Context:
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a particularly biodiverse region. Yet it also faces high levels of wildlife crime, which threatens endangered species such as elephants, lions and rhinos. Following phases of intensive poaching, efforts to curb it were successful from 2014 to 2021. Since then, however, there has been a renewed rise in wildlife crime and the lucrative illegal trade in wildlife products – particularly in transfrontier conservation areas.
Population growth and climate-driven resource scarcity are exacerbating the situation and leading to an increase in human-wildlife conflict. This results in more frequent damage to livestock or crop losses, which in turn encourages retaliatory hunting and illegal poaching.
The SADC Secretariat and the SADC member states have recognised the challenges and taken action against wildlife crime. National wildlife conservation laws offer state agencies a good basis for investigations, prosecutions and law enforcement. The capacity to enforce them properly is lacking, however. Effective conservation therefore requires better institutional mainstreaming, coordination and the implementation of proven approaches. This is particularly important in Mozambique – the current hub for cross-border wildlife crime in the region.
Objective:
The SADC region is successfully implementing its strategy against wildlife crime.
Approach:
The project has three main fields of action:
1. It improves the SADC Secretariat’s coordination of the implementation of the regional anti-poaching strategy.
2. It provides training to national experts and managers from law enforcement agencies.
3. It promotes cooperation with the local population in selected transfrontier conservation areas, especially in Mozambique, with the aim of preventing human-wildlife conflict and wildlife crime.