CITES

Those committed to combating the illegal trade of animal and plant life across West Africa, or interested in learning how they can become more engaged, now have a new tool at their disposal. A compendium of research by 26 West African researchers on issues related to the effective implementation of the Convention on the International…

By Chaz Kyser, WA BICC Communications Manager   The West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (WA BiCC) organized a vibrant exchange on “Knowledge Products and Lessons from CITES Master’s Training and Research in West and Central Africa,” held in Accra Jan. 23–24. Not only did the gathering succeed in bringing WA BiCC-supported CITES MSc…

In collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Forestry of Côte d’Ivoire, WA BiCC organized a training workshop for French-speaking ECOWAS member states from the 21st to the 25th of October on the application of CITES by judges and prosecutors. The goal of the workshop was to strengthen their capacity to support the CITES Management…

Mercy Koomson, a Wildlife Manager at the Kotoka International Airport, is a woman on a mission. She is a graduate of the University of Andalucía with a Master’s degree course in ‘Management and Conservation of Species in Trade’, which was sponsored by the West African Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (WA BiCC). Less than a…

My name is Mercy Koomson, a Wildlife Manager at the Kotoka International Airport in Ghana, and a graduate of the 2018/2019 Master’s Program in Management and Conservation of Species in Trade, at the University of Andalucia. As one of the 34 graduates from the 2018/2019 edition of the ‘CITES Masters’ program’ in Spain, the 18th…

The 18th Conference of the Parties for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has just ended in Geneva Switzerland at the Palexpo international conference centre. The events took place from August 17th to the 28th and it was an incredible experience. CITES is a global agreement that…

“The world needs a dedicated network of experienced, knowledgeable and educated people to share their diverse views and negotiation skills to bring about positive outcomes for the world and for conservation” remarked Pamela Scruggs of the US Fish and Wildlife Service during a CITES CoP 18 side-event celebrating the success of the CITES Master’s degree…

Abuja, Nigeria, 29 March 2019 – In the face of continued levels of illegal wildlife trade, which is destroying the natural and cultural heritage of their region and undermines sovereign efforts to manage their own resources, West African nations, under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met to define a…

Porous borders. Lack of awareness. Commit to change. Certain phrases kept resonating at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, that convened government agencies and their private sector and civil society partners intent on combatting wildlife crime in Nigeria and along its borders. Wildlife crime, which includes trafficking and illegal trade…

This study was done to assess the knowledge base of Aquatic endangered species in the West Africa Region.