Stop The Wildlife Trade: 'A chance to re-set the balance after Covid-19'

Conservation charities today hailed the Evening Standard’s Stop the Wildlife Trade campaign and called for urgent action to be taken by the international community to support it.

Animals Asia founder and CEO, Dr Jill Robinson, warned that the coronavirus crisis had shown the risk of the trade in enabling pandemics.

“From Sars to Covid-19, from ebola to Mers, to HIV — the global wildlife trade has its roots in every one of these infections,” she said. “We thank the Evening Standard for bringing this critical issue to the world’s attention.

“We must close the vile live animal markets while helping those whose livelihoods have depended on such places with new opportunities.”

Ben Williamson, of World Animal Protection US, warned: “Every day, thousands of wild animals are poached, farmed and sold into the global multibillion-dollar legal commercial trade. The horrific conditions they face cause much suffering and are a threat for future pandemics.”

Gregg Tully, executive director of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance, said: “If we can learn anything from Covid-19, it’s that our well-being is connected to wildlife. From closing live and online markets to renegotiating trade agreements, we must work hard to find new solutions. Our lives depend on it.

“We’re incredibly excited to see the Evening Standard make this issue a focal point as we emerge from the restrictions of the pandemic.”

The Stop The Wildlife Trade campaign, launched by proprietor Evgeny Lebedev with the Standard’s sister title The Independent, calls for an end to high-risk wildlife markets and for an international effort to regulate the trade to reduce our risk of future pandemics.

Dr Max Graham, Space for Giants CEO, said: “Covid-19 has made clear the link between our treatment of wildlife and wild places and the risk of deadly and devastating disease. We have a historic opportunity to reset our relationship with the natural world and prevent another pandemic.”