Cuomo Signs Bill Banning Wildlife Trafficking
ALBANY, N.Y. –
Governor Cuomo signed into law a first-of-its-kind bill that bans the sale and
possession with intent to sell of parts of any species threatened with
extinction. The new law embraces the precautionary principle of protecting
species before they reach the brink of extinction.
As
the fourth largest illegal trade in the world, wildlife trafficking is driving
our extinction crisis. One million species are currently at risk of extinction
due to human activities, as indicated by a recent Intergovernmental
Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report.
A statement follows from
Rich Schrader, New York Political Director at the Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC):
“Signing this nation-leading
bill into law catapults New York into a league of its own in the fight to
protect our biodiversity. New York is now in a strong position to tackle the
unsustainable nature of wildlife trade that is contributing to our extinction
crisis. The inclusiveness of this bill reflects the urgency of protecting most
– if not all – of the earth’s wildlife and sets a trailblazing precedent for
other states to follow.”
For more background, read: One Million Species Extinctions? Not on New York’s Watch!
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Release Written By:
MariaMichalos, mmichalos@nrdc.org, 646-889-1404
The Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with
more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists,
and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural
resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in
New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman,
MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.
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