Ecuador’s aviation sector supports the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking

As part of the celebration of Aviation Day (17 March 2022) in Ecuador, organised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, ACI-LAC, ALTA, and ARLAE, the airline industry signed a joint statement reaffirming its commitment to fight against illegal wildlife trafficking. Additionally, it called on the national government to redouble its efforts to enforce the law and for greater public order control to prevent these crimes, which cause an invaluable loss to the country’s biodiversity.

Airline and airport representatives pledged to continue working proactively with government agencies and conservation organisations to adopt protocols and procedures to control and prevent this illegal trade. The airline industry also reiterated its commitment to comply with the Buckingham Palace and Buenos Aires declarations against illegal wildlife trafficking. Finally, the sector highlighted the importance of awareness programmes, information exchange, and incident reporting systems in a country with enormous natural wealth and habitat for thousands of species – many of them declared endangered.

In this regard, the airline industry in Ecuador, represented by IATA, ACI-LAC, ALTA, and ARLAE:

1. Urges airlines and airports to continue denouncing illegal wildlife trade
2. Calls on airline companies and airports to redouble efforts to raise awareness among passengers, customers, and staff about the nature, magnitude, and consequences of illegal wildlife trade
3. Calls on the Government of Ecuador to allocate more resources to control this illegal trade
4. Urges airlines, airports, carriers, and all other stakeholders in the air transport sector to continue to work proactively with government entities and conservation organisations to address the problem
5. And, requests national airlines to continue to adopt appropriate policies and procedures that discourage this illegal trade, considering the importance of awareness programmes, information sharing, and incident reporting systems.