Earth League International

Wildlife Seizures are Downand an Illicit Trade Boom may be Coming Analysis for Nat Geo shows pangolin, rhino, ivory seizures during COVID-19 had steep decline. The amount of elephant ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin scales intercepted by authorities in 2020 was far less than compared with the previous five years, according to analysis for National Geographic by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). The coronavirus pandemic likely dampened both the ability of wildli...fe traffickers to move their products internationally and of law enforcement to detect them, according to the group, a U.S. nonprofit that analyzes transnational security issues. Both the number of seizures and weight of seizures plummeted, which suggests that even if the wildlife parts were transported between Africa and Asia in smaller batches, the overall level of their trafficking between the continents dropped. Nonetheless, some wildlife experts note that the online trade has remained robust throughout the pandemic and that poaching in some locations has actually increased.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56564326 Galápagos tortoises: 185 Babies Seized from Smugglers Customs officials in #Ecuador discovered 185 #BabyTortoises packed inside a suitcase that was being sent from the #GalapagosIslands to the mainland. Officials combating #Wildlife trafficking say hatchling-sized juveniles fetch sums of more than $5,000 per animal. The sentence for #Smuggling animals from the Galapagos is one to three years in prison.... #WildlifeProducts #WildlifeTrafficking #WildlifeCrime #Investigation #FightingBack #EarthLeagueInternational #Intelligence #Tortoises

How Technology Can Help to Achieve at Least 30% Ocean Protection A growing number of countries due to meet at the conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) later this year have pledged to protect and conserve at least 30 percent of the ocean in a movement dubbed 30 x 30: 30 percent by 2030. ...Most MPAs seek to protect critical ocean habitats and species from one or more existential or predicted threats. The vast majority of such threats, such as pollution ...and exploitation of nature, are human induced. For an MPA to function effectively there must be science-based monitoring of progress, management of human activities and the environment, surveillance, and enforcement of rules and regulations put into place to abate the threat and protect species and ecosystems. To do this at scale requires significant effort. Achieving 30 percent protection and conservation of the whole oceanboth coastal and high seasrequires that we protect and conserve 109 million square kilometres (42 million square miles), an area more than 11 times the size of the entire United States.

ISIS using illegal ivory trade to fund terrorism in East Africa, former UK ambassador warns, confirming the previous 2010-2012 investigation by ELI's director Andrea Crosta Sir Ivor Roberts, a former British diplomat in Lebanon and head of counter-terrorism in the Foreign Office, has just released the report An Unholy Alliance: Links Between Extremism and Illicit Trade in East Africa, where he warns that extremist groups such as Al Shabab and Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah are explo...iting and causing huge damage to precarious populations of elephant, rhino and pangolin. Earth League International's founder Andrea Crosta, conducted with a colleague the world’s first investigation into ivory and terrorism between 2010-2012. The findings of this undercover investigation found that wildlife trafficking, especially ivory and rhino horn, is a source of funding for terrorist groups, including al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-backed Somali terror group. See the original report here: Africa's White Gold of Jihad: https://earthleagueinternational.org/ivory-and-terrorism-a/ Read more about this new report: https://www.thenationalnews.com//isis-using-illegal-ivory- The published and widely circulated findings from this investigation, single handily change the narrative around elephant poaching, and generated a significant amount of interest from the public and private groups, both in terms of positive feedback and cynical skepticism. One specific claim that we made that al-Shabaab partially funded their activities from proceeds generated by trafficking ivory was sharply criticized but has also subsequently been proven by governmental entities. "Illicit trade is the lifeblood which sustains extremist groups operating in East Africa and its surrounding regions, including Al Shabab, ISIS and the Janjaweed to the north, the Lord’s Resistance Army and dozens more rebel militias in Central Africa, and the ISIS-linked Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah in northern Mozambique", Mr Roberts said. He warns that East Africa is being critically undermined by the illegal trade, as terror groups continue to thrive, and says It is evident that crime, corruption, extremism and illicit trade are inextricably linked in East Africa

