Traffic (conservation programme)

TRAFFIC, which stands for Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce, is a global non-governmental organization that works to protect wild plants and animals. It monitors how these plants and animals are bought and sold to make sure the trade is fair and does not harm their populations. TRAFFIC helps keep nature balanced by watching both legal and illegal wildlife trade.

The organization began in 1976 as part of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Over time, it became a partnership between the IUCN and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). TRAFFIC’s work is important because many animals and plants are in danger because of how they are traded. By tracking these trades, TRAFFIC helps make sure that wildlife is used in a way that does not threaten their survival.

History

TRAFFIC started setting up more offices around the world in the 1990s, including in Europe, Africa, and East Asia. They focused on protecting animals like tiger and rhino, creating databases to track illegal trade and help governments manage wildlife better.

In the 2000s and 2010s, TRAFFIC worked on making wildlife trade sustainable and helped communities live responsibly. They partnered with groups and businesses to support local people while protecting animals and plants.

Achievements

TRAFFIC has made important contributions to protecting wildlife through various programs and databases. The Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) tracks illegal trade in ivory and other elephant products. Managed by TRAFFIC for CITES, it contains thousands of records from many countries. Another program, EU-TWIX, started in 2005, helps European countries share information about wildlife seizures.

Since 2017, TRAFFIC has worked on projects like the USAID-funded Wildlife-TRAPS to fight illegal wildlife trade in Africa and Asia. They also offer training through the ROUTES Partnership to help protect animals from harmful trade practices.

Wildlife regulations

TRAFFIC has worked to help protect wildlife by supporting better rules and laws. In 1992, they published a study about plant trade in Europe and suggested that laws across European countries should be made more similar. This work helped lead to new European Union rules about wildlife trade that began in 1997.

In 2012, TRAFFIC and WWF started a global effort to stop illegal wildlife trade. Their work helped achieve a major United Nations resolution in 2015 to fight wildlife crime. They also created guidelines in 2007 to help make sure medicines made from wild plants are collected in a way that does not harm nature. In 2000, TRAFFIC shared important research about the use of wild animal meat, called bushmeat, in Africa.