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Rare wildlife caught on camera: red pandas, blue-eared pheasants, and more!

2013-05-22

These rare images taken in remote habitats in China show the dazzling array of species found in central-western China, where the giant panda lives alongside many other species including the red panda, Tibetan stump-tailed macaque, golden pheasant and leopard cat.

The landscapes in the Sichuan Province are incredibly rich in wildlife. China itself is one of the 12 globally recognised ‘mega-biodiversity’ countries where the number of species, as a whole, make up about one tenth of the total number of species of the world. But some of China’s most important species including, Amur tigers, musk deer and the Yangtze finless porpoise, have undergone a marked decline that was particularly severe between the 1960s and 1980s. John Barker, head of China and India programmes at WWF-UK said:

“China’s growing economy is leading to more roads, more railways, and more dams - and this ultimately means more impact on wildlife habitats. Maintaining the integrity and connections between these habitats and landscapes is vital if we are to retain ecologically rich places with diverse wildlife, like that of Sichuan in China.”

Camera trap images are important for learning about how species interact with their environment and for understanding the impact of human activities in the area. Through this visual research we learn how to better manage these habitats so that both people and nature thrive. See more stunning camera trap images of wildlife in the Mara.

Prince Charles and Prince William call for action to end wildlife crime

2013-05-22

Update: HRH The Prince of Wales (WWF-UK’s President) and HRH The Duke of Cambridge hosted a high-profile international conference at St James’s Palace on 21 May, in collaboration with the UK government, to focus world attention on the urgent battle to end illegal trade in wildlife (#endwildlifecrime). See our Storify page all about the royal event here. You can read the Prince of Wales's speech here in full. And watch this short video of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, speaking about illegal wildlife trade at the event...

Wildlife poaching is nothing new, but the scale has now reached new heights. The world is faced with an epidemic of poaching and trafficking of illegal wildlife products - driven by growing demand, in particular from south-east Asia.

Wildlife losses have reached unsustainable levels - tens of thousands of animals in some places. Some African elephant populations face possible extinction within a decade because of ivory poaching. Both black and white rhino are under unprecedented attack for their horn, which is being traded as a spurious lifestyle drug. Wild tiger numbers across Asia have decreased by more than 90% in 100 years - killed for their skins and bones.

The aim of the royal event on 21 May was to get illegal wildlife trade acknowledged as the serious crime that it is. It’s often, in fact, organised by the same international criminal networks involved in illicit arms or drug smuggling, money laundering, corruption and violence.

Illegal wildlife trade is more than simply a danger to the natural world - it’s a threat to global stability and security. It’s time for wildlife crime to be made a priority by world leaders and law enforcers.

The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge, alongside environment secretary Owen Paterson, addressed influential guests from 26 of the countries particularly affected by illegal wildlife trade, calling for a global partnership and urgent action at the highest levels to end wildlife crime - specifically to:

reduce demand for endangered wildlife products in markets around the world
step up law enforcement against the criminals involved
help local/rural communities find viable alternatives to illegal wildlife trade

Find out more about WWF and TRAFFIC’s campaign to Stop Illegal Wildlife Trade.

Look out for the hashtag #endwildlifecrime on Twitter.

See some amazing images and insights from hands-on wildlife conservation workers in the field who experience life at the sharp end of wildlife protection every day.

Total won’t drill for oil in Virunga World Heritage Site

2013-05-18

Great news from France - oil company Total has made an assurance that it won’t explore for oil within the boundaries of Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Paris on Friday, chairman and CEO Christophe de Margerie responded to questions posed by WWF-France by confirming that Total is making a “commitment to respect the current limits” of the park, Africa’s oldest World Heritage Site.

Virunga National Park is recognised by UNESCO and the DRC government as a place of outstanding natural value.

Oil exploration there is simply unacceptable - we want to preserve Virunga for the people that depend on it for their sustainable livelihoods.

We’re pleased Total has given this clear and comprehensive assurance that they won’t conduct any oil exploration or exploitation activities inside Virunga National Park.

