Poachers killing Africa’s rhinos and elephants are still one step ahead of efforts to stop the multibillion wildlife trade, Prince William has warned.
Traffickers have become more sophisticated and increasingly brutal, and animals are dying in “horrifying numbers”, the Duke of Cambridge told an international wildlife summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on Thursday.
The prince’s speech came as the UK pledged an extra £13m to tackle the problem and environment secretary, Andrea Leadsom, promised the UK would show leadership to protect precious wildlife. The UK hosted the first of the wildlife summits in 2014, where 46 countries agreed an accord to combat the trade.
But the prince said that, despite that global deal and ensuing efforts, the poaching crisis has continued.
“There is much to be proud of and I want to make sure we take confidence from what has been achieved. We are on the right side of history. But here is the problem: we know that we aren’t moving fast enough to keep up with the crisis. Rhinos, elephants, pangolin, lions – they are all still being killed in horrifying numbers,” he said.
“So while we’ve made progress, the truth is we are still falling behind. A betting man would still bet on extinction.”
He said that since the London declaration two years ago, poachers’ methods in the “killing fields of Africa and Asia” had become more sophisticated, and they were killing more rangers.
But putting an end to the trade was possible and there was widespread international acknowledgement that the killing needed to stop, he said. “It is only a test of will.
“And compared to other global problems, I really do believe it is relatively straightforward to solve.”
Officials and ministers from 42 countries agreed a joint declaration to follow through on the commitments they made in London, which include tougher enforcement and cracking down on corruption.
Teresa Telecky, director of the wildlife department for the Human Society International, said: “The statement demonstrates high-level government commitment to stamping out poaching and illegal wildlife trade.”
Uganda announced it would destroy its 15-tonne stockpile of seized ivory next year, following high-profile ivory destructions such as Kenya’s burn earlier this year.
The UK said it was committing an extra £13m for measures tackling the crisis, doubling the UK’s funding against the trade. “The UK is determined to do all we can to show global leadership in fighting the illegal wildlife trade and protecting the world’s precious wildlife,” said Leadsom.
Ministers in September announced a UK ban on ivory younger than 70 years old, but were criticised by conservationists for stopping shy of a total ban.
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