The IMO’s 46th Meeting of the Facilitation Committee (FAL46) adopted new guidelines to prevent wildlife trafficking
The guidelines provide extensive recommendations for both government agencies and the private sector to increase due diligence of criminal activity.
”We are thrilled that the IMO Member States have made this commitment to tackling the illegal networks that exploit maritime supply chains to traffic wildlife,” said Philippa Dyson, TRAFFIC’s coordinator of transport sector engagement.
”These new Guidelines, including the Red Flag Compendium, will provide a fundamental resource to aid governments and the private sector to take collaborative action against the illegal wildlife trade and help to conserve our global biodiversity.”
Bold step
The ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’ were formally submitted to FAL46 by Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Kenya, Tanzania, the Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the International Organisation of Airports and Seaports Police (INTERPORTPOLICE).
Formal efforts towards the guidelines started in FAL44 (44th Meeting of the Facilitation Committee in 2020) led by the Republic of Kenya with a working group composed of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), WWF, TRAFFIC and United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce.
Wildlife trafficking is a growing concern globally, threatening not only biodiversity but also ecosystems vital for climate change mitigation, domestic and international economies, and potentially human health.
Organised criminal groups are increasingly taking part in this illegal activity which is still considered “low risk - high reward”. Smugglers exploit the weaknesses in supply chains to illegally transport endangered species, including live animals, animal products, plants and timber. With 90% of the world trade being seaborne and an estimated 72-90% of illicit wildlife volumes being trafficked through maritime transport, the sector holds a responsibility to engage against this transnational organised crime.
The Guidelines highlight measures and procedures already available to the private sector and government agencies to combat wildlife trafficking within the industry.The document provides information on the nature and context of maritime smuggling of wildlife. It includes measures to prevent, detect and report wildlife trafficking within the maritime sector, with an emphasis on due diligence, responsibility-sharing and cooperation between all stakeholders along the supply chains.
Back in July 2021, WWF and TRAFFIC launched the ‘The Red Flag Compendium for Wildlife and Timber Trafficking in Containerised Cargo’ which details the warning signs of corruption, wildlife smuggling and other related crimes.
It features additional tools to identify prolifically trafficked CITES-listed species, including big cats, specific marine life, large mammal species such as rhino, elephant and timber. This compendium includes at-risk routes as well as typical indicators of illicit activities such as questionable paperwork and discrepancies in information such as value, weight and appearance. The tool now forms part of the new IMO Guidelines.
