March 03, 2016, Washington, DC

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the US Department of Interior and the US Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (USWTA) that 16 major companies pledged commitments to combat wildlife crime:

“A massive surge in wildlife crime in recent years is urgently threatening our planet’s most iconic species,” said Ginette Hemley, senior vice president for Wildlife Conservation. “Collaboration across all sectors is absolutely essential to ending this crisis.

“This commitment by corporate leaders will go a long way in addressing two key facets of wildlife crime – trafficking and consumer demand. Companies can have a direct impact on the wildlife crime crisis by securing their supply chains and empowering consumers to make responsible purchases.

“Integrated partnerships like this, where governments, private industry, and NGOs work together, will be critical to putting an end to the scourge of wildlife crime.”