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On World Donkey Day, global animal welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary has applauded Emirates for imposing an embargo on the carriage of donkey skins on Emirates plane worldwide.

Millions of donkeys are killed for their skins each and each 365 days, that are exported all the diagram in which by diagram of the arena and oldschool to create historic medicine and cures. The switch by the arena’s greatest global airline serves to disrupt the donkey pores and skin replace by restricting the global motion of hides, defending donkey populations and the communities that rely upon donkeys for their livelihoods.

In February this 365 days, African Heads of Reveal and Authorities counseled a continent-extensive moratorium on the slaughter of donkeys for their skins at the thirty seventh African Union Summit. The settlement became made in recognition of animal welfare concerns and the needed role donkeys play in supporting communities and economies all the diagram in which by diagram of Africa.

Interior days of the resolution from the African Union, Emirates extended their zero-tolerance coverage on the carriage of banned species, looking out trophies and other connected merchandise, to duvet donkey hides and parts. To put into effect its coverage against flowers and fauna trafficking, Emirates has established stringent protocols in conjunction with screenings, location assessments, doc verification, container examination, and confirming the authenticity of permits. The airline has also invested in awareness campaigns, to boot as training and training for workers all the diagram in which by diagram of cargo and passenger operations to name and document smuggled flowers and fauna.

Joint analysis by The Donkey Sanctuary and the College of Oxford’s Saïd Business College and Natural world Conservation Compare Unit (WildCRU) uncovered important evidence linking the motion of donkey skins with other illegal flowers and fauna trafficking and organised crime. Sturdy insurance policies and screening measures create optimistic that that greatest accredited cargo is carried, indirectly halting illegal trafficking and other illicit replace in its tracks.

Marianne Steele, CEO of The Donkey Sanctuary, acknowledged: “Here’s a cruel and unsustainable replace which acts as a bug for illegal flowers and fauna trafficking and organised crime, and poses a serious menace to world biosecurity.

“Emirates and other leaders within the transport sector wants to be commended for their decisive and market-leading action which can no longer greatest give protection to donkeys and the communities around the arena who rely upon them, but can even befriend end the trafficking of other threatened species and chop encourage the menace of illness being passed from donkey skins to humans.

“We hope that by taking management on this vital world region and banning the carriage of donkey skins on Emirates flights, this can encourage others to blueprint the identical.”

Robert Fordree, Senior Vice President of Cargo Operations Worldwide, Emirates SkyCargo acknowledged: “We’re proud world leaders within the strive against against the trafficking and illegal exploitation of flowers and fauna. This longstanding commitment enabled us to mobilise straight to ban the carriage of donkey skins below our existing zero-tolerance coverage. We can proceed to collaborate with organisations reminiscent of The Donkey Sanctuary and United for Natural world to guard the arena’s biodiversity for generations to attain encourage.”

Because the backbone of world replace, the land, air and sea logistics network is exploited by the flowers and fauna black market to smuggle animals or animal merchandise from source to vacation location, in overall all the diagram in which by diagram of global borders. While many airways, shippers and transport and logistics operators contain strict insurance policies that end the motion of trafficked flowers and fauna, it is hoped that others will note Emirates’ lead and create bigger these to particularly duvet donkey skins, following the landmark resolution by the African Union.

Caitlin DiMare-Oliver