TRAFFIC International

TRAFFIC International is a global non-governmental organization focused on wildlife trade. Established in 1976, it works to understand, monitor, and influence trade in wild plants and animals, particularly where commerce is illegal, unsustainable, or damaging to threatened species. Its work sits at the intersection of conservation science, law enforcement, public policy, business practice, and community livelihoods. Rather than operating primarily as a direct enforcement body, TRAFFIC provides research, intelligence, technical advice, training, and partnership support to governments, customs agencies, police forces, intergovernmental organizations, conservation groups, companies, and local communities. Its activities address both the supply and demand sides of wildlife trafficking. The organization studies trade routes and markets, analyzes seizure and enforcement data, supports policy and regulatory development, and designs behavior-change initiatives intended to reduce demand for illicit wildlife products. TRAFFIC expanded substantially during the 1990s, establishing additional offices in Europe, East and Southern Africa, and East Asia. During this period it worked on prominent trade-related conservation issues involving tigers, agarwood, rhinoceroses, and elephants. Its tracking work on ivory seizures led to the Bad Ivory Database System, or BIDS, which became the foundation for the Elephant Trade Information System, known as ETIS. TRAFFIC also created a database for rhinoceros horn and horn products to help governments and other stakeholders understand the movement of horn across national borders. During the 2000s, TRAFFIC broadened its remit beyond documenting illegal or destructive commerce. It increasingly promoted a so-called sustainable or responsible wildlife-trade agenda, including standards for the collection of medicinal and aromatic plants. This approach recognized that some communities and businesses depend on wild species and that conservation outcomes may require legal trade systems, traceability, harvest controls, and alternative livelihoods rather than prohibition alone. Its information infrastructure includes ETIS, which is managed on behalf of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, and EU-TWIX, a wildlife-trade information exchange platform developed with Belgian authorities and European enforcement bodies. These systems support the identification of trafficking patterns and the exchange of information about seizures and suspected offenses. Since the 2010s, TRAFFIC has placed greater emphasis on social and economic responsibility, community participation, and consumer behavior. Examples include work with Indigenous women in the Ecuadorian Amazon to support sustainable income alternatives and initiatives in Vietnam aimed at reducing demand for rhinoceros horn. More recent programs have included Wildlife-TRAPS, addressing trafficking links between Africa and Asia, and training delivered through the ROUTES Partnership concerning illegal wildlife trade associated with transport and logistics. TRAFFIC has also contributed to international policy development. Its research on European wild-plant trade helped inform efforts to harmonize European Union wildlife-trade regulation. In partnership with WWF, it supported a global campaign against wildlife crime and demand for illicit products; the campaign contributed to political momentum surrounding the first United Nations resolution specifically addressing wildlife crime in 2015. Today, TRAFFIC remains a specialist conservation organization whose principal outputs are evidence, intelligence, standards, policy advice, capacity building, and collaborative programs rather than consumer products.

