Environmental Investigation Agency US

A Pivotal Player - EIA In the first analysis of its kind since the COVID-19 pandemic, the EIA’s offices in the United States and United Kingdom uncover how Vietnam continues to be exploited by organized crime networks to sm...

Vietnam may be at the center of this web of international smuggling operations, but it cannot solve this problem alone. For #WorldWildlifeDay, read the report to learn more about what we uncovered: eia.org/report/a-piv...

Last year, EIA US and @eia-news.bsky.social provided critical updates on the status of elephant ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin scale trafficking in Vietnam, exposing the routes, payment arrangements, and concealment methods that criminals use to transport those products over its border into China.

China remains one of the largest markets for illegal wildlife products, but as it ramps up its enforcement efforts, traffickers find it easier to smuggle goods into the country through its border with Vietnam.

Cook Inlet Beluga Whales

This #NationalWildlifeDay, meet a few of our Alaskan partners trying to pull Cook Inlet beluga whales back from the brink of extinction and learn more about the challenges they face at savecookinletbelugas.org

That chance has become rarer over time as the Cook Inlet beluga's numbers have dwindled to around 300 whales, but local communities and organizations are still working together to protect this critically endangered population.

Many Alaskans are used to living alongside incredible wildlife. Even on the coast of the Cook Inlet Basin - one of the most densely populated parts of the state - people may spot an elusive Cook Inlet beluga whale swimming by.

Illegal Trade Bulletin: Issue 5 - EIA While attention often focuses on the interception of illegal refrigerants at ports, borders or warehouses, what happens afterward is just as important. To prevent avoidable emissions, seized refrigera...

From a recent U.S. government auction of seized refrigerants to an international enforcement operation with over 400 seizures, learn about the importance of post-seizure refrigerant management in Issue 5 of our Illegal Trade Bulletin and sign up for more: eia.org/blog/illegal...

Stopping illegal refrigerants is a vital step for climate protection. However, seized black market refrigerants are superpollutants that must be properly managed to prevent avoidable emissions and comply with regulations.

Cook Inlet Beluga Whales

Stay tuned for more in our series exploring the complex challenges that Cook Inlet beluga whales face and highlighting the people that are trying to pull them back from the brink of extinction. In the meantime, learn more at savecookinletbelugas.org

Federal protections provided by the landmark Marine Mammal Protection Act are an important piece of the puzzle, but due to recent proposed attacks on this critical legislation and other conservation efforts, the future of Cook Inlet beluga whales is looking murkier than ever.

From conducting population surveys to studying the impacts of noise pollution, contamination, and other human activities on belugas and their food, coastal communities have been working to protect their aquatic neighbors for decades - but they can't do it all alone.

Cook Inlet is home to two-thirds of Alaska's human population and around 300 critically endangered beluga whales. For #MarineMammalProtectionDay, we joined our Alaskan partners for a deep dive into what it will take to save the Cook Inlet beluga whale.
https://ow.ly/pecn50Yiev2

Whales and Climate Change Briefing - EIA Climate change can impact whales, but whales, in turn, can impact the climate. To protect the whales and help regulate the climate, it is necessary to uphold the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the M...

For #WorldWhaleDay, learn why we need effective, science-based policies and robust federal funding to ensure the health and abundance of these important marine mammals: eia.org/report/whale...

Climate change is having a major impact on whale populations around the world, but #DYK that whales can also impact the climate? Through natural processes like the "whale pump," whales keep the ocean healthy, which facilitates a more stable climate.

“Si no hay un ingreso legal de mercurio al país, ¿cómo se está produciendo oro aluvial en la Amazonía peruana? No se puede, a menos que se esté utilizando un insumo ilegal, lo que convierte esa producción en ilegal”, señaló Julia Urrunaga, nuestra directora en Perú: https://ow.ly/CPEr50YcWRq

Madeira ilegal da Amazônia abastece mercados da União Europeia e EUA mesmo com leis de importação Investigação internacional mostra que madeira extraída ilegalmente de território Munduruku e outras áreas protegidas do Pará foi exportada

"Para povos indígenas como os Munduruku, a presença de madeireiros ilegais não é apenas uma questão econômica, mas uma ameaça direta à vida, à cultura e à integridade de seu território."

Leia mais em: https://ow.ly/5p5W50YbR3x

Our new blog reports back from a workshop in Ouesso, organized by CAD, where representatives from key administrative and civil society groups discussed the successful implementation and enforcement of a log export ban in the Congo Basin by 2028: https://eia.org/blog/locally-grown-logs/

Notre nouveau blog rend compte d'un réunion organisé par CAD, oú des représentants des administrations publiques clés et de la société civile ont discuté des moyens de garantir l'application réussies d'une interdiction d'exportation de grumes: https://eia.org/blog/des-grumes-a-la-croissance-locale/

A company that purchased the ivory said that they planned to export it to Thailand.

