A bill that institutes whistleblower reward programs for individuals exposing animal trafficking and other wildlife crimes was recently reintroduced in Congress. Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA) and Don Young (R-AK) reintroduced the Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act (WCATA). The bill was previously introduced in 2019 and is widely supported by both whistleblower and wildlife advocacy groups.
WCATA, which broadly supports wildlife conservation and addresses wildlife trafficking, includes requirements for federal agencies to implement whistleblower award programs. These programs would help recruit whistleblowers and monetarily award individuals who blow the whistle on violations of wildlife trafficking laws. Comparable whistleblower programs have revolutionized the detection and prosecution of government contract fraud, tax fraud, and securities fraud.
In addition to mandating the payment of whistleblower rewards, WCATA redesignates wildlife trafficking as an offense under federal racketeering and organized crime statutes. The bill also expands conservation funding, as monies recovered by successful prosecutions under wildlife laws would be put directly into conservation efforts.
Representative Young previously spoke to WNN about the bill and highlighted the increased protections and incentives for whistleblowers that are built into the bill. Young described whistleblowers as “our eyes and ears on the ground” and “invaluable partners in the fight against...
A British science journalist-turned-attorney who initiated a lawsuit that saw a Harvard University-affiliated cancer centre pay $15 million (11 million) to settle claims of alleged data misreprese...