked with law enforcement to ensure criminals face justice.

https://cites.org/eng/prog/iccwc_new.php]]> 2021-12-02 15:54:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925490307 African Wildlife Foundation's Research Findings on Poaching Data in Africa and Asia jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925501006 These data findings from the African Wildlife Fund serve to "raise the public’s awareness of the massive deaths these poachers bring about". The research found several concerning statistics: 
1. between January 2005 and January 2017, nearly 2,000 elephants and roughly 6,300 rhinos had been slaughtered by poachers in South Africa and Kenya 
2. elephants' poaching fatalities increased more than 100 percent in 2016.
3. East Africa, home to 20% of Africa's entire rhino population, had its elephant population decline by 50%
between 2006 and 2015
4. Tanzania's elephant population declined by 60% between 2006 and 2015
5. rhino horn is sold at rates between $15,000 and $30,000 a pound in Vietnam
According to the article, the data trends suggest that "rhino poaching will increase by about 356 percent between 2015 and 2030". These statistics demonstrate that at the current rate of poaching is unsustainable and demonstrate the urgency with which international agencies need to act. These statistics also show how this is an international issue because it regards both Africa and Asia; furthermore the transport of rhino horns from Africa to Vietnam make it international trade and thus within international jurisdiction.

https://campaign.awf.org/poaching-deaths-visualized/]]> 2021-12-02 15:59:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925501006 AWF's Report on A Lack of Enforcement and a Linkage Between Socioeconomics and Poaching jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925512982 This African Wildlife Fund report summarizes why poachers are prevailing over increasing international restrictions on wildlife trade. It attributes their continued success to five core reasons: 
1. Not enough human presence for enforcement and protection of wildlife
2. Lack of economic opportunity in countries leads to young people turning to local poaching syndicates
3. Lack of domestic implementation for trade bans such as CITES
4. Ivory stockpile sales that drive supply and demand since it leads to increased availability
5. A lack of public education which leads to false medicinal beliefs and ignorance about the dangers of poaching
The article summarizes these findings by stating that many species are on the brink of extinction and encourages a collaborative effort between countries to formulate an international strategy that will raise public awareness. 

https://www.awf.org/blog/why-do-poachers-still-thrive-5-key-hurdles-overcome-stop-slaughter]]> 2021-12-02 16:04:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925512982 World Wildlife Fund's Wildlife Crime Technology Project jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925523104 The Wildlife Crime Technology Project is an effort by the World Wildlife Fund to "to innovate and test a number of innovative technologies, many of which have the potential to change the course of the global fight against wildlife crime". In order to combat an industry that annually makes over $10 billion in illegal trade, this project is slowly introducing technology to different countries' wildlife rangers to help them in their conservation efforts. The article explains that poaching is "taking a dangerous toll on rangers, threatening the livelihoods of communities, damaging ecosystems, and emptying them of wildlife", and this threat is magnified by the lack of technology the rangers have access to. Although many countries are either hesitant or don't have the means (i.e. cell towers) to use foreign technology, slowly implementing them on an international level is showing true promise. If this progress continues, the increased amount of technology could help counter aforementioned issues such as a lack of manpower.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/wildlife-crime-technology-project
]]> 2021-12-02 16:08:33 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925523104 jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925527426 According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "in the past decade, wildlife trafficking – the poaching or other taking of protected or managed species and the illegal trade in wildlife and their related parts and products – has escalated into an international crisis" (USFWS). 
Also known as poaching, wildlife trafficking is an important crisis that needs to be addressed in the international stage since it affects all states. This problem is intensifying as pressure increases from both sides; poachers are trafficking at steadily increasing rates while animal rights advocates are clamoring for legal punishment as a form of discouragement. There have been some attempts at creating a united international front against this issue but like many international concerns it is hard to enforce preventive laws.
Currently, wildlife trafficking is exacerbating the danger of losing species that are already in threat of going extinct due to environmental problems like deforestation and climate change. If wildlife trafficking isn't properly addressed by international actors then the world will lose precious animal species forever.

https://www.fws.gov/international/wildlife-trafficking/
]]> 2021-12-02 16:10:21 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925527426 What Did I Learn From My Research? jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925976433 My knowledge about wildlife trafficking was admittedly very limited before I started this project. I have always thought of myself as environmentally conscious but I never knew about the extent of poaching. I learned very little about it in school, so I received a lot of new information when I started my research. I think this shows how international issues need to be emphasised more in public education and that these types of issues need to be implemented in the younger generations’ education plan. It sickened me to know that so many innocent animals die due to purely selfish human actions, and made me think about how much longer this will go on. It also made me think about how fragile ecosystems are and the potential for many species that we know to go extinct soon. It was nice to see that there wasn’t too much stagnation in anti-poaching efforts due to political resistance, but still more needs to be done.]]> 2021-12-02 19:43:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925976433 What do the resources demonstrate about the constraints, challenges, and achievements of international law in addressing global challenges? jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925988848 My multitude of resources demonstrated that while it is possible to make noteworthy achievements in addressing global challenges, there are several constraints and restrictions that make it an uphill battle. A lack of jurisdiction and differing philosophies were common themes in my research. It was interesting to find that international law had both its benefits and shortcomings; while the communication between states helped increase the sharing of valuable data, the lack of enforcement made it difficult to truly stop poaching in its tracks. I think that the international aspect of this global challenge is a somewhat good thing because it encourages cooperation between countries and it's in everyone’s best interest to share information in order to protect the wildlife. These efforts can most certainly help develop relations between states and extend past just the issue of wildlife trafficking. It is certainly a challenge to be a united front against poaching because not all states will pass domestic laws fighting the issue, but participation in treaties and international organizations show a potential for future legislation.



]]> 2021-12-02 19:50:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1925988848 How are intergovernmental organizations involved? jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1926000467  intergovernmental organizations are mainly involved in community outreach and raising awareness. A lot of wildlife trafficking is due to false beliefs that certain animal parts hold medicinal properties, and these organizations help educate the public on the truth about that. Furthermore, organizations help support each other by sharing information about wildlife conservation, training methods and technological resources. These intergovernmental organizations form crucial alliances and help promote wildlife protection laws to be passed.]]> 2021-12-02 19:57:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1926000467 What can your target audience do with this information to address these challenges? jalendavis3 https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1926005541 My target audience can use this vital information to further educate themselves on the issue and go do more research on their own. They can also do their part to raise awareness by telling others about this global issue and donating to wildlife conservation organizations that would use those funds to further develop their support to wildlife rangers. The audience can also decline to buy products made from material that is directly related to poaching, such as ivory.]]> 2021-12-02 20:01:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jalendavis3/oto314dziwh9k3om/wish/1926005541