GUWAHATI: In a bid to equip airline staff and security personnel to combat illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT), a sensitisation session was held at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, on Monday.
Organised by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation, with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), the session imparted training on identifying and reporting wildlife products smuggled through passenger luggage and cargo.
The workshop, supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), saw participation from approximately 30 individuals representing various airlines, including Indigo, Vistara, Akasa, and Air India, apart from service providers and security officers.
Expert resource persons, including Dr Jimmy Borah and Ivy Farheen Hussain from Aaranyak, along with Rabin Bora from WCCB, led the session.
Hussain initiated proceedings by highlighting the growing threat of illegal wildlife trade globally and regionally.
Taking over from her, Dr Borah elaborated on the intricacies of wildlife trafficking routes and stressed on the pivotal role of the aviation sector in detecting and responding to such crimes.
Pinpointing focus on collaboration, he discussed how airlines could contribute valuable information to authorities, leading to arrests and seizures.
The session included live demonstrations of various wildlife products to aid participants in identifying and differentiating smuggled items.
WCCB official Rabin Bora engaged with participants, providing insights and perspectives on the issue.
Additionally, the resource persons shed light on wildlife trading routes in the region and typical wild animal species trafficked in the Northeast, presenting a summary of seizure instances, including those at airports.
Illegal wildlife trafficking not only threatens biodiversity but also poses risks to public health.
Reports indicate that traffickers exploit air transport systems for smuggling wildlife items, heightening concerns.
Aaranyak and WCCB also hoped that such sensitisation programmes will foster greater collaboration among agencies and stakeholders to combat wildlife crime effectively.
