Combating Wildlife Trafficking - U.S. Demand Reduction

Wildlife trafficking threatens a staggering array of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species, including: elephants, rhinos, tigers, sharks, tuna, sea turtles, land tortoises, great apes, exotic birds, pangolins, sturgeon, coral, iguanas, chameleons, and tarantulas. Wildlife trafficking also includes trafficking of fisheries products and related threats to food supplies and food security. It is also well-established that wildlife trafficking is facilitated and exacerbated by illegal harvest of and trade in plants and trees, which destroys needed habitat and opens access to previously remote populations of highly endangered wildlife, such as tigers. This program is authorized under the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking; Executive Order 13648; July 5, 2013; Implementation Plan of the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking; February 11, 2014; Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-43).