This project addresses the pressing need to mitigate the ecological, economic and health risks associated with the unregulated songbird trade in guyana

This $278,646 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Combating Wildlife Trafficking program (CFDA 15.679) aims to reduce the illegal and unsustainable songbird trade in Guyana. The project has three key objectives: 1) improve understanding of the social, cultural, economic, and ecological factors driving songbird trade, 2) strengthen enforcement of legal songbird trade regulations, and 3) pilot a songbird captive breeding program as a sustainable livelihood alternative. The Consultancy Group Inc., a minority/woman-owned business in Guyana, is the primary awardee and will lead implementation of these activities over a 5-year period from June 2024 to June 2029. The overarching goal is to contribute to a broader regional strategy to combat wildlife trafficking in the Guiana Shield and Caribbean.

The projects overarching goal is to reduce the illegal and unsustainable songbird trade in guyana as part of a broader regional strategy to combat wildlife trafficking. The project objectives are to: 1) improve knowledge and understanding of the social, cultural, economic, political and situational factors that drive songbird trade and ecological research on bird population sizes, distributions and habitats 2) strengthen enforcement of the legal songbird trade in guyana by researching the unintended social and ecological consequences, conducting a legal review and training government agencies for improved effectiveness and 3) piloting a songbird captive breeding program to understand feasibility as a sustainable livelihood and trade.