Recently the WCA have agreed to be part of a coalition led by World Animal Protection calling for a ban on the trade of wildlife. The Campaign will engage with the UK government through letters, questions in Parliament and a Parliamentary reception before the G20 Summit scheduled for October 2020. The campaign has also included the launch of a petition which you can view and we encourage partners to share from here:

In addition, through our participation in the Asia for Animals Coalition (AFA), the WCA has also continued to sign-on to a number of campaigns and appeals led by AFA and various other colleague NGO’s. Whilst the majority of these have not been directly cetacean related, the trade of wildlife and use of animals in entertainment are a persisting concern for marine mammals so it is important the WCA lends it’s collective support to wildlife focused appeals as much as possible.

Here is a snapshot of some of the recent campaigns the WCA has supported through the AFA coalition:

• Appealed for a temporary ban on breeding of captive elephants – Thailand
• Lobbied YouTube to discontinue allowing animal cruelty videos – USA
• Call on the UNWTO to phase out captive wildlife tourism as an essential element of ‘growing back better’ and preparing for tomorrow’s responsible tourism
• Supported joint letters to the World Health Organisation demanding it speaks out on the need to ban wildlife markets
• Appeal regarding the export of Macaques from the Philippines for medical research/testing
• Ending the dog meat trade in Cambodia
• Appeal to the WHO regarding health risks and wildlife markets – the need for a permanent global ban on wildlife markets
• Appeal to the IUCN to consider ‘Bosselmann’s report’ and its findings in the next World Conservation Congress in 2024 regarding the controversial ties the IUCN apparently has with trophy hunting
• Letter regarding issues facing Japanese macaques (aka snow monkeys) in Japan. In particular, the ‘Sarumawashi’ (monkey performance) featured on National Geographic
• Letter appealing to the President of China (Mr Xi Jingping) to appeal for him to end the wildlife trade and close wildlife wet markets in China where the spread of the Coronavirus first arose
• An open letter targeting the WHO, OIE and UNEP, and key government and intergovernmental organisations, calling on them to encourage governments to shut down wildlife markets and work to reduce demand for wild animals and wildlife products in order to reduce risks to human health, while also helping to reduce threats to biodiversity and animal welfare.