Pandamonium puts the spotlight on art and nature

2013-05-14

On 30 May, leading designers Sue Timney and Jason Bruges will put the spotlight on how art can articulate the environmental challenges we face at an exclusive event to mark Pandamonium, an innovative new design exhibition opening to the public this month.

The ‘In Conversation’ event will give you the chance to hear first-hand from two of Pandamonium’s contributors whose pieces – ‘Colourless green ideas sleep furiously’ and ‘Panda Eyes’ (pictured) - make up just two of those on display at The Lightbox, Woking’s gallery and museum, from 24 May to 26 June.

Doors to the interactive session open at 6.30pm and tickets (£12-15) are available by calling 01483 737837.

From wearable sculptures to innovative interpretations of classic WWF panda collection boxes, the new exhibit features works of art by internationally-renowned artists and designers including Peter Blake, Jim Lambie and Rachel Whiteread, who have each taken WWF’s global conservation work and iconic ‘panda’ symbol as their inspiration. It will also feature three pieces by Andy Warhol created in 1983, each depicting endangered species – a giant panda, orang-utan and bighorn ram.

“Pandamonium is an exciting fusion of art and nature, with each piece reflecting WWF’s global conservation work as interpreted by leading contemporary minds from the art, fashion and design worlds” says WWF’s Georgina Bridge. “The collection captures both the beauty and fragility of the natural world, and offers an exciting and creative glimpse into WWF’s work – who we are and what we do.”

You can

Find out more and purchase your ticket to the In-Conversation event with Sue Timney and Jason Bruges (30 May; doors open 6.30pm)
Find out more about the Pandamonium exhibition at The Lightbox (24 May – 26 June)

CO2 hits highest level for 3 million years

2013-05-10

The level of climate-changing carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has reached 400 parts per million (400ppm) for the first time in human history.

Data from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii on 9 May, recorded by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, have confirmed that the worrying 400ppm landmark level has been reached. The last time CO₂ was this high was between three and five million years ago (the Pliocene era) - before humans had evolved on the planet.

Responding to the news, our CEO David Nussbaum states: “The milestone we’ve just reached is a reminder that we are heading in the wrong direction in terms of dealing with climate change.

"It challenges us all to come to terms with the fact that fossil fuels need to stay in the ground and that, instead, we need to switch to renewable alternatives if we want to avoid dangerous climate change in the future.

“There is limited time for governments to achieve the goal they have set themselves for agreeing a global deal that effectively tackles climate change. Our political leaders have it in their power to address their chronic failure to agree a deal that reflects what is scientifically necessary to reverse the rise in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.”

We're calling for the global climate deal due to be concluded in 2015 to reflect the best available science as represented by the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report, which will be coming out later this year.

A recent report by Carbon Tracker and LSE showed that between 60-80% of coal, oil and gas reserves of publicly listed companies need to be considered ‘unburnable’ if the world is to have a chance of not exceeding global warming of 2°C.

We're calling on the UK government to show national and global leadership in the urgent transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable low-carbon economy.

Elephant massacre at world heritage site - time to end wildlife crime

2013-05-10

At least 26 elephants were massacred in the Dzanga Bai World Heritage Site in the Central African Republic this week, after 17 people armed with Kalashnikov rifles entered this unique elephant habitat - it's known locally as the “village of elephants", though it's now being dubbed an “elephant mortuary”.

WWF sources on Thursday said they had counted at least 26 elephant carcasses in and around the Bai, a large clearing where between 50 and 200 elephants congregate every day to drink nutrients from the sands.

Four of the elephants were calves, the sources said. Local villagers had also started taking meat from the carcasses.

Since the poachers arrived, no more elephants have been seen coming to the Bai. Although the 17 armed individuals, who presented themselves as part of the country’s transitional government forces, have left the area, WWF and other conservation partners fear the killing could continue unless the area is properly secured.

The Central African Republic has been rocked by violence and chaos since the beginning of the year, and WWF and other conservation organisations left the field office next to the Bai in April for security reasons.

