Dubai: The Dubai-based port-operator DP World is calling on governments to have zero tolerance of wildlife trafficking.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, was the first to sign a pledge calling for public and private resources to stamp out the illegal trade by 2030. He did so alongside United for Wildlife at the Conservation for Hope summit at the DP World Flow Pavilion at Expo 2020. DP World is a member and principal partner of United for Wildlife which was founded by HRH The Duke of Cambridge. The session was organized in association with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and in partnership with Mozambique and the Zoological Society of London.
Illegal trade in wildlife is one of the top five most lucrative global crimes. Every year wild fauna and flora are poached or illegally collected and transported across the world. The cross-border crime is estimated to be worth $50billion to 100 billion a year. In addition to damaging biodiversity and local communities, the illegal wildlife trade fuels other criminal activities including money laundering and international drug trafficking.
“Through Conservation for Hope, we are throwing down a challenge to eradicate the illegal wildlife trade which destroys biodiversity and damages our planet and local communities,” said Sulayem.
DP World is already working on extensive measures to tackle the trafficking, including installing additional scanners at ports and facilities to step up inspections. The company’s staff around the world are going through training on the issue as well as being provided with a toolkit, with specific sessions for scanner operators to learn what to look for.
DP World set up the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce which brings together airlines, customs authorities and other stakeholders in the region to disrupt supply chains for wildlife trafficking. The company works with partners including the Zoological Society of London to development best practices for ports Governments signing the pledge alongside DP World will commit to raise awareness of wildlife trade as a global crime.