One of the greatest threats to global biodiversity conservation is the growing illegal trade in wildlife, which impacts species' survival, ecosystem health, and community livelihoods.

This problem is particularly relevant in South American countries, where it reaches the scale of organized crime and undermines the economy, security, and public health. In Argentina, it affects more than 100 species of birds, 20 species of reptiles, and 15 species of mammals, some of which transcend borders.

Effective mitigation of this complex problem requires a regional, up-to-date, and collaborative approach between government institutions, the private sector, and civil society. That is why, since 2020, we have been working with this approach to understand and strengthen the prevention of this crime throughout its supply chain—including capture, transport, sale, and possession—by promoting actions that facilitate greater coordination, capacity building, and improvement of national legal frameworks and transnational agreements.

How do we work?

• We promote cooperation between government agencies and civil society organizations to create multisectoral national strategies.
• We provide advice on the creation of new regulations and the improvement of existing ones.
• We collaborate in the training of security forces that carry out control, inspection, and surveillance.
• We contribute to improving tools and consolidating databases that systematize the origins, routes, types, and quantities of species traded.
• We support the coordination of national and transnational prevention strategies, especially in border regions.
• We carry out outreach and education campaigns to raise awareness of this issue and discourage the demand for wild animals as pets.