The U.S. and International Conservation: Partnership for a Better Environment

The United States has a long history of conservation. Today, natural resources worldwide are under pressure. The U.S. State Department believes that by working with other governments, organizations and civil society, we can together meet the global conservation challenge. To this end, the Bush Administration, assisted by the Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), has launched new global initiatives and partnerships, including those highlighted here.

COALITION AGAINST WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING

The Coalition was launched by OES Assistant Secretary of State Claudia A. McMurray in September 2005 to fight the $10 billion annual black market in wildlife and wildlife parts— a black market second only to trafficking in arms and drugs and often involving the same criminals and smuggling routes. Unchecked demand for exotic pets, rare foods, trophies, and traditional medicines is driving elephants, tigers, tropical birds, and many other species near to extinction, threatening global biodiversity, and providing a potential pathway for the spread of avian influenza and other diseases. The global Coalition seeks to raise political and public awareness, educate consumers, and strengthen wildlife enforcement.

Coalition Partners: India, United Kingdom, United States, American Forest & Paper Association, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Conservation International, Humane Society International, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Save the Tiger Fund, Smithsonian Institution, TRAFFIC International, Wildlife Conservation Society, WildAid, and the World Wildlife Fund.

PRESIDENT’S INITIATIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL LOGGING

Launched in 2003, the President’s Initiative is helping fight illegal logging and related trade and corruption in the forest sector worldwide. The U.S. has provided $4 million to launch what is now a $10 million, multi-donor initiative to reform Liberia’s forest sector after 14 years of devastating civil war. We have initiated and co-sponsored ground breaking regional Ministerial Conferences on forest law enforcement in Asia, Africa and Europe to foster political commitment to fight forest crime. We are working with Indonesia on a new cooperative effort to combat illegal logging. Through the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and Tropical Forest Conservation Act’s innovative debt-for-nature program, the U.S. is contributing or generating $150 million to conserve tropical forests worldwide.

INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES AND MARINE CONSERVATION

The U.S. leads the world in efforts to better conserve and manage international fisheries and curtail overfishing. We are spearheading initiatives to reduce the overcapacity of the world’s fishing fleet and crack down on illegal fishing. Several regional fisheries organizations have adopted U.S. proposals to ban the slaughter of sharks for their fins (the essential ingredient in shark fin soup). Sixteen nations have followed our lead in adopting measures to protect endangered sea turtles during shrimp trawl fishing. Through the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations we have produced measures to reduce sea turtle and seabird mortality in longline fishing.

CONSERVATION THROUGH TRADE

The Bush Administration believes that trade and environment objectives can and must be mutually supportive. Our Free Trade Agreements with Central America, Jordan, Morocco, Peru, and Singapore all include environmental cooperation provisions and related action programs to help ensure that expanded trade enhances, rather than detracts from, protection of the environment. For example, we will be cooperating with our trading partners on joint projects to protect wildlife habitats, conserve biodiversity, address wildlife and timber trafficking, and work together regionally and globally to conserve natural resources from forests to coral reefs.

NEXT STEPS

Trafficking in wildlife, timber, and fisheries is a global challenge requiring sustained action by government and nongovernment organizations alike. Partners to the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking will meet in Fall 2006 to identify priorities and a plan of action.