Time for ASEAN countries to ban wildlife trade for good
As reports point to a network of wildlife trade routes from Southeast Asia to China’s wildlife meat markets, officials say it’s about time ASEAN member states unify against wildlife trafficking.
JILLIAN LUIS: While the origins of the novel coronavirus, now better known as COVID-19, have not been identified, it is safe to assume that China’s wildlife market in Wuhan played a central role in the early spread of the deadly virus… Today, with over 500,000 infections and over 24,000 deaths globally, the risks of wildlife consumption are too high and impractical. On 24 February, China’s National People’s Congress adopted legislation banning the consumption of any field-harvested or captive-bred wildlife in an effort to prevent further public health threats until a revised wildlife protection law can be introduced…
Vietnam’s prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, ordered a directive to ban illegal wildlife trading and consumption through the agriculture ministry following the legitimate concern that consuming wildlife products can contribute to diseases. The directive was seen as a victory for animal rights organisations. Ideally, it will lead to a systematic crackdown on street-side markets across the country. This would also increase prosecutions of online traders, adding much needed pressure on thousands of farms with links to the trade in illegal wildlife…
Following China’s move to ban wildlife trade and consumption, officials say it’s about time ASEAN member states unify against wildlife trafficking, as reports point to a sophisticated network of illegal wildlife trade routes from Southeast Asia to China’s wildlife markets. There is a great possibility that the animal products which found their way to that fateful Wuhan market most likely transited in ASEAN…
According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), the global wildlife trafficking industry is worth between US$7 billion and US$23 billion, annually. Illegal markets for live and dead wild animals are common across many Asian countries, especially in areas such as the Greater Mekong’s Golden Triangle where Lao PDR, Thailand and Myanmar meet close to the Chinese border…
“As stated in the United Nation’s 2019 Global Assessment Report, a million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades, largely due to habitat changes and direct exploitation of species… The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly demonstrated that wildlife protection is integral to international security and human welfare. ASEAN countries must seize this opportunity to ensure an effective long-term solution as it will now – along with China – be held accountable for diseases stemming from the illegal trade in wildlife. SOURCE…
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