UN Chief Stresses Urgency to Mount Fight Against Wildlife Crime

United Nations (PNA/Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday highlighted the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging negative economic, environmental and social impacts.

“It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime,” Ban said in his message while marking the second World Wildlife Day, pointing out that illegal trade in wildlife is driven by rising demand, and is often facilitated by corruption and weak governance.

“Combatting this crime is not only essential for conservation efforts and sustainable development,” he said. “It will contribute to achieving peace and security in troubled regions where conflicts are fuelled by these illegal activities.”

World Wildlife Day, observed annually, with this year’s theme “It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime,” was proclaimed in December 2013 by the UN General Assembly for March 3, the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement between governments of 176 member states.

The Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people.

Despite increased efforts to protect wildlife, poaching and illegal hunting persist and are on the rise in some regions. According to the UN figures, as many as 100,000 African elephants were killed between 2010 and 2012. And 1,215 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2014 alone — this translates to one rhino killed every eight hours.

“Getting serious about wildlife crime means enrolling the support of all sections of society involved in the production and consumption of wildlife products, which are widely used as medicines, food, building materials, furniture, cosmetics, clothing and accessories,” Ban noted.

Businesses and the general public in all countries can play a major role by, for example, refusing to buy or auction illegal ivory and rhinoceros horn, and insisting that products from the world’s oceans and tropical forests have been legally obtained and sustainably sourced, he said.

“On this World Wildlife Day, I urge all consumers, suppliers and governments to treat crimes against wildlife as a threat to our sustainable future,” Ban said. (PNA/Xinhua) LGI/EBP