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UN wildlife agency urges transport sector to play bigger role in fighting against illegal wildlife trade

Xinhua, October 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN wildlife protection agency CITES on Thursday warned that illegal trade in wildlife is still happening at an industrial scale, urging the world's transport sector to adopt and publicize a zero tolerance policy on this.

Secretary-General of CITES, namely the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, John E. Scanlon, said that the transport sector can play a bigger role in helping combating illegal trade in wildlife.

According to him, currently there are over 1.1 billion international tourist arrivals a year; 100,000 flights every day and 500 million containers shipped a year.

"Illegal rhino horn and pangolin scales are often transported by air, raw illegal elephant ivory is being largely transported by sea, whilst most illegally traded ivory appears to be transported by air," the UN official said.

The remarks were made several days after the UN General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals last week, which include specific targets on ending poaching and smuggling of wild life and the related products.

The official also encouraged all airports to put in place prominent CITES airport displays to raise awareness amongst the travelling public of the scale and consequences of illegal trade in wildlife, and of the serious penalties that apply to trading illegally.

"The transport sector can really help to raise awareness among customers, clients, passengers and staff as well as to support related enforcement agencies through the provision of information or intelligence," he said.

With 181 Parties, CITES remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of trade so as to permit system seeks to ensure that international trade in listed species is sustainable, legal and traceable. Endit