Protecting wildlife calls for stronger legislation, two landmark studies reveal

Nearly half of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Members have identified legislative support as a priority for strengthening wildlife health. Following the publication of two landmark studies on wildlife health legislation, WOAH is turning this demand into action through a practical assessment tool implemented at national level through pilot missions and strategic partnerships that support stronger legal frameworks for wildlife health. 

Effective wildlife health management depends on more than scientific knowledge, surveillance systems and technical expertise. It also requires strong legal frameworks that clearly define responsibilities, empower Veterinary Services, Aquatic Animal Health Services, wildlife authorities and other Competent Authorities to act, and enable coordinated responses across sectors. 

Recognising the critical role of legislation in protecting animal, human and ecosystem health, WOAH, in collaboration with Legal Atlas, recently published two pioneering comparative studies examining how national legal frameworks govern wildlife health across a selection of countries. Together, these reports provide the most comprehensive studies to date of legislation covering terrestrial and aquatic wildlife health, recognising legal strengths while highlighting gaps that may limit countries’ ability to prevent, detect and respond to threats posed by wildlife diseases. 

These studies mark a key step in a broader initiative to strengthen wildlife health governance worldwide, opening new avenues for support and collaboration.  

Reviewing the legal gaps

The first report, Do Birds Live on the Ground? A Comparative Study of Veterinary Services and Wildlife Disease Legislation, examines how national veterinary legislation incorporates wildlife within the mandate of Veterinary Services. 

The study found that, in many jurisdictions, terrestrial wildlife remains only partially covered or entirely absent from animal health legislation. This can leave Veterinary Services or other Competent Authorities without clear authority to conduct wildlife disease surveillance, investigate outbreaks or coordinate responses with other sectors, creating important gaps at the wildlife-livestock-human interface.  

The second report, Uncharted Waters: A Comparative Study of the Laws Governing the Health of Wild Aquatic Animals, expands the analysis to aquatic wildlife. Reviewing legislation across 42 jurisdictions, the study found that legal frameworks largely focus on aquaculture and traded aquatic species, while free-ranging wild aquatic animals often fall outside disease surveillance and response systems. The report also highlights fragmented institutional responsibilities, limited ecosystem-based surveillance, and weak accountability mechanisms that can hinder effective disease management.  

Although they focus on different environments, both studies reach a common conclusion: effective wildlife disease management requires legislation that explicitly recognises all wildlife, clearly defines institutional mandates and supports coordinated action across sectors in line with the One Health approach. 

From legal research to practical implementation

Building on the findings of the wildlife legislation studies, WOAH is integrating wildlife-specific considerations into its Veterinary Legislation Support Programme (VLSP) – a targeted support of the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Pathway, WOAH’s flagship capacity building programme for the sustainable improvement of national Veterinary Services and Aquatic Animal Health Services. 

WOAH International Standards emphasise that good governance is a recognised global public good and that legislation is a key element in achieving it. Based on these standards, the VLSP aims to strengthen veterinary legislation, thereby enhancing the authority and efficiency of the Veterinary Authority, while clarifying responsibilities and supporting coordination mechanisms among the Competent Authorities, and ensuring a structured framework for all stakeholders, including those of the private sector. In line with the broader initiative, a VLSP Wildlife Methodology has already been piloted with four Members, assessing legal frameworks relevant to wildlife health.  

The VLSP Wildlife Methodology allows to move from the comparative research into a practical assessment tool, enabling WOAH Members benefiting from this methodology to identify legislative strengths and gaps and receive recommendations for legal reform that underpins wildlife disease surveillance and management. Based on the recommendations, WOAH Members may choose to undertake legal reform independently, or they may request further VLSP support. Regardless of the approach adopted, WOAH international standards highlight the importance of consulting stakeholders during the legislative drafting process, as this helps ensure that legislation is informed by practical considerations, fosters broad stakeholder support, and facilitates its effective implementation and enforcement.

By providing practical guidance, WOAH can support Members in strengthening the legal foundations needed to better prevent, detect and respond to wildlife diseases before they become wider animal or public health threats. 

Strong legal frameworks are fundamental to effective wildlife health management. They give Veterinary Services and Competent Authorities the mandate to detect diseases early, coordinate action across sectors and strengthen prevention before outbreaks occur. These studies provide WOAH Members with practical evidence to support legislative reforms that will ultimately protect wildlife, farm animals, people and ecosystems through a One Health approach.

Montserrat Arroyo, Deputy Director General – Standard Setting and Implementation, WOAH. 

Strengthening collaboration for greater impact

WOAH is also expanding collaboration with international partners to maximise the impact of this work. Through the ZOOSURSY project, WOAH is strengthening collaboration with the Legal Hub Team of the European Union-funded Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).  

By aligning efforts and technical expertise across organisations and thematic areas relevant for wildlife health, WOAH and FAO will help promote greater consistency, facilitate knowledge sharing and contribute to stronger legal systems that support wildlife health within broader One Health and biodiversity objectives.

 Supporting the global Wildlife Health Strategy

These initiatives directly informed the development of the WOAH Wildlife Health Strategy, which recognises effective governance as a cornerstone of wildlife health management. 

Strong legislation provides the foundation for Veterinary Services, Aquatic Animal Health Services, wildlife authorities and other Competent Authorities to carry out surveillance, clarify institutional responsibilities, improve coordination across sectors and respond rapidly to disease events. Legal preparedness is as important as technical preparedness, now more than ever, as disease risks continue to evolve in increasingly interconnected ecosystems. 

Through comparative legal research, practical assessment tool and strategic partnerships, WOAH is helping Members move beyond identifying legislative gaps towards concrete recommendations and meaningful legal reforms. 

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