Whistleblower Attorney Discusses Importance of Protecting Wildlife Whistleblowers

Leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn spoke at the Rethinking Animals Summit 2019 to discuss the importance of utilizing whistleblowers to combat wildlife crimes. The annual summit, held in New York City, focuses on the care and conservation of wildlife populations through education and worldwide support.

Kohn, a partner at the qui tam law firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto and Chairman of the Board of the National Whistleblower Center, was featured on a panel called “Tools for a Safer Future.”

Kohn explained how the application of reward provisions in wildlife whistleblower laws incentivizes the reporting of wildlife crimes such as illegal trafficking, ocean pollution, illegal fishing, and deforestation.

“The key issue from our perspective is ‘how do you take this law enforcement tool and convert it to wildlife enforcement?’. And it’s not rocket science. They all work the same,” Kohn said in his presentation.

Several laws contain provisions that allow for whistleblowers to receive monetary rewards, including the Endangered Species Act, Lacey Act, Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act, and the Act to Prevent Pollution at Sea (APPS).

Kohn emphasized the importance of the Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2019 (H.R. 864), which strengthens laws criminalizing wildlife trafficking and empowers wildlife whistleblowers to report crimes.

Watch Stephen Kohn’s presentation, starting at 35:46:

https://vimeo.com/373638793

Read more about Wildlife Whistleblowers.

Support the Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2019 (H.R. 864)!