Securing wildlife product stockpiles in 5 West African countries
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Extra
VALUE £605,621
WHERE Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Burkina Faso
Summary
Wildlife departments in West Africa hold an array of wildlife products in custody, including pangolin scales, ivory, and hippo teeth. These are a target for corruption, theft and are often mismanaged. The EPIF will support 5 West African countries to strengthen storeroom management using the EPIF “Gold Standards” toolkit, including a storeroom assessment tool; model operating procedures; and the SMS digital inventory system, and will work with governments to develop policies on the long-term fate of these items in storage.
Over 600 arrests and more than 500 convictions in wildlife crime since 2017, alongside a decline in ivory trafficking cases and an increase in elephant and rhino populations.
