global commitment
The #EndTheTrade coalition was founded by three organizations: WildAid, Global Wildlife Conservation and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), to call for a permanent end to the trade and sale of wild animals, especially birds and mammals in consumer markets through the Internet.https://endthetrade.com/. After just over a day of launching, more than 158 conservation organizations have signed and CHANGE is one of the first organizations in Vietnam to sign the declaration to end this commercial activity.
“Since Vietnam has always been a hot spot for illegal wildlife consumption and transportation, I think this is the time for us to take decisive action to end this situation,” said Ms. Hoang Thi Minh Hong, Director of CHANGE. “I hope the Vietnamese government will soon issue a ban, both to protect public health and to clearly demonstrate our country’s determination to contribute to global efforts to prevent similar epidemics in the future.”
The Covid-19 epidemic is believed to have originated from bats, sold at wildlife markets in Wuhan, China.
The #endthetrade coalition has also partnered with the European Commission to further accelerate progress on building a global network of voices on the wildlife trafficking crisis, with the European Union making a commitment to combat wildlife trafficking and implementing the “Green Deal”.
1 million signatures to end wildlife trafficking
With a goal of collecting over 1 million signatures, the #endthetrade Coalition is calling on conservationists, scientists, policymakers, health professionals, and the general public to join in driving a global paradigm shift to prevent future pandemics by signing the End the Trade Declaration.
Leonardo Dicaprio is among the first celebrities to support the #endthetrade Coalition's 1 million signature campaign.
Accordingly, this petition will be compiled and sent to national governments to call for: 1) Enact appropriate legislation to permanently end the trade and commerce of terrestrial wildlife in markets, especially for consumption purposes; 2) Empower relevant agencies to enforce the law; 3) Develop ethical and equitable transition measures for those whose livelihoods are affected in the trade chain.
According to a survey by Peking University, of more than 100,000 Chinese residents questioned, nearly 97% oppose eating wild animals.
Among the strategies proposed, the #endthetrade Alliance is supporting protected areas to improve management effectiveness, helping to reduce wildlife trafficking and the spread of wildlife pathogens. The strategy will support field sites to test and monitor for disease outbreaks among frontline staff to ensure their health and safety, and reduce the risk of transmission back into the wild, particularly to high-risk large primates. In addition, the strategy will create a rapid response mechanism to sustain the livelihoods of vulnerable communities and rangers so they can continue to protect high-value ecosystems.
“If you care about your health, you should care about wildlife conservation,” said Peter Knights, CEO of WildAid.
MORE INFORMATION
- The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 jumped from its host animal—likely a horseshoe bat—to humans through direct contact with bats and/or their feces, or through indirect contact with an intermediate host (such as a pig, chicken, or other wild animal) that was infected with the pathogen from a bat and then transmitted along the animal trade chain.
- The recent coronavirus is just one example of a series of pathogens that have jumped to humans from the terrestrial wildlife trade or contact between wild animals and domestic animals. These interactions often lead to the transmission of pathogens that cause disease in humans, including AIDS, SARS, Ebola, avian influenza, swine influenza, and others.
- According to a report from the Zoological Society of London and the Hanoi University of Public Health, each year, zoonotic diseases cause more than two billion cases of illness in humans and more than two million deaths. Experts estimate that, of the 1.6 million potential viruses in mammals and birds, 700,000 could pose a health risk to humans in the future.
