WWF urges end to wildlife trade, consumption in Asia-Pacific
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has appealed for an end to the wildlife trade and consumption across the Asia-Pacific region amid the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and similar diseases in recent years.
WWF said the current emergence and spread of COVID-19, as well as similar outbreaks in recent history, have shown potential threats to human health posed by illegal wildlife trade and consumption (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)has appealed for an end to the wildlife trade and consumption across theAsia-Pacific region amid the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and similar diseases inrecent years.
According to the organisation, the currentemergence and spread of COVID-19, as well as SARS, MERS and other similaroutbreaks in recent history, have shown potential threats to human health posedby illegal wildlife trade and consumption.
Damage caused by COVID-19 for each country, eachregion and the whole world has amounted to billions of USD and will affecteconomies for many years to come. Therefore, each nation needs to act morepromptly to prevent risks of new outbreaks.
WWF Vietnam Director Van Ngoc Thinh said WWFoffices in the Asia-Pacific has welcomed the decision to ban the consumption ofwild animal meat and unregulated wildlife trade made by the Standing Committeeof the National People’s Congress of China – the highest law-making body of thatcountry.
They have also called on other East Asiannations to make similar decisions to protect people’s health and life, he said,noting that Southeast Asia is still known as a source and a transit point of wildlifeproducts for China.
WWF offices in the Asia-Pacific has urgedgovernment agencies to be responsible for wildlife conservation and managementand for public health in their countries, join hands to boost market monitoringand communications, and eradicate the trade and consumption of wild animal meatand wildlife products.
Thinh said Vietnam needs similar drasticactions, adding that people’s health, economic stability, national creditrating and social security must come first./.
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WWF said the current emergence and spread of COVID-19, as well as similar outbreaks in recent history, have shown potential threats to human health posed by illegal wildlife trade and consumption (Photo: VNA) 
