From: BOSQUES AMAZÓNICOS, virtual Year 4, N °5 – Iquitos, Peru
Second Week of April 2004
In order to define a national strategy to combat the illegal trafficking of wild species, which currently produces around $15 billion world-wide, a conference was held in Lima in the \”Los Altos\” hall of the María Angola de Miraflores hotel on April 7, 2004 called \”Conference on Wild Fauna in Peru,\” which relied on the participation of diverse conservation institutions from both government and civil society.
According to research done by the environmental institution Traffic and the Spanish National Network Against Illegal Wild Fauna Commerce, 47% of the species captured and commercialized in international markets come from South American forests. After the illegal trafficking of drugs and arms, the species trade occupies third place.
The event was inaugurated by the director of INRENA, César Álvarez Falcón. Also participating in the conclave were the director of Conservation International in Peru, Antonio Telesca, the General Manager of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in our country, Corinne Schirmer; and the representative of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Right Myriam Cerdán, among others.
On the other hand, during the first third of 2004, INRENA made various interventions to combat the traffic of wild species, managing to seize 128 mammals, 215 birds, 288 reptiles, 77 amphibians, 12,027 land invertebrate and 135,000 kilograms of meat.
Concerning international cooperation, Connie Schirmer declared that international donors are readily available to create wild animal rescue centers for the reintroduction of to their natural habitat. \”The Swiss government has a project to foment tourism in Peru. The want to come to see animals in their natural habitat in a way that strongly involves the local populations,\” she said.
The forum was organized by INRENA, Friends of the Animals, APECO, Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Peru, Conservation International, GEA, Patronage of the Park of the Legend, Peruvian Society of Environmental Right and the WWF.
In the international context, hunting and the illegal trafficking of wile animals causes alarming decreases in the biodiversity of the planet, with Peru being one of the eight privileged nations endowed with rich flora and fauna housed within their forests.
During the discussions, the assistants agreed on the importance of joining forces in the elaboration of a \”National Strategy of Administration and Control of Wild Fauna,\” which would be presented in the \”International Congress of Wild Fauna Management in the Amazon,\” occurring in Iquitos next September.
ParksWatch-Peru, April 2004