GAO: Federal agencies chasing their tails in SE Asia wildlife trade enforcement

An interagency task force charged with assisting law enforcement activities in Southeast Asia against the illicit trade of wildlife products has struggled due to a lack of clarity on roles, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.    Various federal agencies tasked with assisting law enforcement activities in Southeast Asia against the illicit trade of wildlife products have struggled due to a lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities on the ground, according to a recent report from a congressional watchdog agency.
   The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a recent report that “agencies’ disagreements on roles and responsibilities have resulted in the delivery of inappropriate training activities and interference with U.S. efforts to cooperate” in wildlife trafficking mission in Thailand.
   Specifically, Fish and Wildlife Service, State Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have disagreed with the U.S. Agency for International Development USAID) on implementing practices with Thai law enforcement activities. USAID officials argued that “they entrust their implementing partners to conduct law enforcement training and believe they sufficiently involve their U.S. agency counterparts,” GAO said.
   Thailand is a well-known transshipment hub for illicit wildlife goods being funneled into China and throughout the world.
   In 2013, President Obama issued an executive order to form an interagency Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking and charged it with developing a strategy to guide U.S. efforts to combat wildlife trafficking. In February 2015, the task force released the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking Implementation Plan, which identifies specific objectives and steps supported by programs overseen by task force agencies.
   However, trade in illicit wildlife products continues to grow at a rapid pace. In 2014, the UN Environment Program noted that this trade is valued between $7 billion to $23 billion a year, and threatens to wipe out some animal species if left unchecked. 
   China and the United States harbor some of the largest consumer markets for these illegal goods. Both countries have recently made efforts to tackle the problem. In October 2016, the U.S. Congress passed the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Act, while China announced in March 2017 the closure of 67 ivory carving entities and retail outlets across the country. U.S. Customs and its counterparts at Fish and Wildlife to try to stop as many of these shipments from crossing the border in passenger luggage and commercial packages.
   On the overseas front, GAO recommended that the Interior and State departments, as well as USAID, work with the interagency task force charged with combating the illicit wildlife trade to “clarify roles and responsibilities of mission staff engaged in collaborative efforts on combating wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia.”