Read a summary of this discussion here.

A conversation on the illegal wildlife trade and international conservation efforts with Kathi Lynn Austin.

An estimated $23 billion black-market industry, wildlife crime is an emerging U.S. national security threat and a source of financing for terrorist and rogue regimes. For three decades, Austin has investigated international arms trafficking networks, war profiteers, and transnational criminal operations fueling conflict, natural resource exploitation, and terrorism around the world. Austin will share stories about her three-continent investigation into the guns used by wildlife traffickers and how her CSI "follow the guns" approach has enabled her to identify rhino poaching kingpins and help bring them to justice.

Read Austin's report, Follow the Guns: An Overlooked Key to Combat Rhino Poaching and Wildlife Crime, which demonstrates that disrupting the supply of weapons used in wildlife crime worldwide is a much-needed—and often overlooked—conservation tool.

Listen to the full conversation below:

Featuring:

Kathi Lynn Austin, Founder and Executive Director, Conflict Awareness Project

Kathi Lynn Austin is an expert on arms trafficking, peace and security, and human rights. Austin has served as an arms trafficking expert for the United Nations Security Council, as well as chief of analysis for United Nations peacekeeping operations. Read more.

Moderator:

Thomas Zimmerman, Director of Programs, Pacific Council on International Policy

Thomas Zimmerman oversees programing for Council members and the general public. Read more.