april 2020
Traffic
RED supports their second NGO to assist a major threat, which affects many endangered species – poaching, trafficking and wet markets.
The three authors of the beautiful book called Rescue Endangered by Design (RED), decided today to make their second donation, from book sales for 2019 to TRAFFIC. They are a leading non-government organisation, working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Headquartered in the UK, they work primarily in Asia, where most of the trafficked flora and fauna ends up.
TRAFFIC works only on the protection of wildlife and the specific threats of poaching, trafficking and how the selling of wildlife impacts our animal and plant species.
TRAFFIC was carefully selected, as the authors felt that their targeted reduction strategies through behaviour change creates a much better result than only having mass campaigns to raise awareness of the plight of endangered species and the negative impacts of poaching and wildlife trafficking.
RED highlights the threats of all 17 species in the book, and the animals that will benefit mostly from the work that TRAFFIC undertakes are: the Javan rhino, with only just over 50 animals left in the world, and the Chinese pangolin which is almost extinct due to the use of their keratin scales in traditional medicine and their consumption. Asia now targets and imports the remaining 4 African species of pangolin for their needs.
There are also other species, in the book, that will broadly benefit - the Harlequin frog and the Goldsteiger beetle, both trafficked in the past, almost to extinction for the pet trade.
The monies donated will help towards Traffic’s Chi initiative. Chi is the first social marketing initiative in Vietnam aimed at protecting species and aims to reduce demand for rhino horn and other illegal wildlife products among Vietnamese businessmen—a key consumer group. Rhino horn products are consumed in Viet Nam largely for their supposed health benefits and as a reflection of wealth & status.
There may also be an opportunity to collaborate, with TRAFFIC and various women’s networks in Vietnam, and run a knitting competition to possibly add to the 33 animal knitting patterns in the book.
TRAFFIC plays a unique and leading role as a global wildlife trade specialist. Their work includes:
• the investigation and analysis of trends, patterns and impacts of the wildlife trade,
• work with national and international policy makers to adopt, implement and enforce effective policies,
• provide guidance to the private sector, on effective approaches to ensure sustainable practices in wildlife sourcing and
• develops insights into consumer purchase motivation and guide in the effective non-purchasing of illicit wildlife goods and promotes sustainable choices.
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China has closed its wildlife markets, and let us HOPE it is forever.
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Guangzhou is a city famed for consumption and trade of wildlife, and they are at the forefront of putting in place policies to reduce the risk of future pandemics. The city has adopted a set of municipal regulations on wildlife stronger than those of the Chinese central government, including higher fines for not only eating nationally protected wild animals but also stricter regulations, like prohibiting keeping wild animals as pets, and banning the consumption of wild animals for medicine.”
The Standing committee of the National People’s Congress in China have released a decision to “ comprehensively prohibit the illegal trade of wild animals, eliminating the bad habits of wild animal consumption, and protecting the health and safety of the people”. This has banned the hunting, trade, transportation, and consumption of almost all terrestrial wild animal species – whether captive-bred or wild caught. The laws are currently under review and are expected to be approved at the next People’s Congress”.
From Nature April 17,2020
Do something special today, be inspired by the new book called RED and answer your call to action by doing something for our Planet.
Learn more about TRAFFIC at www.traffic.org
And make a positive difference today.
Thank you - Dorte Roerman, Lisa Renner and Polly Cevallos ,