Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) applauded the passing of their bipartisan legislation to combat international wildlife trafficking and to strengthen interagency efforts to tackle the issue in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which President Biden signed into law this week. Senators Coons and Portman are members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-chairs of the International Conservation Caucus. Representatives Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) led the House companion of the bill.
Wildlife poaching and trafficking remains a serious transnational crime that threatens the conservation of vulnerable wildlife, security, and economic opportunity. It has also been linked to other organized criminal activities, including trafficking in narcotics, weapons, and people. The Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act would reauthorize legislation that was signed into law in 2016 and expand the responsibilities of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking.
“The Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking has done outstanding work, but the threats posed by wildlife poaching and trafficking are constantly evolving. Reauthorizing the END Wildlife Trafficking Act will empower the task force with improved tools to help combat this crime. I am proud to reauthorize this vital program as this bipartisan bill becomes law,” said Senator Coons.
“I am pleased that this critical legislation to help combat wildlife trafficking has now been signed into law as part of the FY 2023 NDAA,” said Portman. “Wildlife trafficking is not only a matter of conservation but also one of national security and international stability, as billions in profits from the illegal wildlife trade are used to finance other illicit and terrorist activity. I look forward to this legislation, which will reauthorize and strengthen the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, enhancing the tools the U.S. government has to help combat wildlife trafficking around the globe.”
“From drug deals to human trafficking, the internet is a new front to fight some of the worst crimes we know. By reauthorizing the END Wildlife Trafficking Act, we will be better positioned to stop these bad actors and combat wildlife trafficking not just in the U.S., but globally. I’m proud to cosponsor this bill and take a firm step towards ending this heinous crime for good,” said Representative Carter.
“I am thrilled that our END Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization Act has been signed into law as part of the annual defense funding bill,” said Representative Meng, Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. “The trafficking of wildlife is a cruel and dangerous practice that has the potential to cause catastrophic economic damage and can lead to the spread of disease. This interagency solution will help combat the issue on a global scale, and I am proud to help champion this effort.”
Since it was enacted in 2016, the END Wildlife Trafficking Act has aided in the arrest of members of wildlife trafficking networks and supported interagency efforts to tackle the issue globally through country-specific and regional initiatives. The END Wildlife Reauthorization and Improvements Act reauthorizes the duties of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking and related reports on major wildlife trafficking countries and expands the role of technology in anti-trafficking efforts.
The text of this legislation can be found in section 5943 of the NDAA, available here.
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