UAE airlines ahead in hunting trophy ban
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)Emirates and Etihad were months ahead of their American counterparts in banning the transport of hunting trophies on-board their aircraft.
Earlier this week Delta American and United each announced that they would ban a wide range of animal trophies including lions elephants buffalo rhinoceros and leopards. Although none of the three airlines specified a reason for the policy the move comes amid an uproar over the recent killing of Cecil the lion by American hunter Arnold Palmer in Zimbabwe. Emirates however has had a ban in place since mid-May. "As part of our efforts to prevent the illegal trade of hunting trophies of elephant rhinoceros lion and tiger Emirates SkyCargo has decided that effective May 15 2015 we will not accept any kind of hunting trophies of these animals for carriage on Emirates services" an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement. The airline had previously already had in place a ban on products and parts of endangered species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) which includes hunting trophies. An Etihad spokesperson told Khaleej Times that the airline has a similar policy in place. "We have a comprehensive policy in place which bans the carriage of hunting trophies using animal products" the spokesperson said. The text of Etihad's animal policy also notes that "if a guest or cargo agent is found to be smuggling live animals restricted animal-related products or endangered species they are immediately referred to the local authority." In the past the UAE has managed to foil several significant shipments of illegal wildlife products. In April Dubai Police seized 300kg of ivory worth an estimated $3 million at Dubai International Airport. Authorities believe the haul was taken from approximately 40 hunted elephants. In total between 2011 and 2014 Dubai Customs seized 1500 tusks and ivory products at Dubai International Airport with 474 tusks also discovered at Jebel Ali Port in 2012 and 2013. Bernd Debusmann Jr. Originally from Mexico City I've been in Dubai since January 2015. Before arriving in in the UAE I worked as a general news reporter in TV and print in Mexico City NYC and Washington DC. I'm interested in defence issues politics technology aviation and history. In my spare time i enjoy traveling and football - I'm a keen fan of Chelsea FC. I developed an interest in the Middle East traveling through Jordan and the West Bank. I have a BA in Political Science from Dickinson College in the USA and an MA in International Journalism from City University London.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.