Five Etihad Airways decided to make their contribution onto prohibition of wildlife illegal trade. On World Environment Day Etihad Aviation Group signed up to the Buckingham Palace Declaration, committing to help protect many of the world’s iconic wildlife species.
Five partners such as Alitalia, airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Virgin Australia signed the Declaration following the lead of Etihad Airways, which became a signatory of the Declaration of the United for Wildlife International Taskforce on the Transportation of Illegal Wildlife Products. That document was signed at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Dublin.
An alliance ‘United for Wildlife’ gathered organisations and The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Its founders aim to support the prevention of the trade in illegal wildlife on the planet. Recent years, this smuggling activity tends to grow, and it is extremely dangerous for biodiversity. That’s why Etihad signed the Declaration.
“Having six of the Etihad equity partner airlines as signatories ensures a more extensive and impactful result over 348 destinations. Led by our Head of Sustainability we are developing a group wide action plan to help prevent this abhorrent practice,”
the Aviation Group’s CEO James Hogan underlined.
The Declaration’s text consists eleven commitments that aimed at the supporting global efforts to prevent illegal wildlife smuggling. These commitments, among others, encourage the transport industry to cut the routes exploited by wildlife smugglers. The role of the airlines is the strongest, because air transportation is the most popular illegal trafficking route from one continent to another.
