ROUTES hosts first webinar for Latin America and Caribbean aviation industry

Feb 08, 2021

On Tuesday February 2, the USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership co-hosted a webinar aimed at aviation stakeholders in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, in partnership with Airports Council International (ACI) and International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The webinar, which achieved an excellent turnout from airports, airlines and other stakeholders in LAC, kick-started a new, increased outreach with the region to expand its efforts to fight wildlife trafficking.

LAC is home to approximately 40% of the world’s plant and animal species; its biodiversity is unparalleled, but this also renders it vulnerable to exploitation for the illegal wildlife trade. The aviation industry is uniquely placed to combat this issue, and as a partnership, we are committed to facilitating its efforts through provision of tailored guidance and resources.

The webinar began with presentations from TRAFFIC’s Michelle Owen, ROUTES lead, and Bridget Connelly, Senior Analyst at C4ADS on an introduction to wildlife trafficking in the region. The event also included interactive polls throughout to gauge participants’ interest and understanding of the subject, as well as a Q&A session at the end with a panel of experts from ACI, IATA, USAID and WWF. To increase accessibility, live translations allowed participants to choose to watch the webinar in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

As a partnership, we were hugely encouraged by the active participation and interest shown by the webinar attendees and are looking forward to engaging further. Another webinar aimed at LAC airports and hosted by ACI is due to take place in March.