14 DAY TRIAL // It would appear that the European Parliament is truly committed to ending wildlife crime. Thus, it has recently passed a resolution asking that member states of the European Union implement a moratoria on all ivory sales.
The moratoria on the ivory products trade that the European Parliament hopes will be set in place sooner rather than later is intended to help protect elephant against poachers.
Hence, it would have to remain up and running until elephant populations living in the wild were no longer in danger of going extinct due to illegal hunting activities.
On its website, the Wildlife Conservation Society explains that this resolution is proof that the European Parliament is well aware of the fact that poaching is not just a threat to the world's remaining biodiversity.
On the contrary, such illegal hunting activities have a negative impact on the global economy and on the national security of several countries.
As the Wildlife Conservation Society puts it, “The resolution expresses the Parliament’s view that wildlife trafficking is a serious economic, national security, and environmental threat.”
The organization details that, apart from asking that European Union member states institute a moratoria on all trading activities involving ivory products, the Parliament has asked that a plan of action against the illegal commercialization of wildlife products be set in place.
It has also recommended that more efforts be made to prosecute those found guilty of illegal trading activities involving wildlife, and that on-the-ground protection for endangered animals such as elephants, rhinos, tigers and other species be enhanced.
Commenting on the passing of this resolution, Member of the European Parliament Gerban-Jan Gerbrandy, who helped introduce it in the first place, said that, “I am very glad the European Parliament fully supports me in this important challenge.”
Furthermore, “I want poaching to be seen as organized crime. That involves higher penalties, higher priority and specialist investigators. We must avoid the extinction of the most iconic animals that roam on earth. Europe cannot lag behind anymore. We have to stand up against illegal poaching.”