9 Jul 2025
As part of the EU funded PROBIO project (Protecting Biodiversity through Law Enforcement and Community Led Initiatives), the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Liberia National Police (LNP), in close collaboration with the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), conducted a vital law enforcement training workshop on 9 July 2025 at the EU Delegation Office in Mamba Point, Monrovia.
This training aimed to strengthen the capacity of FDA and partner law enforcement personnel stationed at strategic checkpoints in northwest Liberia, areas identified as hotspots for illegal wildlife trade and related offenses.
Participants received practical and policy focused instruction on:
The roles and coordination of Liberia’s Wildlife Crime Task Force and the former Special Wildlife Investigations Unit (SWIU),
Current wildlife crime protocols, including enforcement successes and ongoing challenges,
Use of Liberia’s national wildlife crime database, with hands on training in real time data recording via smartphones and the ESRI Survey123 app.
To support field-based investigations, smartphones were distributed to checkpoint officers, enabling accurate and timely data collection, critical for building strong legal cases, tracking trends, and disrupting trafficking networks. Checkpoints serve as frontline defence against the illegal trade in protected species. With enhanced tools, knowledge, and cross agency collaboration, this initiative, powered by EU support, marks a significant step forward in reducing wildlife crime and protecting Liberia’s rich biodiversity.