Pretoria - Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa is expected to participate in a World Leaders’ Dialogue in Australia on Monday to discuss the impact of the illegal wildlife trade.
Illicit wildlife trade ranks among drug, human and arms trafficking as one of the most lucrative syndicate crimes worldwide.
This crime has been recognised as contributing to the extinction of species, disrupting critical ecosystem functions, undermining sustainable economic development and threatening communities, livelihoods and human health.
The World Leaders’ Dialogue will explore the causes and effects of illegal wildlife trade, and new approaches and investments to combat it.
It will also explore how the issue extends far beyond wildlife crime to include trade in forest, agricultural and fishing products, fuel and more.
The minister will use the occastion to explore the issue of rhino poaching in South Africa, the need to develop and implement integrated actions that includes community partnerships and collaboration across all spheres of government, nationally and internationally.
Other participants include, Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt, Co-founder of Let Elephants be Elephants in Singapore Nadya Hutagalung, WWF Director General Marco Lambertini, Executive Director of Rhino Foundation of Indonesia Widodo Ramono, Head of the Environment Investigation Agency Mary Rice, Secretary-General of CITES John Scanlon and President of the International Rangers’ Federation Sean Willmore. – SAnews.gov.za