Jim Leape, WWF International Director General, says: “The killing has started. The Central African Republic must act immediately to secure this unique World Heritage site.

“The brutal violence we are witnessing in Dzanga Bai threatens to destroy one of the world’s great natural treasures, and to jeopardise the future of the people who live there.

“The international community must also act to assist the Central African Republic to restore peace and order in this country to safeguard its population and its natural heritage.

“WWF also asks Cameroon and the Republic of Congo to assist the Central African Republic in preserving this World Heritage Site, which not only encompasses the Bai, but also includes large neighbouring areas of these two countries.

“The events in Dzanga Bai are a vivid reminder of the existential threat faced by forest elephants in Central Africa. Populations of this species have plummeted 62% over the past 10 years.

“The unfolding tragedy in Dzanga Bai must also spur the governments of China and Thailand to act on their commitments to shut down the ivory markets in their countries that are fueling this illicit trade.”

On 21 May 2013, HRH the Prince of Wales and the UK government will host a conference in London to call for action at the highest levels to stop global illegal wildlife trade. The hashtag on the day is #endwildlifecrime.

You can...
Read the blog by WWF's Angelique Todd, who's been forced to flee Central African Republic since the political coup earlier this year.

Lily Cole’s rainforest rubber rocks the Met Ball

2013-05-09

Our celebrity ambassador Lily Cole was so moved by a trip to the Amazon that she made the ultimate eco-fashion statement at this year’s Met Ball (the fashion industry’s annual gala at New York’s Metropolitan Museum). Lily wore a specially-designed Vivienne Westwood dress with a corset made from Amazonian wild rubber from the Sky Rainforest Rescue project area.

Lily wowed the crowd at the punk-themed fashion event with the ‘Stature of Liberty’ creation, which showed how versatile wild rubber is. She was inspired by a recent visit to the state of Acre, northwest Brazil, as ambassador for Sky Rainforest Rescue – Sky and WWF’s partnership to help save one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest.

During the trip, Lily was able to see first-hand the projects that Sky and WWF have created to help tackle deforestation in the region, and she spent time with a rubber tapping community. The Amazonian wild rubber industry gives people in Acre an alternative source of income that keeps the trees standing.

As Lily explains: “I was very inspired by the possibilities Amazonian wild rubber offers in our effort to halt deforestation… With this in mind, once I left Brazil I immediately thought of Vivienne – knowing how passionate she is about the rainforest – and asked her if she may be interested in exploring a creation made from Amazonian wild rubber. I hope turning rubber into couture is just the beginning of what can be done.”

You can now watch a short film made by Lily on an 8mm camera about her adventures in Brazil. From rubber tappers to caterpillars, she captures the raw beauty of a highly-threatened environment and how local people are working to protect the rainforest. Listen out for the unique soundtrack – written and performed by Lily in the rainforest.

Sky and WWF want young reporters to make the news

2013-04-19

Know any budding presenters, journalists or reporters aged between 7 and 11? Sky and WWF are offering them a chance to show off their skills in our brilliant Young Reporter competition.

The competition – part of a fantastic schools project called I Love Amazon Week – invites pupils to write or film a short news report on a topic linked to the Amazon. (It's all part of Sky Rainforest Rescue - the partnership between Sky and WWF that aims to help save one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest.)

Written entries should be no more than 200 words and video entries no longer than two minutes long – the closing date is Friday 28 June 2013. The lucky winner will earn their school a visit from Charlotte Hawkins, Sky News presenter, as well as £500 towards a green project within their school.

Here are a few of our own fun tips on how to create a great news report (or not)...

About the Amazon, and the Young Reporters competition
Home to one in ten of all wild species on Earth, including the iconic jaguar, the Amazon is a unique and irreplaceable part of our natural world.

All of us, people and wildlife, locally and globally, depend on it every day, whether we realise it or not. But a huge amount of the rainforest is being destroyed, which threatens the future of the people, animals and plants that call the Amazon their home.

