NEWSDESK
Major changes required at CITES to prevent the next pandemic
It’s time to rethink the role of CITES, says its former head, John Scanlon. He went on to say during an IUCN webinar that CITES has no teeth to enforce wildlife trade laws and could possibly even cause the next pandemic. He said that CITES does not regulate the way the wildlife is harvested, handled, sold or consumed. “Captive breeding facilities, which now account for close to 60% of trade in animals, are not assessed by CITES on public health grounds. Yet all of these activities can pose a risk factor for the emergence of zoonotic diseases.” Read more: Daily Maverick
Ecotourism collapse threatens communities and wildlife
From the vast plains of the Maasai Mara in Kenya to the delicate corals of the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles, conservation work to protect some of the world’s most important ecosystems is facing crisis following a collapse in ecotourism during the Covid-19 pandemic. Organisations that depend on visitors to fund projects for critically endangered species and rare habitats could be forced to close, after border closures and worldwide travel restrictions abruptly halted revenue generated from tourism. Read more: The Guardian
Wuhan officially bans eating wild animals
Authorities in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, have officially banned the eating of all wild animals. As part of the ban, the city introduced stringent controls on the breeding of all wild animals, prohibiting any to be reared for food. Wuhan will also join a wider scheme across the country to offer buyouts to farmers who breed wild animals. Read more: Independent
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