On this #WorldBearDay, Earth League International would like to bring awareness to the thousands of #bears that are currently caged and farmed for their bile across #Asia. To fulfill the demand for their bile on the #blackmarket, bears are kept alive so that the bile from their gall bladder can be continuously extracted. #AsiaticBlackBears (also known as #MoonBears), #SunBears, and #BrownBears are the most common species farmed for bile. Bear bile products, believed by some to be a #Coronavirus cure were seized last year in three #Chinatown traditional medicine #TCM stores by the #NewYork State Department of Environmental Conservation @nysdec. #China #Vietnam #Myanmar #LaoPDR #SouthKorea #WildlifeCrime #WildlifeProducts #Corruption #FightingBack #Intelligence #Investigation #EarthLeagueInternational

Illegal fishing: The Great Threat to Latin America’s Marine Sanctuaries An investigative collaboration by Mongabay Latam, Ciper in Chile, Cuestión Pública in Colombia, and El Universo in Ecuador looked at illegal fishing and the threats it poses to Latin America’s marine sanctuaries. The investigation revealed suspected illegal fishing activities in marine protected areas in those three Latin American countries as well as Mexico.... Many Latin American marine protected areas do not have enough surveillance or budget to prevent these crimes, and in some cases lack even a management plan defining a monitoring strategy. It is in this context that foreign fleets, particularly from China, including boats with a history of illegal fishing, also cross marine sanctuaries during their journeys. By applying professional Intelligence expertise, #EarthLeagueInternational is fighting back against #illegalfishing and #sharkfin trafficking. Currently, shark fin trafficking in #LatinAmerica is one of our most important projects.

TOTOABA TRAFFICKING OUT OF CONTROL IN BAJA CALIFORNIA LAST VAQUITAS AT RISK An incredible video from the Sea of Cortez #Totoaba trafficking is out of control in #BajaCalifornia, Mexico. As seen in this video, fishermen simply walk around #SanFelipe with totoaba in broad daylight in order to retrieve the swim bladder and resell to #Chinese traffickers. Currently, the last 10 vaquitas are highly endangered and if we do not stop the trafficking of totoaba they will go extinct.... Patrolling the vaquita refuge and removing the illegal fishing gillnets is not enough to save the remaining vaquitas. The Chinese trafficking networks operating in #Mexico are the real enablers and drivers behind this tragedy. In order to save the #Vaquita from extinction, it is crucial to implement serious long-term intelligence gathering and #AntiTrafficking activities against the Chinese trafficking networks. Earth League International (ELI) has been working on the Chinese wildlife trafficking networks in Mexico and China since 2017 and gathered important intelligence that has been shared with Mexican and U.S. authorities. #IllegalFishing #OceanCrime #WildlifeCrime #WildlifeTrafficking #SavetheVaquita #Intelligence #Investigation #FightingBack #EarthLeagueInternational The footage below was caught by Mexican Excelsior journalist Ernesto Mendez, in San Felipe.

Have you heard of Wildlife Killing Contests? They are indiscriminate, aggressive, killing tournaments where the goal is to kill as many animals as possible in order to win a prize. The payout can be as high as 50K for a larger tournament or as little as a belt buckle. They are happening throughout most of the U.S., on public lands and are growing in popularity. WOLVES, PUMAS, BOBCATS, FOXES & COYOTES are the main targets at these contests. And the reason they were able to take place is simply due to the fact that no one knew about them. Today...that changes. Please share and sign the petition for this joint awareness and action campaign made possible by Nakawe Project Project Coyote Comfort Theory Filipe DeAndrade Wildlife Photography > https://drive.google.com//13OjrqYOo1QcgXs-17IEbS2qjhD/view

