A diver from a coastal community in Kenya dives in search of ornamental fish - an essential livelihood for thousands. Photo: Nathalie Bertrams
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our projects
From protecting natural landscapes to disrupting criminal networks, our projects are safeguarding biodiversity and securing a better future for people.
We’re active across 5 continents and across borders—tracking global trade, supporting local livelihoods, strengthening law enforcement, and shaping international policy. By targeting every link in the trade chain, from poaching gangs to private companies to consumers, we’re building a world where wildlife thrives and communities prosper.
explore our achievements in protecting biodiversity
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A SELECTION OF OUR CURRENT PROJECTS
Leveraging Legality across timber supply chains
The Congo Basin spans 6 nations and shelters 600+ tree species, gorillas, and forest elephants. But illegal logging is tearing it apart, driving deforestation, and robbing local communities of essential revenue. We’re here to stop that—by pushing for strong forest governance and clean, sustainable timber trade.
Enhancing wildlife forensics to fight crime
Alongside our partners, we're expanding the use of cutting-edge wildlife forensics to crack down on poaching and illegal trade—identifying species, origin, and age of trafficked products. Our mission: bring forensic science to the frontlines of wildlife law enforcement across Southern Africa and Southeast Asia, powered by affordable, field-ready tech.
SharkTrace
The tech solution to unsustainable shark trade.
By identifying species and tracking every step from catch to trade, SharkTrace brings radical transparency to the shark supply chain. It empowers enforcement, strengthens fisheries management, and fights illegal, unsustainable exploitation with real-time, tech-driven traceability.
© Jürgen Freund / WWF
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Trade in African succulents
South Africa is facing a succulent poaching crisis—over a million plants from 650 species seized since 2019, trafficked from protected areas to global markets.
From AI-driven detection tools to a breakthrough provenance test using plant chemistry, we’re building a powerful system to trace, identify, and stop the illegal trade in its tracks.
Nature crimes: the billion-dollar industry
Nature crimes are no longer just a conservation issue — they’re a multi-billion-dollar industry driving money laundering, corruption, and transnational crime.
Over the last four years, TRAFFIC has been working with partners in Brazil, Indonesia, Viet Nam, and Cameroon to understand these overlapping threats and develop strategies to disrupt transnational crime networks while strengthening enforcement.
Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange (TWIX)
Wildlife criminals don’t stop at borders—neither should the fight against them. That’s where TWIX steps in.
These secure online platforms connect law enforcement agencies across regions, enabling real-time sharing of intelligence, alerts, and best practices. By linking customs officers, police, prosecutors, and wildlife authorities, TWIX helps dismantle trafficking networks, stop illegal shipments, and bring offenders to justice—making it a powerful force in the global fight to protect wildlife.
Protecting Africa's wildlife
Reducing trade threats to Africa's wild species and ecosystems (ReTTA) strengthens actions to conserve wildlife populations, areas of high biodiversity, and communities threatened by illegal and unsustainable trade in wild species from Africa, with a particular focus on trade to Asia.
Wild Harvest Improvement Projects
Inspired by proven fisheries models, TRAFFIC's running multistakeholder improvement projects to revolutionise how wild plants are harvested.
By adapting sustainable practices and uniting communities, businesses, and policymakers, we aim to protect biodiversity while securing the livelihoods of millions who depend on these vital resources.
Wildlife sniffer dogs
As part of our work developing new technologies and approaches to fighting illegal wildlife trade, we’re working with WWF and authorities in India, Kenya, and beyond to harness the incredible potential of wildlife sniffer dogs.
Working with transport, aviation, and logistics
Traffickers exploit global transport and supply chains to move illegal wildlife products across the world.
This centralised resource hub equips air, maritime, and logistics companies with practical, partner-developed tools to strengthen their frontline response to wildlife trafficking. Designed to support capacity building across operations, it offers free, up-to-date training materials to enhance detection, reporting, and compliance.
Elephant Trade Information System
The Elephant Trade Information System, commonly known as ETIS, is the CITES-mandated tool that tracks illegal trade in elephant ivory and other elephant products.
Conservation of Himalayan plants
Nepal’s Himalayan forests are biodiversity powerhouses—but overharvesting, climate change, and illegal trade are pushing wild plants and fungi, and the communities who depend on them, to the edge.
Together with partners, TRAFFIC is empowering local harvesters, protecting fragile ecosystems, and building fair, sustainable supply chains, reshaping how Himalayan resources are valued—ensuring nature is conserved and local livelihoods are strengthened for generations to come.
Cross-cutting thematic issues
Tackling complex trade priorities requires a cross-cutting approach that harnesses our expertise across a number of targeted thematic issues.
