Protect Animals From Illegal Trafficking
23,869 signatures toward our 30,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Rainforest Site
Much of the world's legal and illegal wildlife trade is driven by or originates in the U.S. Take a stand for species worldwide!
Wildlife trafficking is one of the biggest threats to wildlife worldwide1. While the practice is illegal in many cases, there are loopholes that can make it difficult to catch and punish those involved in trafficking2.
Wildlife trafficking isn't just a problem in foreign countries, either. The U.S. is a major buyer and contributor to this industry3.
As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services National Wildlife Repository4 maintains, "The United States is a destination and transit point for trafficked wildlife and wildlife products, including exotic pets, reptile skin products, traditional medicine ingredients, elephant ivory and rhino horn. Much of the world's trade — both legal and illegal — in wild animal and plant species is driven by U.S. consumers, originates in our country or passes through our ports on the way to other nations."
The Wildlife Trafficking and Anti-Trafficking Act of 20215 offers a solution to this problem.
This bill incentivizes and protects whistleblowers, and would set up substantial financial rewards for people who call in legitimate tips about wildlife trafficking. This would allow NGOs and regular people alike to report signs of wildlife trafficking6.
This law will empower regular people and NGOs working on the ground with wildlife populations to report findings to authorities. Wildlife trafficking agents can't be everywhere all the time, and under this law, they don't have to be.
A version of the bill was previously introduced in 2018 and received widespread support from whistleblower advocacy groups and wildlife conservation groups. With your help, we can ensure its passage and protect countless species!
Sign the petition to support this landmark legislation and protect vulnerable species around the world!
- World Wide Fund For Nature (2020), "Second-biggest direct threat to species after habitat destruction."
- United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime (September 2019), "Implications of wildlife trafficking."
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "National Wildlife Property Repository."
- Rep. John Garamendi, 117th Congress (19 November 2021), "H.R.6059 - Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021."
- The National Law Review (3 December 2021), "Landmark Wildlife Whistleblower Bill Reintroduced."
- Simon Robertson, WorldBank.org (27 July 2017), "Why law enforcement is essential to stopping illegal wildlife trade."
The Petition:
To Rep. John Garamendi,
I am writing in support of the critical Wildlife Trafficking and Anti-Trafficking Act, which you sponsored in 2021. This piece of legislation would go a long way to protecting vulnerable species worldwide.
The United States is a destination and transit point for trafficked wildlife and wildlife products, including exotic pets, reptile skin products, traditional medicine ingredients, elephant ivory and rhino horn. Much of the world's trade — both legal and illegal — in wild animal and plant species is driven by U.S. consumers, originates in our country or passes through our ports on the way to other nations.
The Wildlife Trafficking and Anti-Trafficking Act will empower regular people and NGOs working on the ground with wildlife populations to report findings to authorities.
We all know wildlife trafficking agents can't be everywhere all the time, and under this law, they don't have to be.
I fully support this act and your continued efforts to ensure its passage, protecting countless species around the world.
Sincerely,
