Covid-19 has already resulted in incalculable deaths and human suffering. Yet this pandemic – and others before it – was avoidable. The virus known as Covid-19 made the jump to humans in a wildlife market in Wuhan, China.
Enough is enough. For our global environment, human health, our shared economic and social well-being, we must close the wildlife markets once and for all.
About EJF
EJF is a highly respected international organisation working to protect people, wildlife and our shared planet. Our work combines undercover investigations and grassroots intelligence-gathering, exposing abuses of our natural world and basic human rights. Creating films and in-depth reports, our impact has been dramatic – EJF has helped to turn the tide on environmental destruction and protected human lives across the globe.
How we will end the wildlife markets
We have set our sights on a campaign with one simple goal: secure a ban on wildlife markets. We will apply our expertise to investigate, film, expose and campaign to end the deadly trade:
- Create a global movement. We will build a movement that protects wildlife and our natural world as it in turn protects us from pandemics. Banning wildlife markets will solve one immediate cause of disease transmission, it is achievable and the time to act is now.
- Present a powerful message to world leaders and wildlife consumers. We will build public support and political action using compelling investigations and inspirational communications to show that the markets must close – for good.
- Give healthcare workers a platform to protect their own lives and those they care for. Our campaign will provide a unique platform to enable the medical community to protect themselves and others by ending future disease transmission from wildlife.
- Fund grassroots campaign groups across the world. This will help to close wildlife markets locally and protect wild animals and people from future harm. Poachers have wildlife in their sights to feed a consumer demand that is not hunger or need, but greed and ignorance.
- Spread a message of hope, by working with communities and wildlife defenders in key 'hotspots' whose own lives are threatened daily by the far-reaching and deadly consequences of wildlife markets.
Markets of misery
Alongside the devastation of wild animal populations and inexcusable cruelty, wildlife markets leave a trail of misery, including a number of deadly viral outbreaks including Ebola, SARS, swine flu and now C-19.
If we fail to learn from our mistakes, we are bound to repeat them.
"I was in China when SARS took hold in 2002; I witnessed the fear, despair and destruction that Ebola brought to our teams and wider community in Sierra Leone and Liberia in 2014/15. Let Covid-19 go down in history as the last pandemic to come from our deadly appetite for wildlife". Steve Trent, EJF's Founder and Executive Director.
How you can help
Whatever you can give, we pledge that every pound, euro or dollar will go towards shutting down wildlife markets to safeguard our planet and our future.
Love life, love wildlife. We know we can count on you.