WILDLIFE

Monitors in the Congo Basin rarely investigate wildlife-related issues for many reasons, most notably the fact that monitoring mandates are limited to forestry law, which contains few wildlife related regulation. However, there are indicators that some logging companies are directly involved in wildlife crime. For example, a 2017 report from TRAFFIC indicates involvement of employees of logging companies in ivory trafficking and that logging trucks are likely used to smuggle ivory. This corresponds with information provided directly to REM by various informants in and around logging concessions in northern RoC.

Timber buyers in Europe have told REM they would like to see more information about wildlife crime in the Open Timber Portal (OTP) due to concerns regarding potential links between a timber supplier in the Congo Basin and wildlife crime, particularly the ivory trade. Harnessing such market-driven concerns to support wildlife conservation in the Congo Basin is worth exploring. As partner of the World Resources Institute, REM plans to assess the feasibility of an OTP wildlife crime component and help the set the stage for its development. 

REM OBJECTIVES