|
About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Subscribe |
|
|
Illegal wildlife trade worth $20B per year mongabay.com March 19, 2008
The report, released at a hearing by the House Natural Resources Committee chaired by Congressman Nick Rahall, warns that the illegal wildlife trade "poses a variety of threats to the U.S. and around the world, ranging from loss of endangered wildlife to introduction of life-threatening diseases," according to a statement from the Wildlife Conservation Society, a group that provided scientific background on the issue. "Controlling illegal wildlife trade is a key component in the spread of zoonotic diseases," said Dr. William Karesh of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "We commend Congressman Nick Rahall and the other Members of the Natural Resources Committee for this important work in shedding light on this major issue, as well as U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary Claudia McMurray who recently established the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking."
"One of the frightening aspects of the illegal trade in wildlife is the danger of spreading potentially fatal diseases around the world," added Dr. Elizabeth Bennett of WCS's Hunting and Wildlife Trade Program on the international trafficking of illegal wildlife. "Much of the international wildlife trade is illegal, by-passing health and safety regulations, thereby putting the public at considerable risk of diseases. Thorough review and effective implementation of wildlife and health laws along the trade chain from source to consumer would help to rectify these problems." The report recommends "imposing trade sanctions on countries with weak wildlife trafficking laws; strengthening funding for domestic wildlife inspectors at the borders; and working with the private sector to improve regulation of the wildlife trade."
Tags: wildlife trafficking pet trade biodiversity disease endangered species wildlife animals health conservation environment Environmental Law green News index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing
|
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 
Photos HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS 
CALENDARS 
CANVAS BAGS 
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright mongabay 2010 Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect, an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region. Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant. |
