The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz, BfN)

The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz, BfN) is the central scientific authority of the German federal government for both national and international nature conservation. BfN is one of the government’s departmental research agencies and reports to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The Agency provides BMU with professional and scientific assistance in all nature conservation and landscape management issues and in international cooperation activities. BfN furthers its objectives by carrying out related scientific research and is also in charge of a number of funding programs. BfN additionally performs important enforcement work under international agreements on species conservation and nature conservation, the Antarctic Treaty and the German Genetic Engineering Act. BfN supports AWF’s work to strengthen anti-poaching efforts in Biosphere Reserves through the BRAPA project.