The forensic science and wildlife conservation communities in Taiwan have found common ground in organizing a conference addressing the role of forensic science in the investigation of crimes against wildlife. We realize this is an unpreceded endeavor and look forward to welcoming 200–300 participants to this exciting conference, which will bring together the leading figures, researchers, and practitioners in the field as well as those of us who are merely enthusiastic in witnessing further development of this very specific and emerging discipline.

The field has come a long way since the 1980s, when Taiwan was mercilessly criticized by the international conservation community for not following the rules and regulations set out by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Among various responses to these criticisms, forensic scientists in Taiwan have been working on the development of methodologies that can yield crucial information about the “what” and “how much” of samples, in support of law enforcement agencies in their investigations of crimes against wildlife. The resulting methodologies and their applications are the main thrust of the articles published in the January 2011 issue of Forensic Science Review (www.forensicsciencereview.com); this conference is organized with a slightly larger perspective, for broader participation.

Toward this end, the conference will feature a plenary speech by The Honorable Willem Wijnstekers (CITES Secretary-General, Retd.) on CITES’s 35-year global efforts to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants is legal and sustainable. Under the methodology banner, international experts will lecture on global trends: how genetic, morphological, and chemical approaches are developed and applied to support wildlife conservation efforts. There will also be reports on the Taiwanese experience of wildlife conservation in general and wildlife forensic science in particular. Perhaps most importantly, this conference will provide a platform for international colleagues working on this subject matter to share their findings and to witness worldwide progress.

In addition, we have organized a preconference workshop and a postconference tour. The full-day hands-on workshop is designed primarily for those who are working in the laboratory and interested in the genetic aspects of wildlife forensic science; the postconference tour will give participants an opportunity to observe the island of Taiwan's diverse wildlife and the results of Taiwanese conservation efforts during the past three decades.