Illegal wildlife trade 'threatens survival of species' at world heritage sites
GETTY Illegal wildlife trade is threatening the survival of species at many world heritage sites
Poaching, illegal logging and fishing and trafficking of rare species are plaguing 45 per cent of the world's most precious natural areas, the report from conservation charity WWF said. From Tanzania's Serengeti to Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, rare and endangered species are threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, which is estimated to be worth £15 billion globally, according to the report.
Poaching of species such as elephants, rhinos and tigers has been reported in at least 43 World Heritage sites, while illegal logging of valuable plants such as rosewood and ebony has been reported in 26 designated places. Illegal fishing has been seen in 18 of the world's 39 marine and coastal World Heritage sites.
GETTY Tanzania's stunning Serengeti
Harvesting species protected under international law - from snow leopards to scaly anteaters or pangolins - is also a significant problem and occurs in around 50 per cent of African, Asian and Latin American sites, the report warned.
It's a matter of life and death Chris Gee
Natural World Heritage sites are home to a third of the world's remaining tigers and 40 per cent of all African elephants, and in some areas are the last refuge for critically endangered species such as the Javan rhino. Loss of species and habitat through illegal activity such as logging also threatens the services World Heritage sites provide to local people, from tourism jobs to clean water.
GETTY The effects of logging in the amazon
Deforestation has an impact on the planet as a whole by increasing carbon emissions. Chris Gee, head of campaigns at WWF-UK, said: “Even the wildlife living in places which should benefit from the highest levels of protection are suffering at the hands of criminals. “Not only does this threaten the survival of species, but it's also jeopardising the future heritage of these precious places and the people whose livelihoods depend on them.“
The fight against poaching animals Sun, May 1, 2016 A round-up of the fight against poaching animals in pictures. Play slideshow Nathalie van Koot / WWF-NL 1 of 49 Ivory is burnt
He called for a united front from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) and the World Heritage Convention to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. And he said: “Next year London will host the 4th Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference, the UK Government must bolster efforts to support the end of this devastating trade. “Now is not the time to drop the ball on this issue. These findings show that for the future of many of our most endangered species it's a matter of life and death.”
GETTY Ecuador's Galapagos Islands