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IWMC
World Conservation Trust |
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Editorial:
CITES and Airline Boycotts
by Jaques Berney |
Polemics
practiced by certain extreme protectionist NGOs have been directed against the
Secretary General of CITES, Mr. Willem Wijnstekers, for his alleged « pro-
trade » bias, following a press release of 4 May 2001, in which he called
on airlines to reconsider their boycotts of wildlife shipments. The press
release was issued as a reaction to the recent announcement by Lufthansa that it
will no longer transport animals captured in the wild for commercial purposes.
It is not the intent of IWMC World Conservation Trust to discuss the merits
of the publication of such a press release by the CITES Secretariat. In our
opinion, this falls fully under the responsibility of the Parties to the
Convention or their representatives. On the other hand, IWMC would like to take
this opportunity to reaffirm its position on an issue which, although not new,
is of significance.
International trade in natural resources, including live wild animals, is of
vital importance for many developing countries, in particular where human
populations share the same environment as these resources. Wildlife trade may
provide a significant source of income, and sometimes trade is the only source
of monetary revenue. Trade creates a value- based incentive to use wildlife
species on a sustainable basis, and for many species, has direct conservation
benefits. Promoting and regulating the sustainable management of wild fauna and
flora, and fostering responsible trade in natural resources are parts of the
very first objective of the Strategic Vision through 2005, adopted unanimously
by the Conference of the CITES Parties at its last meeting (Gigiri, 2000). The
sustainable use of natural resources is also one of the objectives of the
Convention on the Biological Diversity.
Sustainable management and responsible international trade in wild species
are required to meet the objectives set- out by the signatories of these
treaties. All parties to these treaties should undertake efforts to ensure
transport of wildlife species is achieved in a humane and as efficient manner as
possible. This would, as required by CITES, contribute to ensure "that any
living specimen will be so prepared and shipped as to minimize the risk of
injury, damage to health and cruel treatment".
Quick, efficient air transport is key achieving the objectives above, and to
minimizing the discomfort and damage to wildlife in transit. The world’s major
airline members of IATA, are in general, the foremost providers of rapid
liaisons between exporting and importing countries, and they are also obliged to
implement the IATA Live Animals Regulations. Nevertheless, animal-welfare and
animal-right groups have promoted airline boycotts, and have been successful
with some of the principal carriers. Yet, one obvious boycott effect by major
airlines, is to direct the transport of live specimens to second-tier airlines
and charters, and possibly to other transportation means, where conditions are
of lower quality and travel times often much longer. This is of course, to the
detriment of the animals.
Extreme NGOs appear ready to sacrifice the welfare of animals in transit, in
their continuing world- wide campaigns to eliminate the sustainable use of
wildlife. Although this is not surprising, it is regrettable that major airlines
like Lufthansa have bowed to pressure from extremists, rather than conducting
their own assessment of the potential implications of this decision on wildlife
in transit. IWMC World Conservation Trust expresses the wish that Lufthansa will
undertake such an analysis and reconsider their boycott, to encourage
conservation and minimize the distress this decision is having on legally traded
wildlife species. 
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