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Training for law enforcement officers in Uzbekistan. Credit - Institute of Zoology of Uzbekistan.

Understanding and addressing the challenges posed by illegal wildlife trade in Central Asia to bridge borders and build partnerships

Central Asia, a region at the crossroads of continents and historically a global trading centre through the silk roads, is both a critical hub and a vulnerable target for the illegal wildlife trade (IWT). Countries such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan serve as sources, transit points, and destinations for a wide array of wildlife products. From Saiga antelope horns and Snow leopard parts to live tortoises, birds of prey, songbirds, and wild plants like cumin and liquorice, the trade fuels ecological harm and threatens biodiversity.

Recognising the urgency of the problem, the lack of awareness or sufficient action to address it, Fauna & Flora spearheaded a groundbreaking three-year project that concluded in 2024. This initiative aimed to build regional responses to IWT and foster cooperation among government, civil society, and academic agencies across the four countries. Supported by invaluable partnerships with the Uzbek Institute of Zoology, TRAFFIC, and Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), the project has laid a strong foundation for understanding and addressing illegal trafficking of wildlife within Central Asia. It was also an ambitious programme of work spanning a vast region, and we want to share reflections from the experience of delivering it.

An unprecedented regional picture of wildlife trade

One of the project’s significant achievements was undertaking the first regional effort to collate information on both the legal and illegal wildlife trade. Data from 4 countries and over 20 government agencies and civil society organisations were pooled to provide a comprehensive overview of the breadth and scale of wildlife trade in Central Asia (see TRAFFIC’s report here). This effort offers insights into trade patterns and the species most at risk.

With trade routes identified that connect the region to East and Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the European Union, this analysis is expected to be of use to practitioners beyond the region. For a region often overshadowed in global discussions on wildlife trade, this effort marked a critical step toward understanding and addressing the challenges posed by IWT. The findings now provide a baseline for further action, including policy development, information-sharing mechanisms, enforcement strategies, and engagement with relevant sectors of the industry and the public.

Bridging borders and building partnerships in a fragmented region

A hallmark of this project was its success in fostering collaboration between government institutions across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Despite geopolitical tensions and interagency competition that often complicate regional initiatives, the project brought together representatives from over 54 organisations, including border agencies, customs officials, prosecutors, environmental ministries, canine units, and eco-police. This was achieved through patient relationship building with government agencies, involving regular communication and an interest in their priorities and aspirations. 

By convening these diverse agencies, the project helped to build trust, establish connections, and create a platform for coordinated action to address wildlife trafficking. This collaboration is particularly crucial in a region where immense borders, customs unions, and limited resources create significant challenges for enforcement.

Active messaging groups and formal cooperation agreements resulting from the meetings we facilitated under the project are signs that interpersonal connections have been strengthened. We are now working to formalise information sharing through a national database in Kyrgyzstan to facilitate strategic planning and coordination around active cases with the long-term ambition that this can be scaled at a regional level.

From basics to impact: Strengthening government agencies know-how

An assessment of existing IWT training materials revealed that much of the content publicly available was either too advanced or not tailored to the needs of officials we were engaging with. Recognising the importance of building on what already existed, we worked to develop practical training modules designed specifically for this context. These modules incorporated scenario exercises and were produced in relevant languages to maximise accessibility.

The modules created under the project could be mixed and matched to meet the specific requirements of individual agencies or groups. Importantly, these modules were embedded in national institutions such as the Kazakh Law Enforcement Academy under the General Prosecutors Office to ensure long-term impact under complementary funding. Training was also extended to individuals managing protected areas, equipping them to better detect and address wildlife-related offenses at the source.

A key aspect of the training programme was introducing a crime prevention approach, encouraging agencies to anticipate and address enabling factors rather than solely reacting to wildlife-related offences.

Over the last 3 years, 29 women and 148 men (177 people in total) received training on detecting and recognising wildlife-related offences as well as protocols to follow to handle these. In Central Asia, law enforcement officers are predominantly men. However, the Fauna & Flora and partners team, led by women, were committed to involving as many women officers as possible and paid attention to gender and inclusion in the running of training sessions. Through our facilitation of learning exercises and arrangements for travel and accommodation, we ensured that women participants felt confident and comfortable taking part in the training sessions. From these efforts, some of the main champions supporting our work and driving interest around wildlife trade in government agencies have been women.

In addition to the training of officers, support was provided to the canine units in all four countries to facilitate the detection of wildlife shipments at key border points. The support included a regional wildlife trade-focused workshops for dog trainers, procurement of puppies, as well as the acquisition of artificial imitator scents of traded species such as Saigas and bears to train dogs. 

The impact of this project is already evident. Twenty-two seizures were reported by law enforcement agencies in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan in 2024. These seizures involved officers and sniffer dogs directly trained under the programme the previous year and highlight improved capacity to detect wildlife shipments in key trade hubs such as airports and road checkpoints.

Addressing emerging needs for regulation of wildlife trade

While the achievements of the past three years are significant, the work to reduce IWT in Central Asia is still in its inception. Detecting, interdicting, and sanctioning wildlife-related offences, as well as mitigating the harms they cause, remain complex challenges. For instance, while increased detection is a positive step, it also brings new challenges, such as the proper handling of seized evidence and the care and management of live animals, as well as plants, highlighting the need for robust procedures and resources to address these emerging issues effectively. More generally, a shift towards prevention is needed to address the drivers and enabling factors of species overexploitation through trade. This project has laid the foundation by sensitising partners in the region to crime prevention strategies.

By establishing a regional understanding of wildlife trade, fostering collaboration, enabling the participation of women, and building the interest and skillsets of enforcement and judicial agencies, our initiative has created a strong foundation for future efforts. Fauna & Flora and its partners remain committed to supporting Central Asia in addressing IWT and benefiting from sustainable legal wildlife trade, recognising that the health of ecosystems and communities depends on it.

Written by Laure Joanny, Akylai Kabaeva, and Matt Lowton. For more information on this Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund Main project IWT089, led by Flora & Fauna International, please click here.