From pandemics to protection—discussing wildlife trade and COVID-19 with Freeland

Every year, billions of dollars line the pockets of criminal organizations engaging in human trafficking and the trade in endangered wildlife species.

This year, the coronavirus pandemic unearthed the links between rising wildlife trafficking and disease outbreaks transmitted from animals to humans—the failure to protect the world’s critical ecosystems and most vulnerable continuing to wreak devastation across the world.

Freeland is an organization with a mission: to protect people and wildlife from organized crime and corruption, while revitalizing ecosystems and communities for a more secure world. It is a second funding round grantee of PMI IMPACT, a global initiative supporting organizations to implement impactful projects against illegal trade. Through this platform, they can build innovative solutions to eradicate the illegal activities affecting the economy and threatening societal security.

STOP: ILLEGAL spoke to Steven Galster, Chair of Freeland’s International Management Committee, to discuss the links between wildlife trade and COVID-19. To avoid history repeating itself, he is calling for a complete global ban on commercial trade in wild animals.

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