Study on the interaction between security and wildlife conservation in sub-Saharan Africa. Summary report

Pages1-27
International
Cooperation and
Development
Study on the interaction
between security and
wildlife conservation in
sub-Saharan Africa
Summary report
2 |STUDY ON T HE INTER ACTION BE TWEEN SECU RITY AND W ILDLIFE CON SERVATION IN SU BSAHAR AN AFRIC A  SUMMARY
Illegal wildlife tr afficking is a ser ious and growi ng problem. T he global trad e is
estimated to b e worth tens of billions of euro s and to include hundred s of millions of
plant and an imal specimens . It threatens t he surviva l of iconic species, i ncluding
elephants , rhinos and tigers, a s well as thousands of le sser-known mammals , reptiles
and birds. Illeg al, unregulated a nd unreported f ishing has devastat ing impacts on f ish
stocks an d the livelihoods of coasta l communities. Perpet rators have little to fear as
many countri es lack adequate laws a nd sanctions to pe nalise them. In additi on to the
direct ecolog ical impacts of wildlife and for est crime, there is growing evid ence that
the corrup tion that enab les it to flour ish feeds a spiral tha t undermines t he rule of
law, fosters other cr iminal activities and fue ls insecurity. However, our underst anding of
the precise way s that wildlife traffick ing and insecurit y are linked remains inco mplete,
and in part icular the involvement of arme d insurgencies and terror ist groups.
This study br ings together robu st information drawn fro m over 20 marine and terre strial
sites in sub-S aharan Afric a and shines a spot light on the na ture and ex tent of the
links betwe en security, including socio -economic security, and wildl ife (protection of
species and ec osystems, in teraction s between huma ns and nature, and traffic king).
As such it cont ributes to ke y objectives of t he 2016 EU Action P lan against wil dlife
traffickin g and will enabl e the EU, as a leadin g contribut or to biodiversit y-related
development a ssistance in Africa, to enga ge in a well-informed political dial ogue on
the wildlife- security n exus, and def ine effect ive response s and progra mmes that
mutually reinfor ce wildlife conservati on and the securit y and well-being of commu nities
that live in and ar ound key habitats and la ndscapes.
Neven Mimica
European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development
Foreword

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