Relevant Organisations

International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN)

An international organisation that assess the threat to endangered species by counting or estimating the number of as many species as possible. IUCN considers a wide range of criteria to determine whether a species qualifies as endangered, including a shrinking population, issues that prevent reproduction and vulnerability of the species’ habitat. The list places animals in various degrees of endangerment, according to the numbers still surviving and the potential threats to their survival.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

It is the world’s largest conservation organization working in the field of the wilderness preservation, and the reduction of human impact on the environment. Founded in 1961, the group has over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, supporting around 1,300 conservation and environmental projects.

Their mission is “to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.” Much of its work concentrates on the conservation of three biomes: oceans and coasts, forests, and freshwater ecosystems. It is also concerned with endangered species, sustainable production of commodities and climate change.

TRAFFIC: The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network

The leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

TRAFFIC specializes in:

• Investigating and analysing wildlife trade trends, patterns, impacts and drivers to provide the leading knowledge base on trade in wild animals and plants;

• Informing, supporting and encouraging action by governments, individually and through inter-governmental cooperation to adopt, implement and enforce effective policies and laws;

• Providing information, encouragement and advice to the private sector on effective approaches to ensure that sourcing of wildlife uses sustainability standards and best practice;

• Developing insight into consumer attitudes and purchasing motivation and guiding the design of effective communication interventions aimed to dissuade purchasing of illicit wildlife goods.