| NRDC

Some of the world’s worst infectious diseases stemmed from wildlife trade and habitat destruction, including COVID-19, SARS, Ebola, and Zika. The message is clear: Wildlife trade is a grave threat to our public health and biodiversity — and it must be stopped.

Some of the world’s worst infectious diseases have stemmed from wildlife trade and habitat destruction, including SARS, Ebola, and Zika.

COVID-19 is no different. Scientists believe it likely originated in a live animal market in China, possibly spreading from a horseshoe bat to another species before infecting humans and igniting the devastating global pandemic we’re living through today.

Wildlife trade isn’t just a problem in other parts of the world — in fact, the United States accounts for almost a quarter of the global wildlife market, including importing 224 million live animals every single year.

Wildlife trade is a grave threat to our public health and biodiversity — and it must be stopped.

Send a message to President Biden, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and Principal Deputy Director of Fish and Wildlife Martha Williams asking them to ban wildlife trade.

YOUR INFORMATION

YOUR MESSAGE

Your message will be sent to:

President Biden
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland
Martha Williams, Principal Deputy Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service

Subject line:

Help prevent another pandemic like COVID-19 by ending wildlife trade

(Consider adding your own thoughts — personalized messages are especially effective)

Dear President Biden, Secretary Haaland, and Deputy Director Williams:

Wildlife trade is a grave threat to our public health, and it must be stopped. Nearly two-thirds of emerging infectious diseases can be traced back to animals -- including COVID-19, SARS, and Avian Flu -- and millions of undiscovered viruses exist in wildlife right now.

Irresponsible wildlife trade isn't just a problem in other countries -- the United States accounts for almost a quarter of the global wildlife market, including importing 224 million live animals every year. By capturing, trading, and slaughtering wildlife, humans are spreading disease via wildlife trade.

To limit the number of future pandemics like COVID-19, the U.S. government should, among other actions:

-- Ban the import and export of all live wildlife, permanently close all domestic live wildlife markets, and urge all nations to take similar actions.

-- Dedicate more resources to combating illegal wildlife trade.

-- Encourage CITES -- an international treaty to protect endangered wildlife – to leverage its considerable resources to be part of the solution to help limit international wildlife trade.

Our public health and our planet depends on you acting on these issues immediately.

Thank you.

Natural Resources Defense Council

Tell the Biden Administration: Help Prevent Future Pandemics by Ending Wildlife Trade

Tell the Biden Administration: Help Prevent Future Pandemics by Ending Wildlife Trade

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YOUR MESSAGE

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