Hugh Paxton’s blog is pleased to pass on this Thai US embassy news.
US Embassy Bangkok Press Release
FREELAND FOUNDATION TO COMBAT WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING IN ASIA
Bangkok, April 8, 2011 – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has chosen the Thailand-based Freeland Foundation to lead an $8 million regional project to help Asia protect its unique biological diversity and fight against the illegal trafficking of wildlife.
Under the terms of the five-year agreement, the FREELAND Foundation will work with the member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to improve wildlife trafficking enforcement, strengthen regional cooperation and reduce consumer demand.
Illegal trade in protected plants and animals is a multi-billion dollar industry that affects every country in Asia and threatens to cause irrevocable biodiversity loss. In 2010 alone, more than $15 million in wildlife contraband was recovered, and on March 31, 2011, Thai customs agents seized more than two tons of Africa elephant tusks, the largest seizure of illegal ivory in Thailand’s history.
If the current illegal activity continues, over 40% of Southeast Asia’s animal and plant species could disappear this century. Wildlife plays a vital role in sustaining human life. The illegal wildlife trade weakens natural ecosystems, supports organized crime, and increases the risk of transmitting emerging infectious diseases such as avian pandemic influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Since 2005, USAID’s support to FREELAND and other partners has helped establish the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN). This region-wide system created dedicated national task forces in seven countries and a secretariat to coordinate their activity. Some 2,000 officials have been trained and arrests for wildlife trafficking has increased substantially.
At the same time, a broad public education process has alerted million to the importance of protecting the region’s wildlife, and numerous public-private sector partnerships set up in support of the counter trafficking effort. As a result, ASEAN-WEN is now a model for collaborative wildlife enforcement networking which other regions are seeking to replicate.
The new program will:
- Strengthen the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network;
- Expand the network to China, South Asia, the United States and other parts of the world;
- Develop regional centers of excellence in marine enforcement, forest protection, and wildlife forensics;
- Help replicate the “WEN” (Wildlife Enforcement Network) model throughout Asia;
- Produce a special television series with National Geographic, which will be seen throughout Asia and help reduce demand for endangered species; and
- Launch internet public awareness campaigns in China, Vietnam and Thailand and build on these to reach out elsewhere in Asia.
The program will also work with the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SA-WEN), an organization modeled after the USAID-funded ASEAN-WEN program; Global Tiger Initiative (GTI); the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity; and government agencies across Asia. Local NGOs from Vietnam, Cambodia, China and other countries will also participate. International partners include INTERPOL, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of State.
Don Clark, Acting Mission Director for USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia, said “This new program demonstrates the commitment of the United States Government to work through local organizations that are change agents who have the cultural knowledge and in-country expertise to ensure USAID assistance leads to real local institutions and solutions. Wildlife trafficking affects everyone. Through the Freeland Foundation and ASEAN-WEN, and with the support of many partners, this region has taken great strides to protect its unique biodiversity. This new award will build upon that success, protect the region’s environment and help turn the tables on organized crime.”
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