As I am rounding out the last two weeks of my fellowship, what has been one of the most influential (impactful) times in my academic and personal journey, I struggle with my final discussion. I started with many ideas, went down rabbit holes, started over again (and again), and procrastinated. I sat here frustrated, not over the project or blog, but because there is so much I have learned and so much to share - I couldn’t narrow it down! So, I asked my family, the answer was simple “why do they care, how does this relate to their daily lives”? I’ve talked about wildlife trafficking and zoonotic disease and I’ve talked about hot spots- what they are and why they are important. What I have not done is make the connection -why DO you care? What does all of this have to do with you and your daily life? The answer was simple and right in front of me, one of the first things I learned early in graduate school - relate it to humans, we are a compassionate species with the drive to do better when educated or informed.
Does wildlife trafficking have an impact on you individually? Many coastal and noncoastal communities depend on their local resources-fish, lobster, tourism, hunting, trapping and ecotourism to sustain their economy. The use of resources is vital to the health of the overall ecosystems surrounding them and over exploitation for consumption or trafficking could have long term effects. The reduction (or loss) of a targeted species or habitat and the bycatch or byproduct that comes with it can lead to an increased risk of disease. Wildlife from other countries can bring disease to our shores, these diseases can be devastating since they are newly introduced, putting our native wildlife at an elevated risk for pathogen transfer and disease outbreak- think mad cow or avian flu.
How does the US Fish and Wildlife Service protect the United States and the wildlife within our borders? Here are just a few of the positions necessary to carry out this important role:
Wildlife Inspectors: Inspectors provide a full range of inspections and compliance duties involving the enforcement and administration of laws and regulations governing the importation, exportation and interstate commerce of wildlife and wildlife products across US borders.
Wildlife Biologists: Scientists that perform work involving the conservation, propagation, management, and protection of wildlife species necessary for the conservation and management of wildlife resources and habitats (terrestrial and aquatic).
Special Agents: Agents focus on potentially devastating threats to wildlife resources including illegal trade, exploitation, habitat destruction and environmental hazards. They investigate wildlife crimes and regulate wildlife trade in and out of the United States.
The people in these positions play an important role in the protection of wildlife (and humans) on U.S. soil from preventing the destruction of resources and habitats to reducing the over exploitation of resources and poaching. The work is not completed alone, they collaborate with federal, state, tribal and foreign law enforcement to enforce federal laws and promote international wildlife conservation. Our protection begins within our borders and extends globally.
Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP
Location: USFS Headquarters, Washington Office