US and UK see eye to eye on ending illegal wildlife trade

The “special relationship” between the USA and Great Britain has been questioned intensively in recent months. Much has been written about fraying in the Alliance and alleged personality differences between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden.

Johnson’s visit to the White House should dispel these notions.

The increasingly complex geopolitics of the next decade requires that the alliance between the British and American governments, business and the non-profit sector only deepen.

While Washington and London have different interests and unique strengths, they should be viewed as complementary.

One existing avenue of partnership that can only be strengthened is to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The kleptocracy, habitat destruction and transnational criminal activity behind the illegal wildlife trade are common threats to British and American politicians.

Fortunately, law enforcement agencies in the US and UK, private entrepreneurs, and nonprofit interest groups work daily to disrupt transnational criminal organizations that profit from the illegal wildlife trade. In addition to illegal arms and drug deliveries, the illegal wildlife trade is incredibly lucrative for transnational criminal organizations. It is estimated that the illegal global corporation, often run by highly organized criminal networks, is worth up to $ 175 billion a year.

Although the effects of the illegal wildlife trade are profound, there are a surprisingly small number of transnational criminal organizations with the logistical and financial capacity to move illegal goods between continents. The transportation of smuggled wildlife involves an identifiable series of bureaucratic activities that leave actionable evidence.

It is for this reason that the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, has summoned executives from leading British and American banking and transport companies for the past five years. The private sector has often been unwittingly involved with those selling illegal wildlife products such as ivory, rhino and pangolin scales.

The aim of this collaboration was to investigate the entire chain of illegal wildlife trafficking. It was crucial to combine the full weight of the UK and US law enforcement and intelligence perspectives with the unique capabilities of the private sector. By forming transatlantic partnerships with businesses, not only can iconic species be saved, but criminal corporations, which also disrupt arms, drugs and human trafficking, can be prevented.

Another collaboration began that year. Congress passed the US rescue plan earlier this year, which added an additional $ 105 million to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s annual operating budget. This will allow additional Fish and Wildlife Service professionals to work with their UK counterparts in areas of particularly acute trafficking abroad. This made it clear that zoonoses and the illegal trade in wild animals pose a national and international security threat. It also confirmed that law enforcement – especially the fish and wildlife service – has an important role to play in preventing future pandemics. Legislation included $ 45 million to mandate the Fish and Wildlife Service to develop an early detection and rapid response system. This is triggered when wildlife diseases break out anywhere in the world. In developing this system, coordination with UK stakeholders will be essential.

Both the Obama and Trump administrations worked to upgrade the wildlife trade as a serious crime through executive orders and other political initiatives. As a matter of fact, President BidenJoe BidenFighter-Jet escorts planes that entered restricted airspace during UN meeting Julian Castro slams Biden government over refugee policy FBI is investigating alleged attack on Fort Bliss soldiers in Afghan refugee camp MORE Signed the End, Neutralization and Disruption of Wildlife Trafficking Act (END), which instructs the Foreign Minister, in consultation with the Interior and Trade Ministers, to present Congress with an annual report listing countries of high concern. The Trump administration used the Immigration and Citizenship Act to ban travel for immediate family members of anyone believed to be involved in the illegal wildlife trade.

As the Biden and Johnson administrations have pledged to deepen their collaboration, they should collectively build on these recent initiatives. Together they support new and innovative ways to save iconic species, fight corruption, bring criminal lead actors behind bars and prevent future zoonotic pandemics.

Tim Wittig, Ph.D., previously worked for the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). He is the Director of Intelligence at Focused Conservation Solutions, a not-for-profit organization based in Florida.

Ari Mittleman is a policy advisor for Focused Conservation Solutions.