From endangered animals torn from their natural homes to protected species boxed up for profit, wildlife trafficking turns living beings into cargo. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is warning traffickers that exploiting endangered animals can carry prison terms of up to 15 years and fines as high as Dh2 million, or about $545,000 USD, according to The Filipino Times.
The country has a zero-tolerance policy for wildlife trafficking under its commitments to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as CITES, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said.
The UAE will continue strengthening its legal, regulatory, and technological frameworks and expanding international cooperation, according to Al Dahak. The legislative update aims to tighten border controls and protect global biodiversity, News of Bahrain reported.
The regulations also give border and environmental authorities stronger powers to seize illegal wildlife and other protected biological specimens at entry points. The update aims to close loopholes used by smugglers and reduce the risk of international trafficking networks using the country as a transit hub.
Stopping traffickers before they move animals across borders can spare vulnerable wildlife from terrifying journeys and cruel markets. For the animals caught in trafficking networks, the trade can mean terror, confinement, injury, separation from their natural homes, and death. Trafficked animals may be sold as exotic pets, status symbols, meat, medicine, skins, scales, or other body parts while entire species are pushed closer to extinction.
The need for strong enforcement is global. Lady Freethinker previously reported that almost 20,000 endangered or protected live animals were seized during Operation Thunder, a worldwide enforcement effort involving the World Customs Organization, INTERPOL, and agencies across many countries and regions.
The UAE ministry also cited conservation work involving Arabian oryx, houbara bustards, dugongs, falcons, and other species, while emphasizing international cooperation to fight trafficking and environmental crime.
Lady Freethinker applauds stronger action against wildlife trafficking and urges governments everywhere to treat this cruelty with the seriousness it deserves. Wild animals are not products, trophies, or cargo. They are sentient beings who belong in the wild, safe from traffickers and the people who profit from their suffering.
