Global leaders join forces to help eradicate illegal wildlife trade
S ignificant progress was made at the UK Government’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London this October, according to campaigners.
The high-profile event attracted representatives from more than 80 countries, who agreed to a number of new initiatives, which included reducing demand for illegal products, tackling online crime and launching a financial task force to disrupt international money flows linked to animal trafficking.
“We warmly welcome the outcomes of the conference and the specific actions identified to achieve a significant reduction in wildlife criminal activities,” said Steven Broad, the executive director of TRAFFIC, an NGO working towards sustainable wildlife trading.
However, some campaigners were left disappointed with the final conference declaration. “The lack of tangible, clear, time-bound, measurable commitments by attending governments within the declaration leaves a feeling of an opportunity missed,” said Dr Mark Jones of the Born Free Foundation. Simon Birch