As the next generation, young people everywhere play a vital role in understanding and protecting this amazing treasure trove of wildlife and biodiversity - and this competition is a fun and engaging way to get them involved.

Here's Sky's Charlotte Hawkins introducing the competition...

Is your furniture harming tigers in Russian forests?

2013-04-17

The UK is contributing to an "epidemic” of illegal logging that’s seriously endangering Russian forests and rare tigers. And it could be down to the furniture we buy.

Our WWF colleagues in Russia have published research to show that the manufacture of furniture made from illegally logged wood - some of which ends up in the UK - is pushing some of their forests to the brink of destruction.

And that’s threatening the survival of the already-endangered Amur tiger (also known as the Siberian tiger), and the Himalayan bear, as well and affecting people in indigenous communities in Far Eastern Russia.

Our Russian colleagues report that illegal logging has reached “epidemic proportions” in the Ussuri Taiga, with the timber from the area's forests mainly being used to supply furniture and flooring manufacturers across the border in China.

Illegal logging is destroying and degrading vital habitat for Amur tigers and their prey. Scientists estimate there are only around 450 Amur tigers left in the wild.

Over-harvesting limits the supply of pine nuts and acorns - a main food source for tigers’ prey. As timber supplies dwindle, ecologically sensitive forests like wildlife reserves are increasingly threatened too.

Russia’s timber industry has become seriously criminalised. With minimal resources available for law enforcement, illegal loggers have been able to plunder valuable stocks of oak, ash, elm and linden. From 2004–2011, between two and four times more oak timber was cut down and export to China than legally permitted.

The products made from this illegal wood end up in global markets. The UK is the largest trader in timber and wood products from China.

The new EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), introduced in March 2013, is intended to make companies accountable for the timber and wood products they buy and use. But our research shows that just 47 of the 150 categories of timber-based products are within the scope of the EUTR.

That’s why EU companies need to be absolutely sure of the origin and traceability of their wood products.

As our forest campaigner Beatrix Richards explains: “There’s a significant risk that UK companies and consumers buying furniture and flooring could be unwittingly contributing to the problem. If companies aren’t getting their wood products from legal and responsible sources, they risk losing faith with their customers and contributing to the destruction of important forest habitat.”

You can…

Find out more about the illegal trade in timber and connections to the UK

Pledge to buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood products, including furniture

Newborn rhino already an orphan – this is why we do what we do

2013-04-09

It’s barely two weeks since we were all celebrating the birth of two rare rhino calves in Assam in north-east India. Now one of the two mothers is dead. Slaughtered for her horn and claws. And her bewildered calf is struggling to survive without her.

We helped rescue the traumatised and dehydrated orphan after its mother’s body was found. But young rhinos are very dependent on their mothers, and its survival, and rehabilitation, can’t be guaranteed.

It’s a horrific sign of how bad things are right now for rhinos. This latest killing happened in a protected area, in Manas National Park. Ironically it’s where 18 rhinos have been relocated in recent years because poaching threatened to wipe them out elsewhere.

But now the increasingly devious and ruthless poachers have managed to get at the rhinos here too. Four of the 18 relocated rhinos have been killed – part of a shocking upsurge in poaching in this part of India.

The recent birth of the two calves was a great sign that the translocated rhinos were adapting well to their new home and could start another population. The poachers are trying to destroy that hope.

We’re determined not to let these compassionless criminals win. We need to use our sense of outrage – with your crucial backing and support – to make sure local and international authorities step up protection for vulnerable wildlife everywhere. And strengthen sanctions against the terrible trade that kills precious species like the rhino.

You can…

WWF’s Threadless challenge: buy the winning t-shirt now!

2013-03-26

We recently teamed up with Threadless, the well-known online design community, to launch a global WWF t-shirt challenge. We’re delighted to say that the winning design - ‘Melting Away’ by Jana Misheva from Macedonia - is now on sale (see photos below). We think it's great, so please buy it, because 25% of the sales will go straight to help WWF’s work, protecting wildlife and wild places around the world.