無登録の「象牙」ネットで売買か 古物商ら３人逮捕 警視庁 | NHKニュース 【NHK】無登録の象牙をインターネットのオークションサイトを通じて売買していたなどとして、古物商を営む容疑者ら３人が種の保存法違反の疑いで警視庁に逮捕されました。 逮捕されたのは長野県で古物商を営む竹前直人容

Tokyo Police arrest suspects for illegal #ivory trade - traders are accused of selling unregistered tusks online #japan #stopjapanivory
news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/n...

EIA reveals illegal logging operation in Brazil The operation covered 5,000 hectares of pristine forest in Indigenous Territory in Brazil’s Pará state, the capital of COP30 host Belém.

Our new investigation uncovered a massive illegal logging operation spanning 5,000 hectares of pristine forest across an Indigenous territory in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon:
https://www.semafor.com/article/01/20/2026/eia-reveals-illegal-logging-operation-in-brazil

“The failure of EU and U.S. authorities to enforce laws prohibiting the import of illegal timber is driving fraud, rainforest destruction, and the invasion of Indigenous land in the Brazilian Amazon,” says Rick Jacobsen, our Senior Manager for Commodities Policy.
https://ow.ly/5lXR50Y1bww

Estudo liga hotéis de luxo a corte ilegal de madeira na Amazônia Relatório mostra como a madeira extraída ilegalmente no Pará pode ‘contaminar’ a cadeia produtiva de importadores na Europa e Estados Unidos

Nosso novo relatório “destaca a importância das leis da UE e dos EUA que exigem que as empresas que compram commodities de alto risco”, avalia Rick Jacobsen, Gerente sênior de Política de Commodities da EIA.
https://reporterbrasil.org.br/2026/01/estudo-liga-hoteis-extracao-ilegal-madeira-amazonia/

For a Quiet Ocean | Protect Ocean Soundscapes – Act Now Join the High Ambition Coalition to promote policies that reduce ocean noise and protect marine life. Learn more about our efforts for a quieter, healthier ocean.

Learn more about the impacts of underwater noise pollution - and how the international community is coming together to protect our ocean's natural soundscapes - at www.foraquietocean.org

Arctic seas are getting louder as ice melts, posing risks: Study shows how to better measure noise The Arctic is experiencing a steady rise in human-generated underwater noise as melting ice and increasing activity open the region to greater vessel traffic, with major implications for wildlife and local communities. New research from the University of Bath, drawing on data collected over more than a decade, sets out a clear and effective approach to monitoring underwater noise in Arctic waters.

The soundscape of the Arctic is changing as melting ice opens up once-inaccessible waters to human activity. We know that underwater noise pollution can be disruptive to marine life, but how will it impact the Arctic's unique acoustic environment?
https://ow.ly/x7ix50Y4iVo

Illegal Trade Bulletin: Issue 4 - EIA The fourth issue of the EIA Illegal Trade Bulletin highlights examples that show the evolving risks of illegal refrigerant trade and the critical role of effective enforcement and training to address ...

This #WorldCustomsDay, sign up to learn how enforcement and training are key to tackling this problem, and to discover some real-world enforcement success stories from across the globe in the latest edition of our Illegal Trade Bulletin: eia.org/blog/illegal...

Customs officers are on the frontlines stopping the illegal trade in dangerous counterfeit and smuggled refrigerants that threaten ozone and climate protections under the #MontrealProtocol, endanger people and equipment, and undermine legitimate businesses.

Bootleggers, Brokers, and Buyers - EIA A new investigative report from EIA documents a major illegal logging operation in Munduruku Indigenous Territory, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, and shows how illegal timber from the region is...

Combined with previous findings, we’ve now documented 78,000 cubic meters of tainted timber coming out of Pará, some of which entered EU and U.S. markets where valuable tropical hardwood is popular in luxury decks and boardwalks: eia.org/report/bootl...

After the Wakoborũn Women’s Association alerted us to a massive illegal logging operation, we identified an estimated 1,200 m3 of logs piled along 60 km of clandestine roads and an area of roughly 5,000 hectares of once-pristine forest that had been illegally logged.

Our new investigation documents a massive illegal logging operation in the Munduruku Indigenous Territory, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, and traces timber from three other illicit logging sites into international markets.