May
11
2021
9:00 a.m. East Africa Time 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time
State of the Apes Webinar: Killing, Capture, and Trade
The illegal wildlife trade is a sophisticated and colossal industry occurring in nearly every country on the planet. It has an estimated annual value of US$10 billion, is often conducted in conjunction with organized crime, and destroys critically endangered wildlife populations. But even more disturbing is the economic domino effect the illegal wildlife trade sets in motion: Habitats are destabilized, food security is compromised, tourism is disrupted, zoonotic diseases are passed between species, and all of it is felt most by the world’s poorest communities. While eradicating wildlife crime does not have a one-size-fits-all solution, there are ways to mitigate its impact. A new publication from Arcus Foundation and Cambridge University Press—State of the Apes: Killing, Capture, Trade and Conservation—provides much-needed data and potential solutions through its exploration of the global trade in bonobos, chimpanzees, gibbons, gorillas, and orangutans. In this webinar, we talked with State of the Apes contributors and other conservation experts to explore the findings of the book, the fourth volume in a series. We discussed the nature of this vast and complicated supply chain, and also looked at ways that policymakers, government agencies, businesses, and communities can address this immense threat. Their solutions can help safeguard not only the world’s endangered ape species, but also the only non-endangered apes: humans.
Host:
Asha Tanna, broadcast journalist and primatologistPanelists:
- Dr. Liana Chua, Reader in Anthropology, Brunel University London
- Dr. Naomi Doak, counter wildlife trafficking expert / Senior Technical Advisor, Elephant Protection Initiative
- Emily Drani, Co-Founder, Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda
- Prof. Julia E. Fa, Professor of Biodiversity and Human Development, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University School of Science and the Environment
- Thomas R. Gillespie, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Sciences & Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
- Dr. Aili Kang, Director, China Strategic Engagement, Wildlife Conservation Society
- Annette Lanjouw, Chief Executive Officer and Head of the Great Apes & Gibbons Program, Arcus Foundation
- Robert K. Mwinyihali, Central Africa Urban Bushmeat Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society DR Congo
- Dr. Dilys Roe, Biodiversity Lead, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) / Chair, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group
- Karmele Llano Sánchez, B.V.Sc, M.Sc., Founder and Program Director, IAR Indonesia Foundation
- Valentina Stackl, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA
- Dr. Steve Unwin, Founder, Orangutan Veterinary Advisory Group, University of Birmingham / European Veterinary Specialist in Zoo Health Management, European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS)
- Dr. Sian Waters, Vice Chair, Section for Human-Primate Interactions, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Primate Specialist Group / Director, Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation
- Karen Winfield, Founder and Director, Conservation Analytics
- James Wingard, J.D., Co-Founder and Legal Director, Legal Atlas