Project number:

LIFE24-NAT-IT-FIGHT4WILDLIFE/101216050

 

Duration of the project:

1.2.2026. – 31.1.2031.

 

Total value:

6,913,457 €

 

EU contribution:

4,632,016 €

 

Coordinating beneficiary:

Ministry of Defence (Italy)

 

Partners:

Ministry of the Interior (Croatia), European Environmental Bureau – EEB (Belgium), Cyprus Police (Cyprus), Italian National Kennel Club – ENCI (Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana) (Italy), Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park Authority (Italy), Experimental Zooproprophylactic Institute of Lazio and Tuscany – IZSLT (Italy), Sicily Region (Italy), Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy), Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), Legambiente National APS (Italy), Slovenia Forest Service (Slovenia), Macedonian Ecological Society – MES (North Macedonia)

 

Project description:

Wildlife crime is a growing concern in Europe, representing the fourth largest criminal activity in the world. Wildlife crime is currently one of the factors that most affects the conservation of a large number of species, many of which have an unfavorable conservation status. The LIFE FIGHT4WILDLIFE project will significantly contribute to reducing the threat posed by poaching for 3 target species at high risk of extinction in the wild: European eel (Anguilla anguilla) – Critically endangered in IUCN Red List. Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) – considered a priority by the Committee for adaptation to technical and scientific progress. Apennine brown bear (*Ursus arctos marsicanus) – priority species under the HD. The three species were selected on the basis of the following criteria: i) they are at high risk of extinction, ii) poaching represents one of the main threats to their survival and iii) methodologies, techniques and skills developed to contribute to improving the state of conservation of the three different classes of vertebrates (mammals, birds and fish) can easily be extended to other animal species that share their status and threats. The LIFE FIGHT4WILDLIFE project will play a strategic role, as it will contribute to significantly increasing the potential for identifying, preventing and prosecuting crimes against wildlife through the use of innovative analyses and instruments, a widespread training, surveillance and specialization activities, the development of cutting-edge investigative and intelligence techniques for the rapid identification of trafficking linked to poaching cases in a total area of 763.532,27 ha, significant awareness-raising and activation of social participation for the prevention and fight against such crimes at international level. The project, with the planned replicability activities, will export the virtuous model to 5 other European Union countries heavily affected by the poaching phenomenon.