Marine Turtle Conservation Fund and Combating Wildlife Trafficking Strategy adn Partnerships Program

Combating the Trafficking of Marine Turtles in East and Southeast AsiaThe 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. In East and Southeast Asia, hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are illegally harvested and trafficked to supply the demand for shells, meat, and eggs. The high rate of poaching and trafficking is threatening the survival of the hawksbill turtle, which is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aligns with the USFWS mission and the Secretary of the Interior¿s priority to create a 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 hawksbill turtles in East and Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China). Priority will be given to projects that address one or more of the following results: ¿ Reduction in the illegal killing and trafficking of hawksbill turtles in East and Southeast Asia through increased community-based protection activities on key marine turtle nesting beaches;¿ Improved understanding of marine turtle trafficking routes and main transit points in order to better target law enforcement operations; ¿ Enhanced application and enforcement of existing laws and prohibitions against marine turtle trafficking; ¿ Development and promotion of evidence-based behavior change strategies to reduce demand for marine turtle products in East and Southeast Asia.