EPA celebrates Wildlife Day
KUWAIT: The world witnesses a sharp declines in biodiversity due to the misuse of vital resources, Chairman of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al-Hmoud AlSabah said. “The misuse of these resources has led to the extinction of many plant and animal organisms at higher than normal rates,” EPA chief said in a speech yesterday during the celebration of World Wildlife Day.
He added that by celebrating this occasion, EPA shows Kuwait’s commitment to the efforts meant to raise the awareness of the individuals and the communities about the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) and its applications. He explained that CITES is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals; its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. He said that the celebration of World Wildlife Day this year was under the slogan ‘Big Cats’. However, it was agreed with the General Secretariat of the CITES agreement on choosing the slogan ‘Falcons and Illegal Trade’ for Kuwait to suit its needs and combat this phenomenon.
He pointed out that in recent years there has been a significant and continuous decline in the number of falcons, therefore, all types of falcons were included in the CITES Convention for conservation and protection. He stressed that Kuwait has an important geographical location as an important stopover for migratory birds during their seasonal perilous journey. Meanwhile, Director of Biodiversity Conservation Department Abdullah AlZaidan said in a similar speech that Kuwait chose the falcon’s slogan in this year’s celebration due to the importance of this organism at the local, regional and international levels. He stressed the necessity of countering illegal trade of wild animals, especially falcons, adding that protecting the wildlife is the duty of all. The civil society organizations would carry on with efforts to combat desertification and curb encroachments on the environment, as well as assessing the environmental conditions, he noted.
In the meantime, head of the wildlife department in EPA Sharifa Al-Salem, talked about the terms of CITES agreement, and Illegal trade of endangered species of falcons, stressing that Kuwait has adopted the international laws and principles on the environment protection. —