Prince William gives speech at Vietnam wildlife conference, emphasises need to end illegal trade

Record ID: 78495

  • Title: Prince William gives speech at Vietnam wildlife conference, emphasises need to end illegal trade
  • Date: 17th November 2016
  • Summary: SIGN BOARD ON STAGE READING (English) "HANOI CONFERENCE ON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE" LOGO OF CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 2nd December 2016 06:12
  • Keywords: wildlife Prince William conference illegal trade Vietnam
  • Location: HANOI, VIETNAM
  • City: HANOI, VIETNAM
  • Country: Vietnam
  • Topics: Environment,Nature/Wildlife
  • Reuters ID: LVA00258U0DVP
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Britain's Prince William urged representatives from 54 countries attending a wildlife conference in Hanoi on Thursday (November 17) to step up the fight against illegal trade, saying that trafficking is a "global challenge".
    In his opening speech at the third Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference (IWTC), he congratulated the countries for banding together in partnership to fight poaching and trade of endangered animals, but reiterated the need to continue the fight as the Great Elephant Census published earlier this year showed a sharp decline of 30 percent in the African elephant population in just seven years.
    "I firmly believe that halting the extinction crisis and ending the illegal wildlife trade presents a real chance to demonstrate our collective confidence that we have the power to rise to the big problems of our time. If we cannot tackle this, it is hard to see how we will be effective in overcoming the other global challenges that face us," Prince William said.
    The Duke of Cambridge is the president of United for Wildlife, an umbrella body of seven conservation organisations united to end illegal wildlife trade.
    Vietnam is a transit point for elephant ivory for consumers in mostly China and the United States to make jewellery and home decorations, while the Southeast Asian nation is a major consumer of rhino horn.
    Last Saturday (November 12), Vietnam destroyed nearly 2.2 tonnes of seized elephant ivory and 70 kg of rhino horns for the first time, in one of its strongest moves yet to stop illegal wildlife trafficking.
    The chief for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime Division for Operations, Jorge Eduardo Rios said much is still needed to be done to change the mindset of consumers.
    "I think like many countries, you know, it's been a process. And the realisation that there is an issue is very important, Vietnam is now very cognizant of the fact that it's a security issue, it's a social-economic issue," said Rios.
    The usage and trading of rhino horn is a criminal offence in Vietnam, but demand is strong due to a long-held belief in rhino horn's medicinal power as an elixir, especially among the country's growing middle and upper classes.
    Humane Society International (HSI) and the Vietnamese government are working together to raise awareness of the plight of rhinos.
    One of the initiatives, a book titled "I'm a Little Rhino", has been distributed to 1.5 million children, with hopes that it will educate the younger generation and curb the uses of illegal, endangered animal parts.
    The IWTC will end on Friday (November 18) after discussions on eradicating the market for illegal wildlife products, strengthening law enforcement and sustainable livelihoods and economic development.
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