“Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here!”

21.03.2009 20:30

The “Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here!” campaign is a joint effort between the Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State. The launch of this campaign is seen as an initial effort to stop wildlife trafficking in the region.

Ambassador Eric John along with the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Suwit Kunzite, and Director and Chairman of the FREELAND Foundation, Dr. Kraisak Choonhavan, attended the launch of the new “Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here” campaign at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Ambassador John stated, “The world’s biodiversity is currently endangered by numerous man-made threats. These include the illegal trade of wildlife, which has become a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise. More than 30,000 species of wild plants and animals are on the international endangered list and many are already on the brink of extinction.”

“Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here!” - ASEAN-WEN - USAID - Eric John - Kraisak Choonhavan - AOT - Crime - Anti-trafficking

Ambassador John also added, “Stopping illegal wildlife trade is a difficult task. Organized crime has moved into trafficking and the scale of the illegal trade is enormous. Thousands of wild animals are fowling through trafficking hotspots, such as airports, around the world every day. It will take partnerships, not just between governments and their agencies, but also with the private sector to confront illegal wildlife trade effectively.”

The new anti-trafficking project will include an intensive training for the 250 airport security and law enforcement officials. The purpose of the training is to make sure that these officials can better identify and stop the shipment of illegal wildlife transiting through Thailand.

“Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here!” - ASEAN-WEN - USAID - Eric John - Kraisak Choonhavan - AOT - Crime - Anti-trafficking

“In addition to the training sessions, AOT and the Thai Government are projecting anti-trafficking messages on TV monitors and posting placards throughout the airport as well as doubling enforcement efforts”, said Ambassador John.

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has also joined the “Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here” campaign through its association with the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), the largest regional environmental law enforcement network in the world. For more information on the campaign, visit the ASEAN-WEN website at www.asean-wen.org.

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