WildLIFE Crime Academy
A global initiative focused on improving law enforcement, international collaboration, and capacity-building to combat wildlife crime effectively
| Initiative period | 2024-2028 |
|---|---|
| Initiative area | Europe, the Caucasus, and North Africa |
| Target issues | Illegal killing, Trapping, Poisoning, Poaching, and Trafficking of wildlife |
| Target species | Cinereous Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Bearded Vulture |
Wildlife crime is a significant threat to biodiversity, security, and economic stability. This includes poaching, poisoning, illegal trade, and habitat destruction, often orchestrated by transnational criminal networks. Such activities contribute to species decline, environmental degradation, and weakened governance structures and security. Particularly in Europe, scavengers such as vultures and eagles suffer from illegal poisoning, while poaching and illegal trapping impact songbirds and game species in regions like the Mediterranean and Balkans. Wildlife trafficking has grown into a billion-euro criminal industry, attracting organized crime due to weak enforcement and lenient penalties.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TARGET SPECIES
Funded by the EU’s LIFE Programme, the Vulture Conservation Foundation, and key international partners, the WildLIFE Crime Academy is a five-year initiative with a 2M budget aimed at strengthening law enforcement, enhancing international cooperation, and building capacity to combat wildlife crime in Portugal, Slovenia, Romania, Montenegro, Morrocco, Tunisia, Egypt, North Cyprus and Georgia.
Through a series of specialized training programmes, knowledge-exchange workshops, and collaborative efforts with governmental authorities, NGOs, and forensic experts, the project seeks to improve investigation and prosecution processes for wildlife crime. By equipping enforcement agencies with the necessary skills and tools, the WildLIFE Crime Academy is taking decisive steps to protect threatened species and dismantle the networks driving illegal wildlife trafficking.
BUILD CAPACITIES
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
ENHANCED INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
HOLISTIC APPROACH
Project partners are the Vulture Conservation Foundation as the coordinating beneficiary, and the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests (MMEDIU), DOPPS BirdLife Slovenia, Centar za zaštitu i proučavanje ptica (CZIP), and Taskent Doga Parki (Taskent Nature Park) TNP as associated beneficiaries.
