Brussels – 13 January, 2014 – The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) issued the following statement on upcoming debate on wildlife trafficking in the European Parliament:

“With debate on a landmark wildlife trafficking resolution beginning today, WCS looks to the European Parliament to make a powerful statement to the world that eliminating illegal hunting and the ivory trade is a priority,” said John Calvelli, WCS's Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. “As global citizens, we all carry the responsibility to protect elephants and other threatened species in the wild by stopping the killing, stopping the trafficking, and stopping the demand.

In particular, we hope that members of the European Parliament heed the statement made by several African elephant range States at the September meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (an initiative of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) that urged countries to declare national moratoria on any commercial trade in ivory because of the crisis. WCS hopes that the European Commission and EU Member States will now take the appropriate action needed to make a moratorium in Europe a reality. It is time to close domestic ivory markets. Without unprecedented action around the world, wildlife crime threatens to wipe out iconic species including elephants, rhinos and tigers.”

CONTACT:
STEPHEN SAUTNER: (1-718-220-3682; ssautner@wcs.org)
MARY DIXON: (1-347-840-1242; mdixon@wcs.org))

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; http:/facebook.com/TheWCS; youtube.com/user/WCSMedia; follow: @theWCS.

Special Note to the Media: If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a Web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to www.wcs.org.