KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will be handing over an electronic wildlife monitoring kit to the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), to better equip Customs officials in preventing the illegal trafficking of endangered Jamaican wildlife.

The presentation will take place during a ceremony on Thursday (March 3), at Institute of Jamaica, downtown Kingston, to mark World Wildlife Day under the theme: ‘The future of wildlife is in our hands.’

Senior Manager, Conservation and Protection sub-division at NEPA, Yvonne Strong, told JIS News that the toolkit contains information on local laws governing the movement of endemic species, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

It will be a guide for Customs officers, who operate as first responders in the fight against the illicit trade in plants and animals that are endemic to the island.

“The kit will assist Customs officers in the detection of breaches of endangered species; protection, conservation and regulation of the Trade Act; and regulation and other provisions as it relates to CITES. It also will assist them with the proper reporting procedures to NEPA,” she explained.

Strong further disclosed that the kit provides information on the laws that govern international trade and how Customs officers can obtain further information on the various animals and plants that are listed in the indices of CITES.

“We have also included in the brief, an outline as it relates to the other legislation that govern the international trade of species by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries,” she told JIS News.

NEPA also plans to increase public awareness about legislation governing wildlife protection in Jamaica, and to continue to enforce these laws.