Business Are Urged To ‘Protect Wildlife’ By Joining Taskforce Membership


03/21/2016

Recalling the need to work in unison, the chairman of DP World invited businesses from across the world to support the endeavour of saving global wildlife.


The chairman at the DP World, HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, expresses his thoughts on the issues as to the requirement of a united movement to address the “international problem of illegal poaching and trafficking”.
 
As it appears, many wildlife species across the world are facing a crisis, as entire species are getting extinct due to “sophisticated, illegal poaching and trafficking programmes”. Considering, the same threat “most iconic animals” in the world fall under its imminent danger.
 
According to the data as many as “35,000” to “50,000” African elephants fall prey to poachers on an annual basis, while only three thousand tigers are breathing out in the wild and almost ninety five percent of the rhinos in the world have disappeared. At present, the criminals illegally trading on wildlife hold a value of “around US$ 19 billion”.
 
Given the huge and wide scale of the problem, and the equally challenging task required to address the same, it needs a global effort, whereby the “United for Wildlife” has been established in an “unprecedented collaboration”. The “HRH The Duke of Cambridge” called together the “leading wildlife organisations” in the world to stand for a common cause which is to “create a global movement” for tracking the “illegal wildlife trade”.
 
Nevertheless, these organisations alone cannot execute the above mentioned aim lest the international business establishments pitch in by providing their reach and infrastructure to support this endeavour. Likewise, a “Taskforce on the Transportation of Illegal Wildlife Products” has been created by the United for Wildlife which actively promotes businesses that are showing “zero tolerance of transport of illegal wildlife parts across borders”.
 
Keeping a tight grip on ports being the “gateways to world trade” which also indulge the “illegal wildlife trade”, the businesses across the globe are urged to join in the attempt along with the “customs authorities”. Giving an example of the DP World alone, HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem mentions the company’s efforts to collaborate with the Dubai Customs which proved instrumental in seizing, destroying and repatriating “over 775 pieces of ivory” which was salvaged from the illegal trafficking, whereby the total value of the goods was “over $10 million dollars”.
 
Following the said incident, Dubai Customs has provided “further insights” into their “security measures” in order to promote “best practice globally”. Recently, the Taskforce gathered in London and chalked out “11 global commitments that will shape our efforts for the future”.
 
The issues covered in the above mentioned commitments include “awareness, information sharing and detection, practical measures to stop the transportation of illegal wildlife products and a common determination to tackle the illegal trade, wherever it may be”.
 
HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem assures:
“These are ‘commitments’ in every sense of the word – something we take seriously, something we will endeavor to implement. That’s why we have already written to our customers, our industry colleagues and our employees around the world to share news of this programme and encourage full participation”.
 
He also adds that businesses around the globe have a key role to play in delivering “this change” for every member of the respective business organisation “can contribute and make an impact”.
 
He also reminds:
“Our commitments through our Taskforce membership build on the strong environmental commitments we already take as a business – we recognise the need to protect the natural world around us, to ensure we remain a robust business for the long term. Ensuring we have industry leading environmental policies and practices is part of our commitment to protecting and supporting the communities in which we do business”.







References:
http://www.ethicalperformance.com/