Project “e-CEETES: e-Trade monitoring of wildlife in Central and Eastern Europe” aim was to collect information about the e-trade of endangered species (wild fauna and flora), as well as to initiate and implement relevant legal-based measures corresponding to newly identified trends related to the e-trade of this species.

Habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade represent two main causes of the wild flora and fauna extinction. Illegal wildlife trade has devastating (far-reaching) effects on regional biodiversity, and causes reduction in the plant and animal population abundance and eventually it may lead to the permanent disappearance of some species in the nature. Animals caught up in the illegal trading have compromised welfare. Illegal and unsustainable level of wildlife trade have negative impacts on sustainable development and on a poverty reduction in the region by virtue of the unsustainable usage of economically valued natural resources on which millions of people depends.

Project “e-ceetes” was implemented in 2011 in seven countries of Central and Eastern Europe; Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Hungary. Coordinator of this project was an organization CEEweb for biodiversity, and it was funded by the International Fund for Animal Welfare- IFAW. In Serbia, the project was implemented by ORCA and Young Researchers of Serbia. Project aim was to monitor e-trade of endangered species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora–CITES and Council Regulation (EC) No. 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein.

Project main activities:

  • Implementing of the key research that involves monitoring illegal endangered wildlife trade on well-defined (predefined) local internet serves;
  • Implementing of control research that includes internet search on specially chosen taxa within internet browsers different from those used in key research;
  • Analyses and presentation of research findings