The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife initiative convened a meeting in London to announce new corporate partnerships aimed at curbing the illegal wildlife trade. Tech companies including Amazon, Meta, and TikTok committed to monitoring and removing wildlife trafficking content from their platforms. Additionally, TRM Labs launched 'Project Pangolin,' a free digital tool designed to help law enforcement and non-governmental organizations track cryptocurrency transactions linked to wildlife crime.
According to the Zoological Society of London, the illegal wildlife trade is valued at approximately $23 billion annually, making it one of the world's largest illicit industries. The United for Wildlife coalition, founded in 2013, seeks to integrate the private sector—including finance, transport, and technology firms—into conservation efforts to disrupt the logistics and financial networks used by traffickers.
David Fein, co-chair of United for Wildlife, stated that the involvement of international businesses is necessary because traffickers utilize global banking and transportation systems to move products. Current data indicates that the pangolin remains the most trafficked mammal globally, with an estimated one million poached over the last ten years to meet demand for their scales and meat.