Bhutan, India, Nepal to counter wildlife trafficking
A total of 34 senior enforcement officials, representing forest departments, customs, police, and paramilitary forces from these three countries were present.
To combat wildlife trafficking and trade across South Asia, Bhutan, India, and Nepal initiated a joint project to bolster the capabilities of their law enforcement agencies. The inaugural Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop for this commenced on November 21 in Dehradun.
Recognising the devastating impact of wildlife crime on endangered species, governance, and the influence it exerts on transnational criminal networks, authorities from these countries emphasised regional collaboration.
A total of 34 senior enforcement officials, representing forest departments, customs, police, and paramilitary forces from these three countries were present. Delegates from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also engaged in the 9-day training.
Initiatives under this project include capacity building for trainers, national capacity building for law enforcement, new tools and technologies for identification and detection, and support for effective prosecution and judiciary work. Officials said it will help in strengthening the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) as the primary regional organisation combating wildlife trafficking.
“The training focuses on increasing interdiction of the illegal wildlife trade, building investigative and enforcement capabilities to handle transboundary issues, and enhancing cross-border coordination,” said HV Girisha, additional director of WCCB.
SP Dhungan, chief enforcement coordinator of SAWEN said, “Our organisation is an inter-governmental body which supports wildlife law enforcement with a focus on policy harmonisation, institutional capacity strengthening through knowledge and intelligence sharing and collaboration with regional and international partners. It aims to enhance wildlife law enforcement among member countries.
Therefore, this regional training is integral to its mission to curb wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade in South Asia.”
Dipankar Ghose, senior director of Biodiversity Conservation and interim head of TRAFFIC’s India office said, “Wildlife crime is an organised crime that needs a strategic and tactical response. It is also transnational and cannot be dealt with in isolation.”
The upcoming sessions will cover topics including an overview of wildlife crime and illegal trade in South Asia, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and its implementation), regional coordination for combating wildlife crime, and drawing lessons from successful conservation endeavours.