There were 420 designs submitted to our Threadless t-shirt challenge in total, from 41 different countries. More than 228,000 votes were cast on the Threadless website, and then the most popular t-shirts were judged by ourselves and Threadless to select one winning design to go into production.

It was a tough decision, but we felt ‘Melting Away’ is a really strong but simple image that beautifully conveys our message about protecting endangered species by saving the places where they live. (In this case, a subtle reminder that we all need to tackle climate change to stop the polar bear’s Arctic home from melting.)

Winning designer Jana Misheva said: “I’m honoured! When I found out about this competition I realised I could help WWF’s work by doing my favourite thing - designing! - and get a message heard on a global scale.

“It was essential to make the visual connection between the threats to polar bears with the melting of sea ice, so I found the parallel in melting ice cream.

“I hope everyone that buys it or sees it will be inspired to live their life in harmony with nature.”

You can buy ‘Melting Away’ - on an eco-friendly organic cotton t-shirt - via the Threadless website right now. The t-shirts cost $23.50 (about £15) each, and a quarter of that comes straight to WWF to support our work. So you can look cool and look after the planet at the same time.

As the winning designer, Jana Misheva also gets a $1,000 cash prize (about £630) as well as other fantastic goodies like a Canon SLR camera and Threadless vouchers.

Both ourselves and Threadless were delighted by the enthusiastic response to this challenge - and to see so many creative people so keen to spread the urgent message about protecting the natural world. Our thanks again to everyone who took part.

You can…
Buy ‘Melting Away’ t-shirts direct from Threadless now

Earth Hour inspiration goes beyond one hour

2013-03-25

WWF’s Earth Hour successfully completed another record-breaking sweep around the planet on Saturday 23 March - from Samoa on one side of the International Date Line to the Cook Islands on the other. Hundreds of millions of people again united to send a clear message - that we're determined to create a sustainable future for our planet.

Earth Hour was celebrated in more than 7,000 cities, towns and villages in over 150 countries. An impressive number of the world’s best known landmarks went dark for the hour - from the Kremlin in Moscow to the Empire State Building in New York.

But most importantly, Earth Hour is the inspiration behind so many 'beyond the hour' activities and pledges to help tackle climate change and protect the natural environment.

People from all walks of life and backgrounds went to amazing lengths to share what the planet means to them and what they're willing to do to protect it.

As WWF director general Jim Leape summed it up, "Earth Hour has created a global community, and together we really can make a difference."

In the UK we ran a live online broadcast of Earth Hour events for the first time ever. You can relive the UK's Earth Hour Live experience - including a live acoustic gig by McFly.

Earth Hour around the world
Here's some video snippets of Earth Hour switch-offs as they came in from around the world on Saturday night...

Russian supporters, who last year helped secure a law against oil pollution at sea, now have more than 100,000 signatures on a new petition calling for forest protection.

In Madagascar WWF and Earth Hour partners handed out 1,000 wood-saving stoves to victims of February’s cyclone Haruna, saving families money while reducing impacts on forests.

Villages in India that haven't had electricity are now being lit up with solar energy for the first time, thanks to Earth Hour initiatives.

In Libya, Earth Hour participants took on an 80km walk from Gharyan to the capital Tripoli.

Countries across the world have used Earth Hour as a way to engage children in environmental issues, working with initiatives like Green Schools in Indonesia and the Low-Carbon School Network in Thailand.

Also with the focus on younger supporters, there was a rap concert in Benghazi in Libya, a rock concert in Nepal’s second largest city Pokhara, a band concert in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, a free reggae show in Kingston Jamaica, and performances in Hanoi and Vietnam, among many other places.

In Singapore, where there's a drive to reduce the country’s energy consumption by cutting back on air conditioning, a dancefloor completely powered by kinetic energy generated enough power for an outdoor cinema.

