Page 9 - STAT August 2022 for Magzter

Crying foul In light of this, we asked McMullen what
According to a recent update on the ATA protocols need to be followed to ensure
website, the world of poultry is currently adherence to the CITES framework when it
reeling under the effects of the outbreaks came to transporting live animal cargo, “All
of a highly pathogenic avian influenza in carriers should have trained their staff to read
North America. To understand better how CITES paperwork accurately. That's really key.
such outbreaks impact the live animal trans- He went on to say that forged paperwork
port sector, we reached out to McMullen. was still a significant problem. “You know
“The poultry sector has been affected not that there can be forgeries, and we've seen
just in the USA, but currently also in France them in the past with people trying to cre-
and the UK. So we've seen a number of ate fake documents. So you really have to
cancelled shipments because of this, and it The sector has, have good training to check that. And then
can happen across products as well.” you can also check directly on the CITES
We asked Vande Capelle to weigh in and it still is, suffering database to check whether the reference
on what measures could be enforced to now. Pretty much all numbers actually match what you're being
avoid an outbreak and the spread of animal given on the documentation.”
diseases in the cargo sector. “Some diseases, commercial livestock Vande Capelle said the IATA had out-
whether animal or human, might be spread lined regulations with CITES in mind. As
by animals, whereas others cannot. This is is going by vessel. a guest member of the International Air
why each country has individual require- There are anomalies on Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals
ments for various species, requirements and Perishable Board which establishes
which have to be met before an animal is certain lanes currently. standards and conditions for live animal
allowed for import on their territory.” transport by air Vande Capelle elaborated
McMullen went on to talk about another From what we're seeing, on the IATA mechanism. “Airlines and
epidemic – the African swine flu. “A huge if you look at the figures freight forwarders are familiar with IATA’s
issue that has happened over the years has Live Animals Regulations (LAR), which
been African swine flu, in Chinese and far- by air tonnages not only describe handling and shipping
eastern pig stocks, which has killed billions requirements for every animal, but also
of pigs. This has caused huge delays in ship- of commercial include restrictions imposed by CITES,
ments because no one wanted to import airlines and national authorities. Airlines
livestock, it is down and freight forwarders have specialised
by 190%. staff members who are trained to know
and apply those regulations and to tackle
Charlie McMullen misleading, incorrect or incomplete infor-
Intradco Global
mation and documentation.”
livestock or pigs if there was a risk that they He went on to add that ATA is also a
would get the disease upon being import- member of the Transport Taskforce of Unit-
ed. However, it also raised the point that the ed for Wildlife, which worked on combating
Chinese now need to replenish their farms, illegal wildlife trade and was founded by
which created a kind of a boom of imports UK’s Prince William and The Royal Founda-
from around 2020 or 2019 onwards in order tion in 2014. “Thanks to combined efforts,
to restock, so for every downturn, there is an excellent exchange of knowledge and
still then an upturn at some later stage.” training of people involved in the shipping
and financial processes, many illegal wildlife
By the CITES rulebook trade routes have been stopped already. But
The Convention in International Trade in there is still a long way to go.”
Endangered Species (CITES), an international O'Grady from Etihad Cargo said that
treaty set up in 1963, provides a regulatory the carrier had its own in-house train-
framework against illegal trade. ing programme for CITES. “Etihad Cargo
According to the United Nations Environ- developed and rolled out a training
ment Programme (UNEP), “CITES aims to programme for all our ground handling
keep the international trade of wild plants agents. This programme is the first line of
and animals legal, sustainable and trace- defence in identifying suspicious activ-
able. Its Parties take decisions to ensure that ity. Furthermore, Etihad Cargo’s export
international trade of valuable wild species Control team monitors all shipments and
of plants and animals does not endanger identifies any suspicious bookings to
their survival in the wild.” combat illegal trade.” 

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