TRAFFIC was established in 1976 as a specialist program concerned with the trade in wild species. Its central premise was that conservation policy requires reliable information about what is traded, where trade occurs, how products move through markets, and which forms of commerce threaten species or undermine legal controls. Over time, the organization developed from a research-oriented initiative into a global network providing intelligence, policy advice, training, and partnership support. The organization expanded its geographic presence during the 1990s. It established additional offices in Europe in 1990, in East and Southern Africa in 1991, and in East Asia in 1994. This expansion coincided with increasing attention to trade in tigers, agarwood, rhinoceros horn, ivory, and other high-value wildlife products. TRAFFIC's early African work examined the decline of the black rhinoceros and the role of poaching and horn trafficking. To help track horn in circulation, it developed the Rhino Horn and Product Database, which later incorporated information from dozens of countries and provided a resource for public authorities and other stakeholders. A major strand of TRAFFIC's work has been the construction of information systems for enforcement and policy. The Bad Ivory Database System was created in 1992 to record law-enforcement information about ivory seizures and confiscations, including incidents dating from 1989. BIDS became the basis for the Elephant Trade Information System, or ETIS, which TRAFFIC manages on behalf of CITES. ETIS is designed to reveal patterns in illegal ivory and elephant-product trade across countries and over time. This data-centered approach has enabled conservation and enforcement authorities to compare seizure information and assess trafficking trends. TRAFFIC also contributed to European wildlife-trade enforcement cooperation. Research published in 1992 on the wild-plant trade in European nurseries identified regulatory inconsistencies and recommended greater harmonization. TRAFFIC subsequently worked with WWF on improving European wildlife-trade regulation, with revised rules taking effect in 1997. In another major initiative, TRAFFIC collaborated with Belgian police, customs, and CITES authorities to create EU-TWIX. Operational by 2005, the platform centralized wildlife-seizure information and enabled law-enforcement personnel across the European Union to exchange intelligence. In the 2000s, TRAFFIC broadened its focus from identifying illegal and unsustainable trade to helping establish conditions for sustainable trade. It examined the use of wild meat in eastern and southern Africa and drew attention to changing consumption patterns and the risks of unsustainable harvesting. It also helped develop ISSC-MAP, an international standard for sustainable wild collection of medicinal and aromatic plants, launched in 2007 with WWF, IUCN, and Germany's BfN. This work reflected a wider effort to connect biodiversity protection with responsible sourcing, harvest controls, traceability, and the needs of communities and businesses dependent on wild resources. During the 2010s, the organization gave more weight to social inclusion, alternative livelihoods, and behavioral change. In 2011, it supported a project with Indigenous women in the Amazon that sought to create sustainable income through trade alternatives to unsustainable bushmeat harvesting. The partnership involved the Association of the Waorani Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon and WAO Chocolate, and received a UNDP award in 2014. TRAFFIC also helped launch Vietnam's Chi Initiative in 2014, addressing consumer demand for rhinoceros horn in one of the principal markets associated with rhino-horn use. TRAFFIC and WWF mounted a global campaign in 2012 urging governments to tackle wildlife crime and reduce demand for illicit products. The advocacy helped contribute to the political momentum that produced the first United Nations resolution on wildlife crime in 2015. From 2017 onward, TRAFFIC implemented the USAID-funded Wildlife-TRAPS project in Africa and Asia, targeting trafficking connections between the two regions, and provided training modules through the ROUTES Partnership. Its continuing role is that of a specialist international conservation organization: it gathers and interprets evidence, supports enforcement and regulation, promotes responsible trade where appropriate, and works with communities, governments, companies, and other conservation bodies to reduce the ecological and social damage associated with wildlife trafficking.

• 2017

  Wildlife-TRAPS implementation

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC implemented the USAID-funded Wildlife-TRAPS project addressing illegal wildlife trade between Africa and Asia.

• 2015

  UN wildlife-crime resolution

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  International advocacy involving TRAFFIC and WWF contributed to the first United Nations resolution on wildlife crime.

• 2014

  Chi Initiative launched

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC helped launch a Vietnam-focused initiative intended to reduce demand for rhinoceros horn.

• 2011

  Amazon community-livelihood project begins

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC began a project with Indigenous women in the Amazon to support sustainable trade and alternatives to unsustainable bushmeat harvesting.

• 2007

  Sustainable wild-collection standard launched

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC, WWF, IUCN, and BfN launched ISSC-MAP for sustainable wild collection of medicinal and aromatic plants.

• 2005

  EU-TWIX becomes operational

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC and Belgian enforcement and CITES authorities established the EU Trade in Wildlife Information Exchange platform.

• 1997

  European wildlife-trade rules take effect

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  Regulatory changes followed TRAFFIC and WWF work advocating greater harmonization of European wildlife-trade controls.

• 1994

  East Asia expansion

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC expanded its network into East Asia as regional wildlife-trade issues gained importance.

• 1992

  Bad Ivory Database System created

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC established BIDS to collect law-enforcement information on ivory seizures and confiscations; the system later became the foundation for ETIS.

• 1991

  East and Southern Africa expansion

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  The organization established additional offices serving East and Southern Africa.

• 1990

  European office expansion

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC expanded its international network with additional European presence.

• 1976

  TRAFFIC established

  [1]Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org

  TRAFFIC was created as a specialist organization focused on the conservation implications of wildlife trade.

A science- and evidence-led conservation NGO specializing in wildlife-trade monitoring, enforcement support, policy development, sustainable trade, and demand reduction.