Canadian astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko both sent messages and images from space, with their unique perspective of seeing Earth from above, with all its natural wonders and energy-guzzling cities. The message was about how much we depend on this beautiful and fragile planet - and how its health depends on us too.

Places participating in Earth Hour for the first time included Palestine, Suriname, Rwanda and Tunisia, birthplace of the Arab Spring.

Vancouver in Canada was announced as the first ever Global Earth Hour Capital, recognised unanimously by a jury of experts for its innovative actions on climate change and dedication to creating a sustainable, pleasant urban environment - for instance their aim is for all new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2020.

Celebrities endorsing Earth Hour 2013 included Lionel Messi, Yoko Ono, Jessica Alba, Imogen Heap and more. Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela was one of the first to tweet his support for Earth Hour on the night, and he emphasised the importance of forests in our world, saying: “The trees & forests were destroyed exactly because our people were so dependent upon them as sources of energy."

Tens of thousands of Earth Hour images were uploaded online on the night too.

Thank you to everyone who was part of WWF's Earth Hour 2013. It's not too late to sign up to show your support.

Earth Hour will be back next year on Saturday 29 March!

You can...

Sign up to say you support WWF's Earth Hour, if you haven't already

See how Earth Hour happened across the globe - in photos and videos

Relive the UK's Earth Hour Live experience - including a live acoustic gig by McFly

WWF and Coca-Cola: a year of protecting English rivers

2013-03-22

Watch our film to see how we’ve helped to protect and restore unique English chalk streams in the first year of our partnership with Coca-Cola.

Today is World Water Day – a chance to celebrate the vital importance of fresh water. It’s a double celebration for us, because it’s also the first anniversary of our freshwater partnership with Coca-Cola. Together we’ve already made some great progress in helping to restore English rivers. For example, we’re working to improve the health of the River Nar, in the Norfolk countryside. The Nar is one of only 200 chalk streams in the world, over two thirds of which are here in the UK.

The Nar is a site of special scientific interest. In its healthiest stretches the river’s water is pure and clear and teeming with wildlife. It’s home to otters, water voles, trout and kingfishers.

But not all of the Nar is thriving. Some of it is suffering because too much water has been taken from the river to support domestic water supplies and agriculture. And it’s impacted by pollution – mainly pesticides and fertiliser from local farms. In many stretches of the river, this has resulted in the disappearance of the species traditionally found along chalk streams.

The Nar flows through an area where around 80% of the sugar beets used in the drinks Coca-Cola manufactures in the UK is grown. Through our partnership, and our work to help reduce the negative impact of farming on the river, Coke is showing a pioneering commitment to improve the sustainability of the supply chain for its drinks in the UK.

Together, we’re helping to restore the river to its natural, meandering state in places where it’s been artificially changed over the years to flow in straight trenches. This restoration helps the river and surrounding meadows work more harmoniously together in times of flood. And it makes the river a more attractive home for wildlife.

We're addressing the issue of pollution and sedimentation that seeps into the river from local farms, causing excessive algal growth and smothering gravles - which destroys natural wildlife habitats and prevents fish spawning. For example,we're working with farmers to find ways to reduce agricultural pollution by implementing more sustainable farming methods such as altering the times of ploughing and leaving buffer strips around fields to help capture pollution running off the fields before it enters the river.

We’re also working with the Norfolk Rivers Trust to develop a plan for the Nar and its catchment area that outlines how to manage the river so it’ll have the best chance of flourishing. And the project is demonstrating what good river management can look like – so across the country others can follow suit.

Much more needs to be done in the coming years to help bring English rivers back from the brink.

But after our first year we’ve made some great strides towards our goal, and we’re already seeing positive impacts on the ground.

Watch Lily Cole in the Amazon as part of Rainforest Week on Sky

2013-03-11

Starting today Sky will be dedicating a whole week to showcasing rainforest and environment programming. And we’re especially excited because we'll be launching a new film about Sky Rainforest Rescue: 'Lily Cole's Amazon Adventure'.