ONLY PROFESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE CAN SAVE THE LAST REMAINING VAQUITAS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. Right now, experts say there may only be about nine vaquitas left, despite the Mexican government spending more than $100 million to aid its recovery. The vaquita issue, in my opinion, is an example of epic, epic failure of conservation, Andrea Crosta, executive director of Earth League International (ELI), an NGO that investigates wildlife crime, told Mongabay in an interview. I don...Continue reading

CONSUMING WILDLIFE (BUSHMEAT) LIKE BATS HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD TO THE SPREAD OF DEADLY DISEASES AND PANDEMICS! Five years after it was declared Ebola-free, officials in Guinea declared an outbreak Sunday after at least three people died in recent weeks from the Ebola virus. Four more people were confirmed to be infected. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were the main countries affected in the world's worst recorded Ebola outbreak, from 2014 to 2016. After an 18-month ...old was likely infected by bats in December 2013, the virus spread throughout Guinea and to neighboring countries. Ultimately, more than 28,000 people were infected, of which over 11,000 died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. News of the outbreak comes just days after reports of two Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 2,200 people died in a separate Ebola outbreak between 2018 and 2020. See more

WildLeaks is a not-for-profit collaborative project created, funded and managed by the Earth League International. Learn more about WildLeaks and the potential for whistleblowers to play a critical role in fighting back against environmental crime: https://wildleaks.org/the-first-wildleaks-report/

Commission Proposes New Measures to Ban Trade in Ivory European Green Deal Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans said: The world is losing wildlife populations at an incredible speed. To reverse this global trend and to protect biodiversity, we must also do our work at home. With the new rules, the European Union will send a clear signal that ivory is not a commodity and that we must ban its trade. Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkeviius ad...ded: Thousands of elephants are killed every year for their ivory. This is an unacceptable situation. Illegal ivory trade is an international problem and we are committed to lead by example and play our role in solving this global problem. Today's proposal for stricter rules reflects this ambition. The Commission proposal effectively bans the trade in ivory with limited exceptions only for musical instruments legally acquired before 1975 and for internal EU trade in antiques, which will only be possible with a permit. The proposal simplifies the rules and facilitates the work of enforcement agencies, with the aim of ensuring that the very limited remaining legal trade in ivory in the EU does not contribute to poaching or illegal trade. The proposal is put forward after thorough consultations with Member States and stakeholders which included a public consultation attracting more than 90,000 responses. The draft Commission regulation and guidance are now open for final public feedback before final adoption by the Commission. The period of public feedback will last until 26 February 2021. https://www.eureporter.co//commission-proposes-new-measur/

#SpearTalk20 OUT TODAY feat Andrea Crosta of Earth League International discussing WildLeaks with Silver Spear Security & the urgency to bring wildlife and ecological criminals to justice. Tune in via Spear Talks YouTube channel (Subscribe!) & other streaming platforms~

Bridge of Hope for World's Rarest Primate Swinging through the treetops comes naturally for gibbons. But that's tricky if a landslide has torn a huge gap in the forest, making it difficult to roam far and wide, to find food or meet a date.... For the rarest primate in the world, there's now a temporary solution: a rope bridge reconnecting the trees. And scientists have filmed the ape, a type of gibbon, climbing or swinging across in seconds. Some used the ropes as a handrail, others swung by their arms and the most daring walked the tightrope. The primate lives only in the forests of China's Hainan island. All nine in the group mastered the rope bridge, save one adult male, which made a mighty jump from one tree to another, sometimes accompanied by athletic teenage companions. Conservation scientists say the 18-metre-long structure could be an essential lifeline for the endangered species, while the forests are restored to their former glory. A small number of primates, including the orangutan, have been seen to use artificial rope bridges. But this is the first time the Hainan Gibbon has learnt the ropes. ...Reforestation should be the priority in preventing extinction of the species, he added. "We need to make sure we control poaching effectively, expand lowland forest which is the optimal habitat for gibbons, and keep monitoring the gibbon groups to predict and prevent any threats."

