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USAID ROUTES Partnership
Newsletter Update
Dear ROUTES Partners, 

As we adjust to the changes that COVID-19 has brought to us all personally and professionally, we are encouraged by signs that the aviation sector is looking ahead to recovery. 

We have also been encouraged by, and welcomed, enquiries from airlines and airports on wildlife trafficking and available resources to inform and train staff. I am therefore pleased to share with you updates and the latest resources available from the USAID ROUTES Partnership. 

The latest in a series of comprehensive reports analysing wildlife seizures and identifying recent wildlife trafficking trends
Runway to Extinction: Wildlife Trafficking in the Air Transport Sectorhas been released. If you were unable to join the webinar sharing the report's findings, a recording is available on the ROUTES website. 

In addition to the report launch, ROUTES partners have developed several new resources, including airport training videos, country-level trafficking assessments, an SDG guidance document, and social media toolkits for upcoming wildlife awareness days. We are also looking at the links between, and risks posed by, wildlife trafficking and zoonotic diseases.

Please find information on these resources, and more, below in the latest edition of the ROUTES newsletter. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to the ROUTES team with questions or to discuss opportunities to strengthen your efforts to combat wildlife trafficking. 


Kind regards,
Michelle


Michelle Owen, ROUTES Lead

New Report: Runway to Extinction

In April, C4ADS launched a new report Runway to Extinction: Wildlife Trafficking in the Air Transport Sector, which examines the trends, transit routes, and trafficking methods used by wildlife smugglers exploiting the aviation industry in six world regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. Download the full report and regional sections here

In June, ROUTES hosted a webinar to share findings and data from the report.

A recording of the webinar and a copy of the presentation are available on the ROUTES website. 

Wildlife Awareness Opportunities

International Tiger Day (July 29), World Elephant Day (August 12), and World Rhino Day (September 22) are important milestones for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of endangered species. These international days provide opportunities for ROUTES partners to help raise awareness of wildlife and environmental conservation and show how action from the air transport sector is helping to ensure the survival of many of the world’s most iconic species. ROUTES has developed a social media toolkit to jumpstart your communications strategy. Please reach out to hallie.sacks@traffic.org to discuss how you can use these days to spotlight your conservation efforts. 

New Resources

Airport Training Videos

Airports Council International (ACI) has produced two new training videos. The short 6-minute version and the longer 12-minute version can be incorporated into existing training programs to help prepare staff to detect and report wildlife trafficking.

Country Profile Assessments

The Country Profile Map on the ROUTES Dashboard has been updated and allows users to view country-specific wildlife trafficking data using the interactive platform. C4ADS has also developed country assessment factsheets on wildlife trafficking in aviation for China, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kenya, South Africa and Viet Nam.

Sustainable Development Goals Guidance 

WWF has produced a new factsheet detailing how combating wildlife trafficking helps airports and airlines to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Airport Wildlife Trafficking Webinar

ACI, ROUTES, and United for Wildlife held a webinar to showcase the Transport Taskforce and how airports can take action to combat wildlife trafficking. A recording of the webinar is available here. 

Air Transport and Public Health

ROUTES is developing a new report analyzing the connection between wildlife trafficking in air transport and zoonotic disease emergence. The report from C4ADS will highlight risks to the aviation sector from illegal wildlife trade based on data and findings from the C4ADS air seizure database. 

Malaysia Airlines Takes Action 

Congratulations to Malaysia Airlines, who adapted the ROUTES training materials and added the wildlife trafficking training module to their company's internal employee platform. This new course is available for staff to learn how to detect and report wildlife trafficking. 
Excess Baggage: How wildlife is trafficked by air in and out of India
Emirates reaffirms its wildlife commitments 

MEDIA PIECES

Wildlife trafficking soars as illegal dealers use unchecked hubs in southern Africa
Report reveals growing wildlife trafficking in airport sector
Stricter control of wildlife trade needed to reduce virus risk
The USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership brings together transport and logistics companies, government agencies, development groups, law enforcement, conservation organizations, and donors to disrupt wildlife trafficking by reducing the use of legal transportation supply chains, and forms a key element of the concerted international response to addressing wildlife poaching and associated criminal activities worldwide.

At the heart of ROUTES is a core group of partners collaborating with the U.S. Government and the transport sector that includes Airports Council International (ACI), the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), TRAFFIC and WWF. The Partnership is funded by USAID and coordinated by TRAFFIC.
Copyright © 2020 TRAFFIC, All rights reserved.


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This newsletter is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of ROUTES and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, or individual ROUTES partners.