The 20 minute film sees Lily – our celebrity ambassador – make her first journey to the Brazilian Amazon to see first-hand the projects you’re supporting to help tackle deforestation.

Tune in for ‘Lily Cole’s Amazon Adventure’ at 8pm on 17 March. Or go to our website to see the full Rainforest Week programme, which kicks off today, Monday 11 March.

WWF discuss ivory and CITES on Channel 5 news

2013-03-06

Colin Butfield, head of our campaigns and engagement team, talks about why CITES trade rules needs to be enforced, the importance of the Thai Prime Minister's announcement on ivory, and what we're doing to stop illegal wildlife trade.

Polar bears, WWF and CITES trade bans

2013-03-05

CITES listings are all about controlling international trade in wildlife. At WWF we often support complete trade bans, for example when it comes to tigers and rhinos. But right now polar bears are a different case - and we'll tell you why.

The big threat to polar bears is climate change and loss of the Arctic sea ice they need to survive – it's not to do with international trade.

Polar bears don’t actually meet the criteria set by CITES for an Appendix I listing (an outright trade ban) – not in terms of either population size, rate of decline or area of distribution.

Some hunting and trading of polar bears does happen, mainly by indigenous people in the Arctic region for whom the bears are a vital resource. There are quotas set in Canada, for example. Simply 'uplisting' the polar bear on CITES (from its current 'Appendix II' restricted trade status to an 'Appendix I’ ban) would have a negligible effect on protecting the species – it wouldn’t even affect Canada’s domestic rules.

And it could actually give a false sense of security, deflecting attention away from the main threat to the bears, namely the warming and loss of their Arctic home.

If, at some stage in the future, polar bear populations do become so diminished by climate change and habitat loss, and international trade does present a greater threat, we would want to revisit the CITES listing issue. But we're not at that point.

Right now there's more to be gained by continuing efforts to reduce climate change and working closely with indigenous people in polar bear range states, as they're the people who live and work most closely with the bears, and can help us ensure the long-term survival of this iconic species.

Trade in polar bears should continue to be closely monitored (see the latest TRAFFIC report on polar bears). If trade increases dangerously and/or the population significantly declines, we would certainly want to re-assess the CITES listing, as we would for any species.

You can...
Adopt a polar bear

See our top 10 polar bear facts

Find out why tackling climate change is so vital for all our work

Thailand to end ivory trade!

2013-03-03

Brilliant news from Bangkok - the Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has pledged to end the country’s ivory trade. Her statement (at the opening of the latest CITES meeting) is a big step forward in the fight against the illegal international trade that’s endangering the future of elephants and other wildife in Africa. Thank you so much if you’re one of nearly 1.5 million people who signed the petition to the Thai PM - it shows what can be achieved with people power!

The Thai prime minister made her landmark announcement at the start of the latest meeting of CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora), taking place in Bangkok from 3-14 March.

It’s the first time the Thai government has publicly said it would take steps to end ivory trade. Until now, Thailand has allowed the sale of ivory taken from the country’s own elephants, through authorised outlets. But that legal loophole has been abused by international criminals who have flooded the Thai market with illegal ivory from African elephants - fuelling a horrifying increase in elephant poaching.

Right now Thailand is the biggest market for illegal ivory outside of China. That’s why today’s announcement is so important.

Prime Minister Shinawatra says their next step will be, “...amending the national legislation with the goal of putting an end on ivory trade and to be in line with international norms. This will help protect all forms of elephants including Thailand’s wild and domestic elephants and those from Africa.”

It’s obviously a great step forward, but we all have to keep up the pressure for change. We need to see a timeline for the ban, which must be put into force urgently, because elephant poaching is already at crisis levels.

Thank you again to everyone who signed the petition - and of course don’t forget that if you’re planning a trip to Thailand, it’s important to make sure you still avoid buying anything that could be made of ivory, from any source. (See our helpful ‘Spot the ivory’ quiz.)

While Thailand is taking steps in the right direction, other countries are still failing to live up to their CITES commitments to prevent illegal poaching and trade of endangered wildlife. Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo have repeatedly failed to address their rampant domestic ivory markets.

