Wildlife trafficking is crippling the planet

Please read the full article on EURACTIV.COM

EXCERPT (…) Here in Europe, we have our own critically endangered species. European eels are targeted at a juvenile life stage and feed a market in South East Asia where they are eaten as delicacies, they are described as Europe’s ivory and they are worth more than cocaine at $2 each for a tiny glass eel. As the name suggests they are found in European waters and it is the responsibility of European countries to protect them from being poached to extinction.

In 2014, I set up the cross-party group ‘MEPs For Wildlife’. We have been working together to get the European Commission to act and deliver the European Union’s Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking. This action plan was set up to prevent the destruction caused by wildlife crime. It is making good progress, environmental crime has become a high- security priority and extra funding is being delivered to Europol to combat wildlife crime. (…)

http://meps4wildlife.eu