Combating Wildlife Trafficking

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The International Affairs Program delivers on this mission through its financial assistance programs by supporting strategic projects that deliver measurable conservation results for priority species and their habitats around the world. Background: Wildlife trafficking is estimated to be a multibillion-dollar business involving the unlawful harvest and trade of animals and plants. It has broad security implications, with corruption and sophisticated transnational crime syndicates at the center of poaching and trafficking. Wildlife trafficking removes hundreds of thousands of animals and plants from wild populations each year and raises extinction risk for endangered species, often the target of wildlife crime because of their rarity and increased economic value. Wildlife trafficking also harms a country¿s natural resources and local communities which might otherwise benefit from tourism or legal, sustainable trade. The USFWS is designated as the U.S. Management and Scientific Authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is the only global treaty to ensure that the international trade in plants and animals does not threaten species survival in the wild. The capacity of all CITES Parties to implement and enforce the Convention is fundamental to its effectiveness and has been the focus of ongoing efforts, particularly in developing countries and economies in transition. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aligns with the USFWS mission and the Secretary of the Interior¿s priority to cultivate the conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt. Description: The purpose of this NOFO is to provide financial assistance to projects that address the trafficking of CITES Appendix I and Appendix II species in relevant supply, transit, and consumer countries, and that strengthen the long-term capacity of CITES Parties to implement and enforce the Convention. This funding opportunity is targeted towards species outside of the U.S. that are highly threatened by wildlife trafficking but may not typically receive international attention or significant resources. Projects should lead to a reduction in the poaching and/or trafficking of species that are listed on CITES Appendix I or II including (but not limited to) the following: (a) tortoises and freshwater turtles, (b) big cats , including lions, leopards (including snow and clouded leopards), jaguars, and cheetahs, (c) pangolins, and (d) African grey parrots. Priority will be given to projects that also lead to enhanced scientific, management, and enforcement capacity of national CITES Authorities to effectively address wildlife trafficking in relevant supply, transit, and consumer countries, including ensuring that violations are detected and enforced and/or appropriate and relevant national legislation is in place to effectively implement CITES.