PRESS RELEASE - December 16, 2019
                            
                            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.”


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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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