Applications Invited for Countering the Trafficking of Protected Marine Species in South Asia

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About the Organization

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is to keep Americans safe by countering crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is at the forefront of responding to these challenges, uniting these overarching themes through our foreign assistance programs, diplomatic engagement, and policy coordination.

About the Grant

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to counter the trafficking of CITES listed marine species in maritime states within the Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and the Laccadive Sea.

Priority Region/Countries: Maritime states bordering the Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and Laccadive Sea, with a focus on India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives. Proposals may include the entire focus area or a specific maritime state or multiple maritime states within the focus area.

Problem Statement: This program will focus on the trafficking of CITES listed marine species as lucrative forms of transnational organized crime (TOC) that have decimated populations of marine animals, such as sharks and rays, sea turtles, sea cucumbers, sea horses, cetacean species, corals and more. Trafficking of marine species, like the trade in terrestrial species, fuels corruption, threatens the rule of law and peace and security, spreads disease, and destabilizes communities that depend on marine wildlife for ecosystem services and eco-tourism revenues.

The Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and Laccadive Sea surrounding India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives are rich in marine biodiversity and have been targeted as the source of marine species for decades to meet the demand for exotic food, traditional medicine, and the pet and aquarium trade within China and the Southeast Asia region. Trafficking of marine species is poorly understood and addressed, as global efforts to combat wildlife trafficking are predominantly focused on terrestrial species, strengthening land borders, and enhancing the capacity and ability of terrestrial focused law enforcement agencies and organizations. Officials from maritime organizations are often overlooked in programs targeted at strengthening wildlife trafficking enforcement and awareness. Criminal organizations are increasingly involved in the illicit trade and illegal movement of marine species within the region from source countries to demand countries, such as the movement of shark fins and sea cucumbers within South and Southeast Asia. Traffickers increasingly utilize social media platforms and exploit loopholes in maritime regulations, inadequate laws, porous borders, limited maritime domain awareness, weak enforcement, and an absence of institutional capacity to profit from illegal trade in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listed marine wildlife. Protected marine species and their products are transported through multilevel illicit networks of criminal intermediaries and facilitated by corrupt government officials. New protections adopted under CITES, and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) including for sharks, rays, and sea cucumbers also presents an opportunity to further strengthen maritime state laws to protect marine species within the region.

Project Vision: This program aims to deepen the understanding of the impacts and extent of illicit trade networks associated with marine wildlife trafficking and to combat the trafficking of CITESlisted marine species within Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and Laccadive Sea surrounding India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives. In addition, it aims to strengthen legal protections for marine species and enhance the capacity and ability of maritime law enforcement agencies and maritime border protection to identify, interdict, and investigate illegal trade in marine species.

Project Goal(s) and Objectives: The goal of this program is to reduce the illegal extraction and trafficking of CITES-listed marine species surrounding India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives and the ability of criminal groups to carry out and profit from these activities.

INL is interested in supporting programs that will deliver long-term institutional change to address the challenges of target countries and support government partners within maritime law enforcement and criminal justice sectors. INL encourages proposals that present a long-term vision and strategically selected activities based on needs, the organization’s comparative advantage and expertise, and the funding landscape of other key stakeholders. Applicants should propose sustainable solutions that address the root issue and will achieve improved practices beyond the lifetime of the program. Applicants are encouraged to provide a summary of their own strategic goals in the target country, and how the proposal supports that plan. Applications will also be prioritized if they demonstrate awareness and synergies with ongoing wildlife trafficking programs in the country, or that bring together a consortium of partners to implement program activities in a strategic and coordinated approach.

We encourage proposals that are innovative, leverage existing partnerships and technologies, and engage, empower and support the development of local NGOs and partner organizations within the focus countries. Proposals with clear a clear vision for how activities, outcomes and outputs will be sustained beyond the life of the program will be considered highly.

Proposals may include the entire focus area or a specific maritime state or multiple maritime states within the focus area. Applicants can choose to address one or multiple strategic objectives in their proposal.

Goal: Reduce the illegal extraction and trafficking of CITES-listed marine species in Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and Laccadive Sea surrounding India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives and the ability of criminal groups to carry out and profit from these activities.

Objectives:

• Deepen the understanding of the extent and impacts of trafficking of CITES-listed marine species in the Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and Laccadive Sea, including knowledge of targeted species, trafficking routes (sea, air, and ground) and criminal networks.
• Strengthen laws and protections for marine species in focus countries.
• Enhance the ability and capacity of maritime states’ law enforcement agencies to interdict and investigate marine wildlife trafficking of CITES-listed marine species and disrupt/deter the criminal organizations that perpetrate illegal trafficking.

Eligibility

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
• U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code;
• U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the US 115 of the U.S. tax code;
• Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
• Foreign-based educational institutions

How to Apply

This opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, along with all required application forms and, where applicable, templates for application documents. Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted via www.grants.gov. INL reserves the right to reject any applications submitted through improper channels.

Applicants are encouraged to closely review the NOFO and email questions to the INL points of contact by the deadline listed on the first page(s) of this document. After the question deadline has passed, INL will respond to all questions publicly through a Questions & Answers document uploaded to the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.

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Tags Environment and Sustainability Others