Duke calls for shippers’ help to end ‘bloody’ ivory trade

THE Duke of Cambridge has called on the shipping industry to crack down on the “bloody, dangerous” illegal ivory trade, telling ship owners they are “both a central part of the problem, but also the solution”.

The Duke, who has made wildlife campaigning one of his key charity focuses, said the destruction of animal populations was an “almost unthinkable” travesty.

Speaking at the UK Chamber of Shipping dinner, marking its 140th anniversary, the Duke said he was grateful for the “continued support” of the industry in tackling the illegal wildlife trade.

But he said shipping had a key part to play in closing down transport routes for ivory smugglers and criminal networks, with “containerised shipping” accounting for nearly three quarters of the large-scale ivory seizures by weight since 2009.

“Ultimately, I believe that tackling the illegal trade in wildlife is in your interests as an industry,” he told leaders on Monday. “The trade undermines security; it fuels organised crime; and it robs developing countries of a natural resource that will contribute to their future prosperity.

Setting out the scale of the problem, the Duke outlined research showing record numbers of large-scale ivory seizures, poaching and trafficking in elephant ivory at its highest level in 25 years, and the seventh year in a row of increased rhino poaching in Africa.

He added: “At this rate, we will not have any rhinos left in the wild by the time my children are adults. This is a travesty, and almost unthinkable. But it will happen unless we take action.”

The Duke said that a ranger was killed each week trying to protect animals while the “big business” of illegal trade continued.