On the occasion of World Environment Day, celebrated this year under the theme, ?Zero Tolerance for Illegal Wildlife Trade?, Ministers of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, have commended national environmental organisations for their efforts in preserving wildlife and combating all forms of its illegal trade.

The preservation of local wildlife has always been a major concern for the UAE. Several laws and regulations to protect and develop the indigenous wildlife have been put in place in the UAE since the early 1970s.

Illegal wildlife trade has become one of the major concerns on the international agenda. It is a threat for biodiversity and has contributed to making several species fall under the endangered list.

The size of illegal wildlife trade has reached $15-20 billion and, according to UN data, nearly 40 per cent of global national conflicts in the last 60 years are related to natural resources.

This commitment is manifested through contributing to international efforts in this area and backing related international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, (CITES) and the London Declaration on Illegal Wildlife Trade.

UAE is committed in developing the legislative and organisational procedures to protect biodiversity and wildlife, establishing more wildlife sanctuaries well-recognised around the world for the protection of wildlife and as touristic destinations and launching programmes for the protection of endangered animals, such as the programmes for releasing falcons, the Houbara and the Arabian oryx.

The UAE has led a concerted effort over several years that led to the establishment of several programmes for wildlife protection such as the Shaikh Zayed programme for the releasing of falcons, Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed?s programme for the releasing of the Arabian oryx, the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation are just to name few.These programmes and funds have contributed to an increase in the number of animals that were deemed endangered and led to their return to their original habitat as well.

The UAE has put in place regulations and legal legislations that have strict penalties for those engaging in illegal wildlife trade. It has also developed its capability to detect the trade at the borders and the mechanisms to exchange information with the relevant regional and international organisations.

Source: www.khaleejtimes.com