Today, from Tanzania, the White House announced new and improved U.S. efforts to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking. Wildlife trafficking is a multi-billion dollar illegal business that is a threat to populations of targeted species including elephants and rhinos, to tourism and economic development, and to our national security and the security and stability of the nations where this violence is occurring. As the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, Senator Coons is very concerned about the recent rise in wildlife poaching, particularly in Africa, and applauds President Obama’s renewed and enhanced commitment to addressing this serious issue.
The President signed an executive order to establish a Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, which will develop a national strategy to address the issue. The order will also establish an Advisory Council made up of non-governmental experts on the issue to make recommendations to the Task Force. These efforts will help enhance coordination among existing U.S. programs and policies to combat wildlife trafficking and assist other nations to do the same.
The initiative includes $10 million in funding from the State Department dedicated to combatting wildlife trafficking in Africa. This funding will strengthen the ability of nations to address the issue through laws and penalties, enhance investigations, law enforcement, and criminal prosecutions, and support regional cooperation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will also station an official at our embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which is a major export point for illegally traded wildlife and wildlife products. This official will help the Government of Tanzania with a wildlife protection and security plan.
The President also announced plans to leverage new authority granted under the new Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, which was signed into law this January. Senator Coons cosponsored this legislation, which allows the Secretary of State to offer rewards for information on members of transnational criminal organizations, including wildlife trafficking. The President will also enhance existing authorities under the Endangered Species Act, African Elephant Conservation Act, and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act to address the issue. Senator Coons voted to reauthorize funding for these conservation programs and others incorporated in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund during the last Congress.
Last May, Senator Coons participated in a full Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing entitled, “Ivory and Insecurity: The Global Implications of Poaching in Africa,” the first full committee hearing addressing this issue. He also recently hosted two screenings of the National Geographic film, “Battle for the Elephants” in Washington, D.C. and Wilmington to inform Delawareans about this ongoing challenge.
This issue is incredibly complex and growing in intensity. Senator Coons believes it will take the involvement of a number of U.S. agencies, working in coordination with other nations, non-profit organizations, and private entities to successfully combat it. The President’s announcement today builds on the significant steps Secretary Clinton, and now Secretary Kerry have taken to address the poaching crisis. Senator Coons looks forward to working with his colleagues to support implementation of this important new initiative.