Prince William is calling for a collective effort among different groups and sectors in ending the illegal wildlife trade, saying that this long-existing problem was, recently, highlighted due to the coronavirus public health crisis.
The Duke of Cambridge was in a virtual meeting with the United for Wildlife Taskforces and different conservation groups when he posed a challenge to work together. Prince William said that the timing is ripe for organizations, governments and the law enforcement to act and take urgent steps against wildlife trade.
Queen Elizabeth's grandson said that efforts to prevent "future zoonotic disease pandemics" are devised to also eliminate poaching and similar illegal activities. However, he believes that everyone has a crucial role to play to make this concerted effort work.
Prince William cited that not one country is immune to the public health crisis brought on by the coronavirus, which was reported to have originated from bats sold in a fresh food market in China. The Duke of Cambridge said that it is important to learn the right lessons from this pandemic to determine what can be done to manage or even stop the next potential outbreak.
In May, Prince William also talked to the United for Wildlife Joint Taskforce who conducted operations against wildlife traffickers in Africa. The organization is working alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton's The Royal Foundation in stopping the trafficking of wildlife animals for sale. They have tapped the resources of 40 leading airline, shipping and port companies, as well as NGOs and customs agencies.
During that meeting, Prince William praised the efforts of the taskforce, which resulted in the arrest of 10 traffickers, the establishment of 52 laws to protect the animals, and the seizure of £375 million worth of wildlife animal products. But, the royal said more work needs to be done against this criminal network. In particular, the Duke of Cambridge wants stringent laws and sanctions against wildlife traffickers.
Meanwhile, in June, Prince William visited scientists at Oxford University, which is, presently, working on a vaccine against the coronavirus. He told them that the world will be relieved if their work turns out to be a success.
A report from Bloomberg cites that the initial results of the vaccine looks promising and might, actually, be working against the virus. This vaccine is in its third phase of the trial and has helped more than 10,000 people in the U.K. where coronavirus cases have been dropping.
