Protecting wildlife vital for human beings

World Wildlife Day, celebrated on March 3 every year, gives us an occasion to celebrate and appreciate the many beautiful plants and animals that share our planet. It is also an occasion to raise awareness about the interdependence of wildlife, people and sustainable development, and to demonstrate why the continued presence of wildlife is vital for human being's well-being.

This year's theme, "The Future of Wildlife is in Our Hands", recognizes the urgent need to step up our fight against wildlife crime because of its adverse economic, environmental and social consequences. Today illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth $50-150 billion per year. Forest crime and illegal logging have been estimated to be between $30 - 100 billion a year or between 10-30 percent of the total global timber trade.

Environmental crime is now a multi-billion dollar industry that finances criminal, militia and terrorist groups. But environmental crime-including the illegal trade in wildlife, timber, chemicals and waste-is much more than a criminal industry and affects much more than the environment.