Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase funding support for anti-poaching projects in Africa during the covid-19 pandemic.

Between 2014 and 2024 the Government is investing over £66 million to crack down on the illegal trade of animals and plants, including activities to train rangers in Africa to help communities protect their wildlife from poaching.

We remain fully committed to protecting biodiversity and preventing the loss of species, which is why we are looking carefully at how we can contribute to the international response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes through our well respected Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund which has committed over £26 million to 85 projects since it was launched in 2014. The latest round opened for applications on 22 May 2020 and is available to support projects that respond to the emerging impacts of Covid-19 on the illegal trade in wildlife.