For Immediate Release
March 03, 2023
Luanda, Angola – The United States joins Angola and the global community in celebrating World Wildlife Day on March 3, marking the 50th anniversary of the landmark Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Treaty to protect endangered species.
The United States is proud to be a longtime partner with the Government of Angola to support programs to combat illicit wildlife trafficking, preserve biodiversity and other conservation initiatives in Angola, and it recently expanded programs to combat illegal logging and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
With cooperation from the Ministry of Environment and U.S. Government funding from a USD 624,000 grant to the NGO TRAFFIC, over 200 Angolan judges, prosecutors, investigators and Customs officials from 10 provinces will receive training in 2023 in investigating and prosecuting illegal wildlife trafficking cases. Training sessions were held in February in Menongue, and others are planned in Benguela, Cabinda, Luanda and other provinces.
The project also will strengthen Angola’s ability to combat illegal harvesting and trafficking in timber, an activity that aligns with Angola’s continuing efforts to stop illegal exports of bulk wood and other forest products. Illegal timber exports harm the livelihoods of Angolan people and is one of the main threats to the nation’s wildlife and forests.
In a separate U.S.-funded project approved in 2022, the NGO Stop Illegal Fishing and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will work with Angola to strengthen monitoring and controls of foreign-flagged fishing vessels in Angolan waters and improve information-sharing among fisheries and law enforcement agencies in SADC nations.
U.S. Embassy Luanda will also continue to support partners such as The Nature Conservancy, African Parks, National Geographic, and others to facilitate and establish scientific surveys to better provide information on wildlife protection and biodiversity preservation and to promote economic prosperity, security and sustainable livelihoods for local communities. Our aim is to encourage support from partners who can complement current and future projects to help advance the work being done by the government of Angola and regional organizations such as KAZA and OKACOM.
The activities planned for 2023 continue the partnership between the United States and Angola that for years has strengthened protections for the nation’s rich diversity of wildlife and plant life. These include training and equipment for park rangers, surveys of wildlife populations and forest resources, and programs to re-introduce and protect populations of species that had been ravaged by years of civil war.
On the 50th anniversary of the CITES Treaty, the United States remains committed to working with Angola and other nations to preserve the planet’s natural heritage.
For more information, please contact Mr. Manuel Mungongo “Phil Nelo”, coordinator of strategic content at the US Embassy, through 222-641-134 and 923-284-117.
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