Combating Wildlife Trafficking Program -- Dominican Republic

The United States Agency for International Development, Dominican Republic Mission (USAID/Dominican Republic), is seeking Applications for a Cooperative Agreement from qualified entities to implement the “Combating Wildlife Trafficking” program. Eligibility for this award is not restricted.

Wildlife Trafficking is the fourth most lucrative transnational crime after the trafficking of drugs, humans, and arms.1 In addition, wildlife trafficking has been identified as one of the main threats to biodiversity in the Caribbean region, threatening resilience and sovereignty of small island states. Much of the demand stems from Asia. Exploitation of wildlife from the Caribbean and elsewhere not only undermines sustainable development but also increases risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens by opening access to previously untouched landscapes and creating unregulated global wildlife trade networks. As international investment in the Caribbean and Latin America has grown, so have rates of illegal wildlife trade in the region. A program improving wildlife crime enforcement, including strengthening related legislation, is needed to increase law enforcement, security and justice sector capacity to counter transnational crime.

Economic cooperation and trade between Caribbean countries and global markets in recent years has led to an influx of foreign businesses and migrant workers, increasing demand and creating new trafficking networks for wildlife such as jaguar skins and parts, crocodile, sharks, and sea turtles, among other species3 . These networks seem to benefit from weak political will to enforce or implement existing laws and plans, often which are very strong. Lack of transparency, corruption, and competing priorities are contributing factors to these challenges and enable networks to exploit already struggling systems, thus undermining USAID investments in these areas. The role that domestic markets and local actors play in contributing to the illegal trade of wildlife as pets, meat, and traditional medicines can also not be overlooked.

USAID is a key partner in the U.S. government’s Interagency Task Force on Combating Wildlife Trafficking and on conservation crime more broadly. The 2013 Executive Order on Combating Wildlife Trafficking and the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 established combating wildlife trafficking as a U.S. government priority. With the 2017 Executive Order on Transnational Organized Crime, the USG added combating conservation crimes to the interagency effort, highlighting the links between transnational organized crime and illegal logging, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and illegal extraction and trade of gold, in addition to wildlife trafficking. USAID’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking also aid the broader agency framework for countering malign influence and safeguarding the development gains of partner countries.

USAID aims to implement its first regional effort to combat wildlife trafficking as a means to reduce threats to biodiversity in the Caribbean region. The purpose of the Combating Wildlife Trafficking Activity (CWTA) is to reduce illegally traded wildlife from the wider-caribbean region. The activity will achieve this purpose by reducing the illegal collection and poaching of wildlife for international trade related to demand for pets or collections, food, medicines, jewelry and crafts. Hence, strengthening efforts to combat wildlife trafficking (CWT) is an important component of this Agreement, tying directly to the U.S. National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking (11 February 2014) and its associated implementation plan (11 February 2015).

Closing Date: June 3, 2022