A deputy at the Department of Environment praised the United Nations resolution aimed at curbing wildlife crimes.
Ali Teymouri, deputy for hunting and fishing at DOE, said, “The UN has made wildlife protection a priority and the world has become more sensitive to the problem,” Mehr News Agency reported.
Last week’s UN resolution upheld the seriousness of wildlife crime, putting it on a par with trafficking people and arms—a development that campaigners hope will take the issue out of its environmental niche and make it a priority for every nation.
The UN resolution has been three years in the making and builds on a declaration last year in London. It calls on governments to broaden the resources and legal tools they commit to tackling wildlife crime.
Teymouri said the department has received the draft agreement and will issue an official statement in 10 days, after carefully reviewing the document.
Wildlife Protection
Elaborating on the department’s measures to combat poaching, the official said fines for illegal hunting have increased dramatically, which is expected to deter would-be poachers.
Teymouri pointed to DOE’s revised regulations and said the department has banned hunting of all quadrupeds and restricted hunting of birds.
The additional legal tools and resources that the resolution calls for would also enable countries to combat activities associated with wildlife trafficking, such as money laundering.
From now on, governments will have to report back each year to the UN General Assembly on their progress, according to New Scientist.
“This enhances the accountability needed and will give the international community a sense of where progress is being made and where the gaps are,” says Sabri Zain, director of advocacy at TRAFFIC, an international organization monitoring illegal trade in wildlife parts.
