Illegal wildlife trade
WWF is steadfastly working against the illegal trade in wildlife – the second biggest threat to species survival after habitat destruction.
Although most wildlife trade is legal, a significant amount is not. For example, in just one year during 2003-04, EU-based enforcement authorities made more than 7,000 seizures – these included more than 3.5 million wildlife specimens that were prohibited from being traded. And from 2002-06, almost 1,000 illegally-traded Egyptian tortoises were seized in the EU, which represent around 13% of the species’ entire wild population – an illustration of how devastating trade impacts can be.
International species conservation policy
We work with the UK government – and through the global WWF Network – to influence international policy on conservation issues affecting some of the world’s most important species. We make sure our voice is heard at two important policy bodies: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
Wildlife trade in the UK
The illegal trade in wildlife is a still a major problem in the UK. Find out how WWF is working to tackle wildlife crime and how you can help support our work.
TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.