Tired of snakes on your plane? Fight back with IATA’s animal trade tool [VIDEO]

Every year, US$19 billion worth of illegal trade in animals and plants takes place, and the aviation industry is stepping up its efforts to prevent this illicit and ecologically damaging activity. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched its Airport Wildlife Trafficking Assessment Tool, which shows aviation industry workers how to identify and report smugglers of endangered species.

The digital tool helps aviation workers assess supply-chain security, intelligence and risk management, and also to implement a reporting processes. These measures are also designed to increase staff awareness of the issue and complement extant air cargo and passenger screening policies and procedures.

The Assessment Tool was launched at this week’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in Hanoi to discuss ways to eradicate trafficking. The UK’s Prince William used the platform to call for Vietnam and other countries in the region to shut down illegal wildlife markets and fight against the trafficking of rhino horn, ivory and tiger parts.

Painter Salvador Dali certainly looked iconic walking his anteater in Paris in 1969, but the reality is that many exotic pets undergo serious trauma during transportation, and end up in environments that are unsuitable and lead to early death. There’s a reason that monkeys prefer the rainforests of Madagascar over Justin Bieber’s L.A. penthouse. That’s also a reason why his rare capuchin monkey was seized by German authorities back in 2013 and he was asked to pay a fine of more than $10,000.

The Assessment Tool, developed in partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the USAID ROUTES Partnership, will be piloted later this month at Maputo International Airport, Mozambique, in November 2016. A global rollout is planned for 2017.

“The illegal trafficking of wildlife products, including many iconic and endangered species, is an issue which the aviation industry takes very seriously, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO. “It will take a team effort to combat this deplorable trade. We are working in close partnership with USAID Routes, WCO, CITES and other organizations to make the world a much more difficult place for wildlife traffickers. Our common goal is to preserve our precious wildlife inheritance for future generations to enjoy.”