[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3668-3669]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, in commemoration of World Wildlife Day on 
March 3, I rise to bring attention to the catastrophic effects of 
wildlife trafficking on global and economic security and the urgent 
need to crush this demand for these illegal products.
  Conserving natural resources is a priority for me, particularly as 
chair of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee; it is a priority for my 
State of Maryland, and it is a priority for this administration. But 
the responsibility of protecting natural resources, such as wildlife, 
doesn't just sit with one State or one country. It requires a 
coordinated, global effort. Wildlife trafficking is a multibillion-
dollar-per-year, transnational, sophisticated network of organized 
criminals. As the demand for elephant ivory, rhino horns, and other 
wildlife products resurges, the trade has become an illicit business 
similar to drug and arms smuggling. And as such, we must approach the

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problem with an equally hard-hitting strategy.
  The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, 
reports that in 2012, an estimated 22,000 elephants were slaughtered 
across Africa. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 
approximately 2,800 rhinos have been poached in South Africa since 
2008, a more than 7,000-percent increase compared to the previous 17 
years, mostly destined for Asian countries. Hundreds of park rangers 
are being gunned down by poachers, leaving behind devastated families 
with no income. Illegal wildlife trafficking threatens our species and 
is pushing some to the edge of extinction. The illicit trade hurts 
developing communities, damages tourism, risks people's livelihood or 
worse, ends lives.
  In February, President Obama released the first-ever National 
Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. I joined colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle to urge the administration to produce a bold, 
goal-oriented, and whole-of-government approach to combat this growing 
problem of illicit wildlife trafficking. I commend the administration 
for its aggressive plan, and I hope we see swift implementation in the 
three areas of enforcement, demand reduction, and partner-building.
  The image of wildlife trafficking is often tied to the African 
Continent. But the other side--the consumer-demand side, primarily 
driven in Asia--must be viewed closely as well. With growing wealth in 
the Asia region, wildlife is being used for traditional and 
nontraditional medicines, trophies, clothing or pets. As the demand 
grows, the price of these products continues to skyrocket. We must 
leverage our bilateral and regional relationships to educate 
communities about the real effects of this trade.
  As chair of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, I am 
particularly pleased to see the tremendous cooperation between the 
United States and China on this issue. At the 2013 Strategic and 
Economic Dialogue, the two countries committed to cooperate on 
enforcement issues and efforts to end the supply and demand for such 
products. On January 6, China destroyed more than 5 tons of ivory, 
publicly demonstrating their commitment to protecting elephant 
populations. The United States, Kenya, Gabon, and the Philippines have 
held similar events. In a joint 1-month global operation earlier this 
year, the United States and China joined with 26 countries, plus 
international organizations such as ASEAN, to target wildlife 
trafficking criminals resulting in over 400 arrests and more than 350 
major wildlife seizures. This type of collaboration is critical and 
more needs to be done.
  At the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade February 12-13, 
2014, representatives from over 40 countries joined together and issued 
a declaration urging action. There is no doubt that governments 
recognize the urgency in solving this problem. But we need to build on 
this momentum, match our words with action, ensure developing countries 
have the capacity to address enforcement issues, hold criminals 
accountable, and educate communities to look beyond short-term benefits 
toward the dangerous long-term effects of illegal trafficking.
  I urge all my colleagues to work together to strengthen existing 
laws, adopt new laws, and pressure consumers to put an end to this 
damaging trade before the illegal trade puts an end to our world's most 
precious wildlife.

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