WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), along with Chris Coons (D-DE) applauded the inclusion of the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act, their bipartisan legislation to combat international wildlife trafficking and strengthen interagency efforts to tackle the issue. Specifically, their legislation would reauthorize the END Wildlife Trafficking Act, which was signed into law in 2016, as well as expand the duties of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking and related reports on major wildlife trafficking countries.

Wildlife trafficking is a major threat to the conservation of threatened species and has also been linked to other transnational organized criminal activities, including trafficking in narcotics, weapons, and people. Since it was passed into law in 2016, the END Wildlife Trafficking Act has aided in the arrest of members of wildlife trafficking networks and supported interagency efforts to tackle the issue globally through country-specific and regional initiatives.

“I am pleased that this critical legislation to help combat wildlife trafficking is included in the FY 2023 NDAA,” said Portman. “Wildlife trafficking is not only a matter of conservation but also one of national security and international stability, as billions in profits from the illegal wildlife trade are used to finance other illicit and terrorist activity. My legislation with Senator Coons to reauthorize and strengthen the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking will enhance the tools the U.S. government has to help combat wildlife trafficking around the globe.”

“The Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking has done outstanding work, but the threats posed by wildlife poaching and trafficking are constantly evolving. Reauthorizing the END Wildlife Trafficking Act will empower the task force with improved tools to help combat this crime. I am proud to see this bipartisan bill move forward with inclusion in the NDAA,” said Senator Coons.