The 3 year project implemented by TRAFFIC in Mexico and completed at the end of 2008 was aimed at strengthening the capacities of authorities in charge of enforcing wildlife related laws and regulations in Mexico, with an emphasis on wildlife trade and the implementation of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna).

This, through a combination of training workshops, the distribution a large array of state of the art identification materials, the development of training modules on priority topics with a train the trainers approach, as well as the donation of more than 2200 safety and animal handling tools and equipment to all wildlife inspectoriates in the country.

The development of effective tools to improve communication and implementation of border controls between Mexico and Guatemala and CITES implementation, which generated side benefits such as:

• Initial steps taken by Mexico and Guatemala governments towards the development of a Bi-national (Mexico –Guatemala) Trans-border Operations Manual to improve CITES implementation

• Coordination between the Environmental Police in Guatemala (DIPRONA) and PROFEPA in Chiapas, Mexico to tackle illegal wildlife trade routes that involved both countries

• Information exchange between PROFEPA and CONAP staff regarding seizures of species of common concern

The project has generated many positive impacts beyond the ones we originally expected. Results of this project have gained both national and international recognition, and have elicited a genuine interest by diverse governments in the approach taken and its potential replication/adaptation in other countries.

This experience has also served as a baseline for a similar approach in Central America and the Caribbean with the support of the US government which has helped to provide specialised training and materials to over 108 staff from 35 institutions in five countries already.

It is worth it to mention that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affaires (DEFRA)  in the UK is currently financing the second phase of the Project.

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