Qatar Airways has taken a firm stand against the illegal wildlife trafficking trade and has become the first airline to be acknowledged in the form of a new industry award for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.
The airline is the world’s largest cargo carrier, making it a potential target for traffickers, and in taking a stance against this illegal trade it has signed a number of anti wildlife trafficking agreements.
According to simpleflying.com, ‘Some 7,000 types plants and animals are routinely shipped illegally but the bulk of the trade is made up of ivory, rhino horn, birds and reptiles.’
Birds are often trafficked. Image source: Pixabay
In 2016, 41 companies became signatories of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Declaration, also known as the Buckingham Palace Declaration. Qatar Airways, along with other airlines like Etihad and Emirates, were among those that signed the agreement, whereby the companies refuse to accept illegal cargo, agree to share knowledge about known illegal trade networks and routes, and share information with local authorities.
The World Economic Forum estimates that illegal wildlife trade, which further threatens the world’s endangered species, is worth an estimated $23 billion (R336 billion) per year. An example of this, noted in the free-to-view South African documentary Eye of the Pangolin, is that it takes 1,900 pangolins to make one ton of scales, and so far 23 tons have been intercepted leaving South Africa this year alone.
Ground pangolin. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world. Image credit: Johan_Vermeulen
In May 2019, Qatar Airways was independently assessed and was recognised to have met the requirements of The Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Assessment, which seeks to confirm compliance with the Buckingham Palace Declaration. The IWT was developed by the International Air Transport Association with support from The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and USAID’s Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species Partnership.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, ‘We are proud and honoured to be the first airline recognised by our industry for delivering on the commitments we made at Buckingham Palace in March 2016. We remain dedicated to this cause, and will continue to work with our stakeholders to raise awareness and improve detection of illegal activity.’
When the agreement was first signed in 2016, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, Qatar Airways has a zero-tolerance policy towards the illegal trade of endangered wildlife, and is actively engaged in stopping illegal wildlife transportation in its tracks,’ and the airline is certainly living up to this.
Featured Image: Qatar Airways
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