• Wildlife-trade intelligence system · 1992

  Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS)

  ETIS is a data system managed by TRAFFIC on behalf of CITES. It tracks seizures and other enforcement information relating to ivory and elephant products, allowing authorities and conservation organizations to identify geographic and temporal patterns in illegal trade. The system developed from the earlier Bad Ivory Database System and is one of TRAFFIC's most important analytical tools.

• Law-enforcement information exchange · 2005

  EU Trade in Wildlife Information Exchange (EU-TWIX)

  EU-TWIX is a wildlife-trade database and communication platform developed with Belgian police, customs, and CITES authorities. It centralizes seizure information supplied by European enforcement agencies and supports the exchange of intelligence among officers investigating wildlife trafficking.

• Sustainable sourcing standard · 2007

  International Standard for Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP)

  ISSC-MAP provides a framework for governments, companies, and resource managers seeking to collect medicinal and aromatic plants from the wild without undermining species populations or local livelihoods. TRAFFIC helped develop the standard with WWF, IUCN, and BfN as part of its broader sustainable-trade work.

• Anti-trafficking program · 2017

  Wildlife-TRAPS

  Wildlife-TRAPS is a USAID-funded program implemented by TRAFFIC in Africa and Asia. It focuses on trafficking links between the two regions and supports cooperation and capacity building intended to disrupt illegal wildlife-trade networks.

• Transport-sector training

  ROUTES Partnership training

  Through the ROUTES Partnership, TRAFFIC provides training materials and learning resources intended to help transport-sector personnel recognize and respond to illegal wildlife trafficking risks.

• 2014Chi Initiative

  Vietnam

  TRAFFIC helped launch the Chi Initiative to address consumer demand for rhinoceros horn and encourage behavior supportive of rhino conservation.

  Source
• 2012Global wildlife-crime and demand-reduction campaign

  Global

  TRAFFIC and WWF conducted an international campaign encouraging governments to strengthen action against illegal wildlife trade and reduce demand for products derived from endangered species.

  Outcome. The campaign contributed to political momentum surrounding the first United Nations resolution on wildlife crime, adopted in 2015.

  Source
• 2011Amazon sustainable-livelihood partnership

  Ecuadorian Amazon

  TRAFFIC partnered with the Association of the Waorani Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon and WAO Chocolate to promote sustainable trade and alternative income sources.

  Outcome. The partnership received a UNDP award in June 2014.

  Source

• 2014

  Prioritize consumer behavior change in rhino-horn demand reductionStrategy

  Background

  Vietnam was identified as an important consumer market for rhinoceros horn, while rhino populations faced continuing pressure from poaching.

  Action taken

  TRAFFIC helped launch the Chi Initiative, using behavior-change and communications approaches to discourage demand.

  Aftermath

  The initiative became part of TRAFFIC's broader move toward demand reduction alongside enforcement and policy work.

  Source

• 2007

  Expand from trade monitoring toward sustainable tradeStrategy

  Background

  TRAFFIC increasingly recognized that conservation outcomes could require responsible legal trade and sustainable harvesting, not only efforts to stop illegal commerce.

  Action taken

  The organization helped launch ISSC-MAP for the sustainable wild collection of medicinal and aromatic plants.

  Aftermath

  The initiative broadened TRAFFIC's role into standards, responsible sourcing, and sustainable-use policy.

  Source

• 2005

  Establish EU-TWIXStrategy

  Background

  European wildlife-trade investigations required stronger cross-border information sharing among enforcement agencies.

  Action taken

  TRAFFIC worked with Belgian police, customs, and CITES authorities to establish EU-TWIX.

  Aftermath

  The platform centralized seizure records and enabled wildlife-enforcement officers across EU member states to exchange information.

  Source

• 1992

  Create a global ivory-seizure databaseStrategy

  Background

  Illegal ivory trade required comparable information across jurisdictions, but seizure records were fragmented among enforcement bodies.

  Action taken

  TRAFFIC created the Bad Ivory Database System to record ivory seizures and confiscations, establishing the foundation for ETIS.

  Aftermath

  The system evolved into ETIS, an information resource managed by TRAFFIC on behalf of CITES.

  Source

1. 1Traffic (conservation programme)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2TRAFFIC official websitetraffic.org