The purpose of this project is to counter illegal wildlife and timber trafficking in Belize, Central America, by increasing the enforcement capacity and data management systems of regulatory authorities, strengthening legislation and building public awareness of both threats and mitigation tools. This project primarily focuses on conserving Honduran rosewood but is expected to extend protection to other trafficked species in both marine and terrestrial sectors. Specific activities include: (1) strengthening the enforcement chain by building capacity and supporting coordination between government and civil society; (2) improving wildlife and timber product traceability and compliance management systems and supporting government, civil society and the private sector in their development and use; (3) creating an outreach campaign to improve attitudes and change behaviors regarding conservation and builds social and institutional pressure against wildlife and timber trafficking among the public and government agencies; (4) strengthening Belize’s wildlife and timber regulations by gathering input from the scientific community for the finalization of Belize’s first draft CITES-specific legislation to address international trade.
Addressing illegal Rosewood Trade to undermine Wildlife Trafficking in Belize
