This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
China's proactive stance against illicit wildlife trafficking in Africa has yielded positive results, helping to shift trends in the crime, according to a report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
The ISS, an African non-profit organization, noted that cooperation with China has led to a decline in wildlife smuggling in certain regions, with the illicit activities instead moving to other parts of the continent.
China has taken significant steps to combat wildlife trafficking, including honoring its commitment to ending commercial processing and sales of ivory by the end of 2017 and tightening legislation on trade in endangered fauna and flora.
According to the ISS, China's efforts have been instrumental in bolstering Africa's fight against wildlife crime, with the continent's countries urged to follow suit and adopt similar measures.
"This shows that tougher measures are working - and African countries with high rates of trafficking should follow suit," the ISS said in its report.
China has also provided funds, technology, and expertise to boost wildlife protection in Africa, with the ISS noting that cooperation between African countries and China is a strong deterrent for trafficking ringleaders.
"Cooperation between African countries and China provide a strong deterrence for kingpins or ringleaders," said Taye Teferi, Africa policy and partnership coordinator of the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC.
The ISS urged Central and West African countries to move quickly to block the networks of wildlife criminals who are rapidly infiltrating these regions.
"Once Africa has bolstered itself against wildlife criminals across all regions through successful cooperation with China, the same model can be applied to other markets in Asia," the report said.
Published on August 29, 2019
