Environmental Investigation Agency

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The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is an NGO founded in 1984 by three environmental activists in the United Kingdom. It's stated goal is to investigate and expose crimes against wildlife and the environment.[1] Full-time EIA investigators work undercover gathering film, photos and information from around the world. The evidence they collect is presented to the media, government and policy makers in order to inform and persuade that action must be taken in order to protect the planet's most precious species, habitats and vital ecosystems.[2]


EIA campaigns to prevent environmental crime. Currently EIA is working to:

  • Prevent the illegal trade of ozone depleting substances and certain other harmful chemicals.
  • Shut down the market for illegally traded ivory.
  • Call a halt to the illegal trade in big cats for skins and items such as tiger bone wine.


Contents

[edit] Campaigns

Forests

EIA's Forest Team recently carried out a scoping project in South East Asia, where the wooden garden furniture industry is booming. Undercover EIA investigators, posing as timber traders and furniture buyers, documented evidence of illegal timber feeding furniture factories on a large scale.

EIA published it's evidence in April 2008[3] with the aim of raising awareness of cross-boarder timber smuggling among both consumers and the international community. Similar work in Indonesia has successfully reduced the amount of illegal timber leaving the country and led to international action to protect endangered species.[4]

In November 2007, Indonesian NGOs launched a set of films, made with Papuan villagers, to tell the stories of how their communities had been adversely affected by destructive logging and oil palm plantations. By training the local NGOs in research, filming and editing skills, EIA and their Indonesian partner Telepak, were able to empower those most vulnerable to the threats of deforestation - the forest-reliant communities themselves - and enable them to have their voice heard internationally.[5]


Tigers

EIA is presently working with a coalition of organisations to ensure China maintains it's internal ban on tiger trading. Last year's meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in the Netherlands resulted in a strong resolution stating that "tigers should not be bred for the trade in their parts and derivatives".[6]

The ban was introduced in 1993, but EIA claims powerful business lobbies connected to tiger 'farms' are currently pressing the Chinese Authorities to allow the sale of skins and body parts from captive-bred tigers – with potentially devastating consequences for the remaining wild populations.[7] A full report is due for publication on Monday 9th May 2008, which will be referenced here and will also appear on the EIA website.

EIA states that it will continue to investigate, document and expose illegal trade in tiger parts and their derivatives, and the criminals who profit from their slaughter. They also call upon India and China to adopt intelligence-led enforcement methods and work with the International Tiger Coalition to urge the Chinese authorities to phase out tiger 'farms' and destroy the stockpiles of tiger parts.[8]


Cetaceans

EIA continues to work through the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to ensure that the ban on commercial whaling remains in place despite the pressure from Japan and Norway to over-turn it. The ban is one of the most successful conservation measures of all times and has given great whales time to recover from the decimation of the past.

Japan legally kills minke and great whales for 'scientific research', however EIA has reported that Japan also kills up to 20,000 small whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) each year in its coastal waters.[9] EIA's work is focused on reducing the demand for cetacean products on sale in Japan. They have exposed the threats to those consuming cetacean products from the pollutants found in the meat and blubber. As a result they claim that over 2,500 supermarket stores no longer sell these products, and enormous pressure is being placed on corporations with links to this trade to end their involvement.[10]


Global Environment

EIA was presented with two prestigious awards at the 20th anniversary meeting of the Montreal Protocol acknowledging the work done to expose and close down an illicit international trade in CFCs and other chemicals that damage the ozone layer. Having received the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award in 2006, EIA was presented the EPA's 'Best-of-the-Best' Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award, selected from more than 500 projects between 1990 and 2007. EIA received the award for "Leadership and Heroism in Preventing Illegal Trade."[11]

In 2007 the Parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed to a faster phase out of HCFC's (a common chemical refrigerant), not only because these chemicals damage the ozone layer, but because of there potent global warming potential. EIA is continuing this work by advising parties to the Kyoto Protocol to ensure the transition away from HCFC's is towards climate friendly alternatives and not the more potent global warming, man-made chemicals that industry currently favours.

For over a decade the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has been at the forefront of efforts to curb illegal trade in ozone-depleting chemicals.[12] Having achieved considerable success, EIA now seeks to apply its experience to other categories of controlled chemicals, which are harmful to the environment, principally hazardous waste and pesticides. This project will conduct scoping research into the illicit trade in controlled chemicals and, using this information, prepare for a series of investigations. This work proposes to raise awareness and understanding of the issues at a governmental and institutional level, with an eventual aim to achieve improved enforcement of international conventions regulating trade in harmful chemicals and foster cross-border cooperation.

[edit] Quotes

  • "EIA's track record of investigative work, scientific documentation, and representation at international conventions has earned EIA a reputation for highly effective and successful campaigning. EIA continues to share these skills with local groups and government officials to help empower them in the fight against environmental crime."

- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2007[13]


  • "EIA is a highly-respected, hard-hitting, dirt-digging organisation".

- BBC Wildlife Magazine[14]


  • "The reason for their success is not just the information gathered, it is the way they use it as a political lobbying tool. One of Britain's most effective conservation groups."

- BBC Wildlife Magazine[15]


  • "I am proud to support EIA. Thanks to their brave and pinoeering methods of undercover work to expose crimes aganst wildlife and the environment, they have made a great difference to the world in which we all live"

- Sting


  • "EIA performs an extremely important role in investigating various abuses of the natural world. I believe it deserves support from anyone concerned about the future of the living world."

- Sir Peter Scott


[edit] References

  1. ^ Welcome to EIA
  2. ^ Environmental Crime
  3. ^ Borderlines
  4. ^ Forests for the World
  5. ^ People of the Forest
  6. ^ CITES
  7. ^ Tiger Briefings
  8. ^ Tigers
  9. ^ Cetaceans - Japan
  10. ^ We Don't Buy It
  11. ^ Best of the Best
  12. ^ Global Environment Campaign
  13. ^ EPA Quote
  14. ^ BBC Quote 1
  15. ^ BBC Quote 2

[edit] External links

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