The Lynx Effect: Iberian Cat Claws its Way Back from Brink of Extinction Spotty of coat, tufty of ear, and teetering on the verge of extinction less than two decades ago, the Iberian lynx is continuing to claw its way back across Spain and Portugal. According to the latest survey, the lynx population on the peninsula has increased ninefold over 18 years, rising from 94 in 2002 to 855 this year. Experts say that if the current conservation and reintroduction efforts can mainta...in their momentum, the species could be out of danger by 2040. The 2019 census, carried out using camera-traps and large reserves of patience, revealed that more than 80% of the lynx population is in Spain, that 311 kittens were born on the peninsula last year and that there were 188 females of reproductive age. There are populations in the Sierra Morena and Donaña national park. ...In the absence of lynxes, medium-sized predators that eat rabbits such as foxes and Egyptian mongooses put prey species under a lot of pressure. When a lynx comes along, explains Pérez de Ayala, the density of foxes and mongooses goes down and rabbit populations increase. But, he adds, environmental harmony is only one of the many reasons why the peninsula’s unique wild cat must remain well spotted. On a more emotional level, the lynx is a jewel and a thing of beauty to behold.

SPEAR TALK #20 Here's a soundbite from Earth League International's director, Andrea Crosta, during his Spear Talk Podcast appearance. Spear Talk is a podcast that caters to anyone with an interest in the security world. They cover topics from martial arts, wildlife conservation, human trafficking, domestic violence, and life on the road as a security professional! Silver Spear Security

TERRORISM AGAINST OUR PLANET A Soho House Exclusive Panel Discussion will take place on October 27th about the importance of intelligence and analysis, whistleblowing and media production to fight back environmental crime. This discussion will be moderated by actress, writer and creator Marta Pozzan, and Earth League International and WildLeaks founder Andrea Crosta will be sitting down with Nathalie Kelley, actress and activist for indigenous rights, and Scott Atkinson, oc...ean conservationist and co-head of global sustainability at Heidrick and Struggles. This is a Soho House members-only event but it will be recorded and released on social media platforms mid November. Stay Tuned!!

Follow the link below to do your Amazon shopping through AmazonSmile to ensure a donation is made from your future purchases. Thank you for supporting the crucial conservation work of Earth League International and our whistleblower program, WildLeaks! http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-2395314

SPEAR TALK #20 Featuring Andrea Crosta, Executive Director of Earth League International and Creator of WildLeaks Premiers at 10/29 at 9AM EST on all streaming services!

Earth League International is thrilled to announce the appointment of new board member John N. Stewart, former Chief Security and Trust Officer at Cisco and the founder and President of Talons Ventures. John is one of the most well-known and respected cybersecurity leaders across the segment with a deep passion for wildlife protection. Today, John works with disruptive startup companies, venture funds, consults to midsize and large businesses on government relations and cy...ber, and gives back in philanthropic efforts on education, equality, and anti-poaching. He actively supports Rhino 911, the Game Rangers Association of Africa, the Wildlife College, and multiple animal orphanages in South Africa. His motto is simple: make an impact. ELI is thrilled to have John join our board. With his expertise, we can build a stronger organization together. Andrea Crosta, Executive Director and Co-Founder, ELI https://earthleagueinternational.org/our-team/

2,000 Pounds of Illegal Wildlife Meat Seized at Italian Airport On 30 August 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, Italian Customs seized at the Rome airport over a ton (over 2,000 pounds) of illegal wild African animals' meat coming from Nigeria, to supply the Italian and European illegal markets of bushmeat from Africa. Customs uncover more than 1,000 kilos of food of animal origin: cooked monkeys, smoked hyenas, bags of dry caterpillars, barbecued rodents, roasted chi...ckens, ungutted fish, catfish, giant snails and food in an advanced state of decomposition. Bacteria, viruses and parasites contained in these foods can cause serious damage to human health or become vectors for the transmission of diseases to other animals. Unfortunately, these smuggling attempts continue in Europe and the US as there is still a great demand for bushmeat and wildlife products.

