Richmond Park and North Kingston MP Zac Goldsmith has added his voice to those of campaigners and celebrities who are calling on the Government to join international efforts to protect giraffes – a species that faces a growing threat to its survival.
They are calling on Environment Secretary Michael Gove to work with African countries like Niger, Chad, Senegal and Kenya which are home to griaffe populations to reclassify the species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This change would severly restict the trade in giraffe products and would ensure that any such trade does not impact the worldwide griaffe population.
Zac backed up the campaigners’ call by co-ordinating a cross-party letter to Mr Gove by Members of Parliament, including independent MP Frank Field and Labour MP John Mann, as well as several Conservatives.
Commenting, Zac said: “We should all be proud of the UK’s role in protecting animals across the world, especially given our recent ban on the ivory trade. But we can and should go further. Giraffes aren’t yet severely endangered but they will be soon if the increase in poaching and the trade in their products continues. We need to act now to protect them.”
A copy of the letter can be found here - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2019/03/24/lettersbritain-can-still-make-success-brexit-lead-way-revitalising/
