Our World

The illegal trade of animals

Throughout the world, hundreds of millions of plants and animals, worth billions of dollars, are traded each year, impacting directly on the survival of many species in their natural environments. Of particular concern is the fact that a quarter of this trade is thought to be illegal and is second in size only to the illegal trade in drugs.

This illegal commerce is threatening some endangered species such as tigers and snow leopards, and is trading the planet's natural heritage towards extinction. Unless action is taken to deter this illegal trade in destination countries such as the UK, we have little hope of securing a long-term future for these species.

World Wildlife Fund research shows that the UK is a major consumer of wildlife and wildlife products, many of which are traded illegally. Each year thousands of seizures are made (but not enough) at ports and airports, and shops across the country are found selling some of the world's most endangered species.

posted by Anonymous @ 5/25/2006 09:57:00 PM