05 June 2008
Actor Harrison Ford Speaks Out Against Wildlife Trafficking
“When the buying stops, the killing can, too” is new campaign message
Washington -- Hollywood, WildAid, the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) and the U.S. government have joined forces to fight wildlife trafficking with three public service announcements featuring actor Harrison Ford. Actress Bo Derek and Assistant Secretary of State Claudia McMurray launched the clips at the United Nations in New York June 5, World Environment Day.
Ford, best known for his screen characters Han Solo and Indiana Jones, donated his work to this campaign against wildlife trafficking.
“Never buy illegal wildlife products. When the buying stops, the killing can too," Ford says, surrounded by tourist souvenirs made from endangered animals. “It might look nothing like the animal itself but don't be fooled. An animal has been killed to make one of these."
“Thanks, anyway. Drop me a postcard instead,” Ford says, as he tosses aside a snakeskin boot.
Animals are trafficked for ornaments, clothing accessories, exotic cuisine and live animals for pets, but most devastating to several species is their use in Chinese traditional medicine. The tiger and rhinoceros, especially, are being driven to extinction by this trade. Elephants, whose ivory tusks are prized for ornaments, are likewise threatened.
“A thin line separates a buyer from a killer,” Ford says in one of the announcements.
Ford, a longtime environmental activist, is a vice-chairman of the board of Conservation International.
Derek also has championed the cause of endangered and abused animals, and has served as special envoy for the U.S. secretary of state on wildlife issues since 2006. (See “Earth Day Starts as Actress Named U.S. Special Wildlife Envoy.”)
“Many people who buy these products have no idea that their purchases help push these creatures toward extinction,” Derek said at the launch of the announcements. “Do not buy any products that come from endangered species,” she said, stressing the importance of public- and private-sector cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
McMurray recently testified before Congress on the importance of stopping illegal trade in animals. “Wildlife trafficking is often linked to other forms of organized crime, including the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people,” she said.
The U.S. State Department enlisted conservation organization WildAid and Ford in the effort to reach a global audience and raise consumers’ awareness about the magnitude of criminal trafficking in wildlife. The announcements are being distributed via U.S. embassies worldwide.
Besides creating significant losses of precious plant and animal species, the illegal wildlife trade poses health hazards as animals infected with diseases such as avian influenza and Ebola virus are transported around the world.
The global black market in wildlife and wildlife products is estimated to generate about $10 billion annually, and much of it is organized by international crime syndicates, the same professional criminals who typically are involved in human trafficking and drug smuggling. This is one reason the United States has taken a hard line against the illegal wildlife trade and co-founded the CAWT in 2005.
Today, CAWT has six government and 13 international nongovernmental organization partners. The partnership works with international anti-trafficking law enforcement and conservation organizations, and assisted the Association of Southeast Asia Nations to establish its wildlife enforcement network (ASEAN-WEN). (See “Combating Global Illegal Wildlife Trade a U.S. Priority.”)
