International Wildlife Trade

Wildlife is an important commodity not only for indigenous communities, but for the economy of Suriname and Guyana as well. These two countries are actively involved in cross-border and international wildlife trade. Because of the contribution of wildlife trade to the livelihoods of many and to the economies of both countries, WWF is actively giving guidelines to all stakeholders to adhere to national, regional and international legislation.

WWF is convinced that capacity building is key to achieving a sustainable use of the wildlife resources. Under this program WWF's actions involve:

1. Capacity building of national enforcement agencies (training officers, provision of uniforms, production of information brochures on open and closed seasons, species hunting classifications, funds for fuel and vehicles and other enforcement equipment) to monitor the trade of wildlife along key trade routes within the state and at international borders.
2. Capacity-building (workshops, provision of information materials, provision of technical advice) within local Government and research institutions to facilitate effective participation of national management and scientific institutions in monitoring and research.
3. Computerization of wildlife trade permits and trade data in Suriname and Guyana.
4. Development of "Wild Species Identification Manual" in Dutch and English, for Suriname and Guyana;  posters for game wardens, customs officials, police, veterinary officers. Training of wildlife monitoring and enforcement officers in Suriname and Guyana in the use of the manual, and introduction to CITES.
   

Globally, illegal and/or excessive trade remains a very significant impediment to many species survival and biodiversity conservation along with habitat loss.