ROUTES and C4ADS Launch First-Ever Data Dashboard of Wildlife Trafficking in the Air Transport Sector

The Dashboard enables transport companies, enforcement personnel, government agencies, and other stakeholders to filter and view information on wildlife trafficking incidents in the air transport sector over the past 10 years. The Dashboard’s analysis relies on the C4ADS Air Seizure Database, which is comprised of the most comprehensive collection of illegal wildlife trade seizures in aviation to date and includes instances in more than 130 countries. 

“Before companies and agencies can take action to combat wildlife trafficking, they have to understand how wildlife trafficking affects their regions, businesses, and supply chains. The ROUTES Dashboard makes this first step easier than ever, making detailed data available to them in an easily customizable format,” commented Patrick Baine, Data Cell Lead at C4ADS.

“Wildlife traffickers move undetected through airports and airlines around the world every day, draining ecosystems and communities of their natural resources. This Dashboard shines a spotlight on their patterns and behavior, enabling the air transport community to access relevant data that can help prevent these dangerous criminal activities,” said TRAFFIC’s Michelle Owen, ROUTES Lead. 

 Since 2015, C4ADS has been a partner on ROUTES analyzing wildlife trafficking in air transport. In 2018, ROUTES and C4ADS released In Plane Sight, a nearly decade-long analysis of wildlife trafficking seizures at airports and on airlines worldwide. The report was a follow-up to the 2017 report, Flying Under the Radar, and expanded the analysis of wildlife trafficking in aviation to cover ivory, rhino horn, birds, reptiles, mammals, marine species and pangolins. The reports showcase the widespread exploitation of transport supply chains by criminal networks engaged in wildlife trafficking.

Many in the transportation sector are recognizing the need to take action against wildlife trafficking. Recently, ROUTES launched a Spring Into Action initiative, which outlines “5 Steps of Action” that air transport companies can take to raise awareness and engage stakeholders on wildlife trafficking issues.

View the ROUTES Dashboard: http://www.routesdashboard.org/

View the Spring Into Action Industry Guide: https://routespartnership.org/industry-resources/other-awareness-resources/spring-into-action-resource-folder/file-1/view

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About ROUTES

The USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership brings together government agencies, transportation and logistics industry companies and representatives, international conservation, development and law enforcement organizations and donors in order to disrupt wildlife trafficking activities, and forms a key element of the concerted international response to addressing wildlife poaching and associated criminal activities worldwide.

At the heart of ROUTES is a core group of partners collaborating with the U.S. Government and the transport sector that includes Airports Council International (ACI), the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), TRAFFIC and WWF. The Partnership is funded by USAID and coordinated by TRAFFIC. To learn more, visit routespartnership.org or follow @ROUTESPartners

About USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is responsible for the majority of overseas development assistance from the United States Government and leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people on their journey to self-reliance. For more information please visit usaid.gov or follow @USAID on Facebook and Twitter.

About C4ADS

C4ADS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing data-driven analysis and evidence-based reporting on global conflict and transnational security issues.

We use cutting-edge technologies to manage, integrate, and analyze disparate data from diverse languages, regions, and sources, incorporating our own field research from conflict zones and fragile states. We seek to engage with local and international audiences and produce compelling analysis on conflict and security issues. In doing so, we fill a critical gap left by traditional public sector and profit-driven institutions. For more information, visit c4ads.org or follow @C4ADS

About TRAFFIC

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is the leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. For more information, visit traffic.org or follow @TRAFFIC_WLTrade