Four airports have joined the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking by signing the United for Wildlife (UFW) Transport Taskforce Buckingham Palace Declaration.
Hong Kong International Airport, Munich International Airport, Sydney Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport are the latest in more than 100 transportation sector companies to have signed the declaration since 2016.
The Buckingham Palace Declaration is an historic agreement which sets out tangible steps that can be taken to close the routes exploited by traffickers of the illegal wildlife trade as they attempt to smuggle their products from rare and vulnerable ecosystems. It contains 11 commitments to raise standards across the transportation industry and focuses on information sharing, staff training, technological improvements and resource sharing among its international stakeholders.
According to the United Nations, the illegal wildlife trade is worth up to US$23bn a year.