That’s why, at this year’s CITES meeting, WWF and TRAFFIC will keep up our call for international sanctions against countries fuelling the global illegal wildlife trade. Under treaty rules, CITES member states can recommend that parties stop trading with non-compliant countries.

We know there’s still a long way to go to save the elephants (and rhinos and tigers and tropical forests), but today’s success in Thailand definitely shows what can be done when we all come together to protect the natural world.

You can...
See how many people in the UK have signed the Thai ivory petition

Help stop illegal wildlife trade

Adopt an elephant

Thailand in spotlight at CITES wildlife trade talks

2013-03-03

The future of elephants, rhinos and other endangered wildlife could be affected by decisions taken in Bangkok this week. Thailand is not only playing host to the vital CITES wildlife trade meeting kicking off today, it’s also the focus of a timely international petition to ban the Thai ivory trade.

The snappily titled Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora - or CITES (sy-tees) for short - is the global body that determines controls for international trade in wild animals and plants.

And this week’s CITES meeting, the first since 2010, is especially crucial because of the very disturbing recent increase in recent years in the poaching of elephants and rhinos, especially in Africa, and the growing illegal trade in ivory, horn and other wildife parts.

Our species expert Heather Sohl is at the conference this week - follow Heather’s CITES blog updates from Bangkok.

Last week we explained why we’re urging CITES to impose sanctions on countries who are failing to act on their commitments to stop the illegal trade of ivory, which causes the deaths of up to 30,000 African elephants each year.

One of those countries is Thailand itself. That’s why earlier this week we met with the Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to present her with our petition calling for a total ban on ivory trade in Thailand, which has one of the world’s most poorly regulated markets.

She told us she would take the WWF petition “into consideration” - but we’re hoping for more signs of commitment in her opening statement at CITES 'COP16' in Bangkok. We feel it’s a great opportunity for the Thai leader to help stem the global poaching crisis and to demonstrate Thailand’s leadership in combating wildlife crime.

You can…

Read about all our hopes and proposals for this year's CITES 'COP16' meeting

Catch up with latest CITES updates in Heather Sohl’s blog

See how many people have signed our Thai ivory ban petition so far

Find out how you can help stop illegal wildlife trade

Timber regulation comes into force across all EU member states

2013-03-01

This Sunday sees the launch of the European’s Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), a landmark piece of environmental legislation aimed at preventing the trade in illegal timber and wood products.

This is the culmination of ten years work by the European Commission, NGOs like WWF, responsible industry, national governments across the European Union and civil society.

WWF would just like to extend a great big thanks to all its supporters who helped fund the research, the legal studies and reports highlighting the issue; also all of those that wrote to their MEPs and MPs, calling for this legislation.

We would also like to thank all the companies, across Europe that signed the industry statement calling on the European Commission to implement legislation outlawing the import of illegal timber and wood products.

We will be keeping in touch over the next two years to make sure that the necessary improvements are made to the legislation when it comes up for review in 2015.

You can...
Read the latest blog post from Beatrix Richards on the new EUTR law

Another step on the long road to phasing out discards

2013-02-27

Last night, European Fisheries Ministers took another step towards phasing out discarding fish back to the water, the much publicised and disgraceful practice whereby up to 50% of fish in certain European fisheries are thrown back dead.

Their decision is one more step towards a better way of managing our seas and oceans as part of a wider reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. However some crucial details on the ban and its implementation still need to be addressed.

What the ministers agreed on yesterday does not go as far as the recent decision of the European Parliament. Earlier in February, the Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of an ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. But for the reform to become law, a compromise between the position of the Fisheries Ministers (which was finalised yesterday) and the position of the Parliament must be reached.

In the next few months, representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission will negotiate on the final text of the reform. It is essential that compromises are agreed in the final text of the reform that ensure fish stocks in Europe are allowed to recover and that this contributes to a sustainable future for the wider marine environment and the communities that rely on our seas.