2.6 MILLION MINK HAVE BEEN CULLED IN THE NETHERLANDS As coronavirus tears through the world's mink farms, the pandemic is accelerating the shuttering of a controversial industry. The testing has led to the culling of an estimated 2.6 million mink in the Netherlands, according to HSI. While some mink died from coronavirus, most of the animals were culled due to concerns that they could spread the virus to humans.... Earlier this month, the Danish government ordered the country's mink farms to cull more than 1 million of the animals following a series of Covid-19 outbreaks, and thousands of mink have died at farms in the US states of Utah and Wisconsin. A total 3.1 million mink were farmed in the United States in 2018, according to animal welfare charity Humane Society International (HSI). Current advice from the US Department of Agriculture does not recommend culls of mink herds. In July, Spanish authorities ordered a cull of nearly 100,000 of the animals for the same reason, and in May the Netherlands mandated coronavirus testing at mink farms after suspecting that one of the animals had passed the virus to a human. Although fur farms are banned in many countries, millions of animals are killed every year for their pelts, which are used in clothing. HSI said that 60 million mink were farmed for fur around the world in 2018, with China accounting for 20.7 million of the total.

Earth League International is thrilled to be partnering with Aurifil Thread! For 2021, Aurifil has chosen to focus on the environment and endangered species, falling in line with their goal to increase sustainability and positive environmental impact. Their color inspiration has been drawn from 12 magnificent endangered species which are in dire need of attention, advocacy, and compassion! ... Earth League International will be partnering with Aurifil to help them achieve their goals to educate others on the plight of endangered species, and to create valuable change for all of our futures. ELI is looking forward to this strong and impactful partnership! Learn more here >> https://www.aurifil.com///2021ColorBuilderPresentation.pdf

3-D Printed Sea Turtle Eggs Reveal Poaching Routes Scientists put GPS locators inside plastic eggs to find trafficking destinations in Costa Rica Biologist Helen Pheasey knew that on a typical night it would take a sea turtle around twenty minutes to lay her eggs, which gave the scientist plenty of time to sneak one extra, very special egg into the reptile’s nest. Pheasey was also aware that poachers would likely arrive that night or the next to swipe sea turtle eggs, which a...re rumored to have aphrodisiac qualities and are sold on the black market as food. But Pheasey’s egg wasn’t going to be anyone’s snack: it was a plastic copycat that had a tracker hidden inside. She and her team were the first to use the covert tracking device, called the InvestEGGator, in an effort to reveal illegal trade networks and better understand what drives sea turtle egg poaching. The scientists deployed around a hundred of the fake eggs in sea turtle nests across four beaches in Costa Rica and waited. Each egg contained a GPS transmitter set to ping cell towers every hour, which would allow scientists to follow the InvestEGGator eggs on a smartphone app. In a study published this week in Current Biology, Pheasey and her team showed that the trackers did work. Five of the deployed eggs were taken by unsuspecting poachers. The shortest route was roughly a mile, but one InvestEGGator traveled more than 80 miles, capturing what researchers were hoping for: the complete trade route, from the beach to the buyer. Having that moment where the trade chain was complete....that was obviously a very big moment, says Pheasey.

Fighting For The Vaquita A Graphic Novel By Earth League International and Ava Salzman This comic is part of an ongoing partnership between Earth League International, the world’s preeminent intelligence agency for the planet, and Ava Salzman, a young cartoonist at Harvard University, to create comics to spread awareness about environmental and wildlife crime. Featuring scenes of investigative work such as quad searches, night stakeouts, and crime analytics, this comic tells... the story of Earth League International’s role in the fight to end the industry of illegal totoaba trafficking and save the marine life of the Sea of Cortez, including the vaquita, the world’s smallest whale. Please read and share with all your comic-loving friends! https://drawingthetimes.com/story/fighting-for-the-vaquita/