Representatives from the transport sector came together to sign the 'United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Buckingham Palace Declaration,' which offers commitments and measures to stop the transport of illicitly acquired wildlife products.
15 March 2016: Representatives from the transport sector came together to sign the ‘United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Buckingham Palace Declaration,’ which offers commitments and measures to stop the transport of illicitly acquired wildlife products.
The Declaration derives from the work of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, established in 2014. Commitments include: developing information sharing systems for the transport industry to receive credible information about high risk, illicit routes and methods of wildlife product transport; supporting a secure system for information sharing between the transport sector and relevant customs and law enforcement authorities; and notifying law enforcement authorities of cargoes suspected of containing illegal wildlife and related products in order to prevent their distribution.
Meanwhile, according to new data published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the number of African rhinos poached has increased for the sixth year in a row with at least 1,338 rhinos taken from across Africa in 2015, the highest level since the crisis emerged in 2008. ICUN also notes that increased law enforcement efforts and investment in recent years have coincided with a slowing down in the rate of increase of poaching across the continent, from 2013-2015.
With regard to tigers, the World Bank approved a US$3 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), meant to support the ecological conditions needed for recovery of threatened biodiversity in Northeast China, especially amur tigers.
On migratory birds, India has signed the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MoU) raising the number of signatories to 56, while the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and BirdLife International have renewed their commitment to work together towards biodiversity conservation and forest restoration. [CITES Press Release] [Congo Basin Forest Partnership News] [IUCN News] [GEF News] [CMS News] [ITTO Press Release]