MANILA, April 17 (PNA) — On behalf of the US government, USAID Office of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Deputy Director Joseph Foltz expressed appreciation to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for leading the National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (NALECC), specifically Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources (SCENR), for conducting the third in a series of quadrennial event and for “providing us this opportunity to support this crucial activity.”
“Your (DENR) effort is commendable because it raises awareness and places the spotlight on environment as a focus of law enforcement,” he said.
He stressed the three top illegal businesses in the world are illegal trade of drugs and weapons and illegal wildlife trafficking estimated to be worth of billion or more than one trillion pesos with the price of endangered wildlife products such as elephant ivory now at ,100 per kilogram – thrice the price in 2010 – while shark fin is sold at 0 per kilogram.
“Clearly, to some people, the reward outweighs the risks,” he said.
The USAID deputy said the US government viewed wildlife crime as a serious matter and treated it as such with President Barack Obama issuing Executive Order No. 13648 in 2013 to better combat wildlife trafficking.
Foltz noted poaching of protected species and illegal wildlife trade contribute to the illegal economy, fuel political and social instability, undermine national and global security and promote spread of emerging infectious diseases so the US and Philippine governments and other States joined the campaign to combat wildlife trafficking.
USAID launched programs in support of environmental law enforcement in the Philippines for many years to help improve the Philippine government’s capacity to address environmental crimes and wildlife crimes, he continued.
He said USAID supported cooperation among US Department of Interior, DENR, Department of Agriculture and the interior department since 2004 and supported, among others, the first (2006), second (2010) and third (2015) national environmental law enforcement (NELE) summits.
The US government partners with the Philippine government, through its different civilian law enforcement organizations, in the battle against environmental crimes and wildlife trafficking, he noted.
“No one country can tackle the issues involved in wildlife trafficking on its own. This is a global challenge that requires global solutions.
By working in collaboration with other governments, the non-profit conservation community and the private sector, we can develop solutions to combat wildlife trafficking and protect our natural resources for future generations,” he said.
The two-day 3rd National Law Enforcement Summit was held from April 15 to 16, 2015 in Tagaytay City with the theme ‘Sustaining Collaboration on Environmental Law Enforcement.’
DENR Assistant Secretary Marcial Amaro, concurrently the Chairman of the NALECC SCENR said the summit aimed to formulate a roadmap or action plan for improving Philippine environmental law enforcement in the next five years.
Some 120 participants from Bureau of Customs, DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, DILG, Department of Justice, Forest Management Bureau, Land Transportation Office, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, National Bureau of Investigation), National Museum, NationalIntelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, PNP Maritime Group, Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, Environmental Management Bureau, DENR regional directors and DENR-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The summit’s participants shall be able to understand and help formulate the NELE Multi-year Action Plan and to identify activities for incorporation in the road map or action plan and its implementation for the next five years. (PNA)