The European Commission, the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) organised a conference on 'Scaling up EU Impact to Combat Wildlife Trafficking - Renewing commitment through the revised EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking 2022 - 2027' on 21 September 2023 in Brussels.
Wildlife trafficking has become one of the most lucrative criminal activities and constitutes one of the most immediate threats to biodiversity in many parts of the world. Around the globe, wildlife is being bought and sold on an increasingly massive scale as pets, meat, food, medicine, furs, clothing, feathers, skins, trophies, and curios, as well as precious woods and ornamental plants, and derivatives and processed specimens. In addition to harming species in the wild, wildlife trafficking undermines local livelihoods and the rule of law, and further weakens impoverished rural economies. With the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, such as COVID-19, the world is also becoming acutely aware of the threat that wildlife poaching, trafficking, and trade can pose to local and global health and economic security.
The event presented best practices and lessons learned, and panelists discussed challenges and opportunities to scale up impact to tackle wildlife trafficking, in line with the revised EU Action Plan to tackle wildlife trafficking. The event was structured around three specific sessions:
1. Behavioral science to reduce consumption of wildlife products
2. Applying crime science to prevent the trafficking of wildlife
3. Building capacity for law enforcement and criminal justice officers
A conference report is available here.
For any questions, please contact:
Arnaud Goessens, Associate Director, EU Policy: agoessens@wcs.org
PROGRAMME
14.00 - 14.15 : Keynote Addresses
Moderator: Dr. Sue Lieberman, Vice President, International Policy, WCS (rewatch 2:36)
Speakers:
- Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Director for Green Diplomacy & Multilateralism, DG ENV, European Commission (rewatch 5:43)
- Mr. Santiago Rodríguez Uriel, Environment Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU (rewatch 15:45)
14.15 - 14.30 : Introduction - Revised EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking
Speakers:
- Ms. Agata Sobiech, Team leader, CITES and wildlife trafficking, DG ENV, European Commission (rewatch 22:48)
- Ms. Diana Pérez-Aranda Serrano, Plan TIFIES, Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of Spain (rewatch 31:20)
14.30 - 15.30 : Session 1- Behavioural science to reduce consumption of wildlife products (rewatch 42:50)
Moderator: Mr. Toby Park, Principal - Head of Energy & Sustainability, The Behavioural Insights Team
Speakers:
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Ms. Lishu Li, China Director for Counter Wildlife Trafficking & Temperate Asia Regional Coordinator for Counter Wildlife Trafficking, WCS
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Mr. Lude Kinzonzi, Postgraduate, International Wildlife Conservation Practice, Oxford University
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Ms. Sarah Ferguson, Nature Crimes Convergence Lead, TRAFFIC
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Ms. Yovana Murillo, Program Manager for Counter Wildlife Trafficking in Andes - Amazon - Orinoco, WCS
15.30 - 15.45 : Coffee Break + Poster Presentation
15.45 - 16.45 : Session 2 - Applying crime science to prevent the trafficking of wildlife (rewatch 1:48:10)
Moderator: Dr. Scott Roberton, Executive Director, Counter Wildlife Trafficking, WCS
Speakers:
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Dr. Julie Viollaz, Wildlife Crime Research Officer, UN Office on Drugs and Crime
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Dr. Alexia Jonckheere, Lead and Senior Researcher, National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology of Belgium
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Dr. Daan van Uhm, Associate Professor of Criminology, Willem Pompe Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
16.45 - 17.45 : Session 3 - Building capacity for law enforcement and criminal justice officers (rewatch 2:43:52)
Moderator: Ms. Hanny Cueva Beteta, Head of Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment, UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Speakers:
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Mr. Jonathan Hunter, Program Coordinator, Wildlife Crime Leadership Initiative, WCS
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Mr. Ben Janse Van Rensburg, Chief, Enforcement Unit, CITES Secretariat
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Ms. Mary Rice, Executive Director, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) - UK
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Mr. Carlos Toledano Zapater, Major, Environmental Protection Service, Spanish Guardia Civil
17.45 - 17.50 : Short video - Disrupting illicit supply chains of wildlife in Niassa, Mozambique (rewatch 3:49:08)
17.50 - 18.00 : Next Steps (rewatch 3:54:00)
- Dr. Scott Roberton, Executive Director, Counter Wildlife Trafficking, WCS
- Ms. Chantal Marijnissen, Head of Unit, Environment, Sustainable Natural Resources, DG International Partnerships, European Commission
Watch the full video recording :
READ MORE
Revised EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking (November 2022)
WCS & UNODC conference on the EU Wildlife Trafficking AP (March 2022)
WCS's global work to counter wildlife trafficking