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Sharma
Frontline officials in South Asia will collaborate to combat wildlife crime in the region.
A week-long regional training of trainers programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of frontline officials in combating wildlife crime in South Asia was launched in Paro yesterday. The programme, led by the South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), brought together more than 30 frontline officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Officials will focus on legal paperwork, improving the paperwork capabilities of law enforcement officers on wildlife crime, and strengthening the judicial system.
The illegal wildlife trade is a lucrative illicit industry worth $8 billion to $10 billion per year that has turned South Asia into a major poaching and transit hub.
South Asia’s vast expanses provide critical habitat for globally important and endangered wildlife, including tigers, rhinos, marine life, pangolins, Asian elephants and freshwater turtles. Many of these species are threatened with extinction.
Furthermore, illegal and unsustainable trade in these species poses a serious threat to their survival.
The problem is exacerbated by the region’s links to larger markets in Asia and Southeast Asia, making it a hotspot for the illegal wildlife trade.
With the increasing number of wildlife crimes in South Asia, law enforcement agencies are facing challenges such as weak enforcement, weak investigation, insufficient deterrence, and poor collaboration among relevant agencies.
The program is part of the “Combating Wildlife Trafficking in South Asia through a Wildlife Crime Prevention Framework” project. The initiative aims to address the urgent need to improve the capacity of law enforcement agencies to effectively curb the illegal wildlife trade.
A press release from WWF Bhutan stated that participants will acquire basic skills such as wildlife crime investigation, legal instruments and courtroom simulations which are essential to strengthen the judicial system. In addition, the course is expected to improve law enforcement, investigation and prosecution functions of wildlife crime while implementing effective measures to prevent such crimes.
Losang Dorjee, director of the Forest and Parks Service at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, said wildlife trafficking is a global crisis that threatens the environment and the socio-economic fabric, adding that species such as rare orchids and mammals often receive little public attention and are therefore particularly vulnerable.
“Organised wildlife crime networks exploit law enforcement gaps, so there is a need to build capacity and strengthen prosecution systems to combat wildlife trafficking.”
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report, illegal wildlife trade has affected approximately 4,000 species in 162 countries, including approximately 3,250 species listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Dipankar Ghose, senior director of biodiversity conservation at WWF-India and acting head of WTO-India, said South Asia remains a significant source and transit point for illegal trade in wildlife-derived products and products.
“Through the training, we hope to not only build a pool of trainers to strengthen legal documentation and implementation through best practices, but also encourage greater regional cooperation and collaboration among South Asian countries,” he said.
It is hoped that the combined efforts of the participants will protect wildlife in South Asia and ensure a sustainable future for future generations.
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