Alarming number of tourists buying wildlife souvenirs while on holiday.

27/11/2007 00:00:00 September 2006 The British travel industry has pledged to support a new global campaign by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to save endangered species from a devastating trade in wildlife souvenirs. Threatened species, such as elephants, rhinos, leopards and turtles, are still being slaughtered worldwide - and mostly illegally - to feed a growing trade that turns ivory, fur, claws, teeth and shells into holiday trinkets. A YouGov poll, carried out for IFAW, revealed that over 600,000 Britons have returned from holiday abroad with wildlife souvenirs, including ivory, over the last 5 years.

The wildlife souvenir trade thrives due to widespread confusion and ignorance about wildlife protection laws amongst holiday makers. ‘Most of these souvenirs are being bought unwittingly simply because travellers are confused by the complex laws governing trade in wild animals or because they just aren’t aware of them,’ says IFAW wildlife campaigner Nikki Kelly. ‘Worse still, wildlife souvenirs are often sold so openly abroad many tourists mistakenly believe they must be legal.’

In an attempt to halt the wildlife souvenir trade IFAW has launched an international awareness campaign, urging holiday makers to ‘Think Twice’ and avoid buying wild animal trinkets when abroad. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has promised full support, with celebrities including Sir David Jason, Steve Leonard, Chris Tarrant, Shauna Lowry and Twiggy also backing the campaign. IFAW will in particular be targeting travellers to South Africa, where nearly 500,000 British tourists go every year, as a rampant souvenir trade is endangering the wildlife of South Africa, as well as Western and Central Africa, and countries such as Kenya and Zimbabwe. A recent undercover investigation by IFAW in South Africa found souvenirs made from elephant ivory and hair, sharks’ teeth, lion and cheetah claws, porcupine quills and zebra skin being extensively, openly and often illegally sold in airports, markets and curio shops.

While not all come from protected species, this trade raises serious animal welfare as well as conservation concerns. The sale of porcupine quills, for example, is not illegal but the vast quantity of quills being used in the manufacture of curios and decorative items indicates that porcupines are being killed in their thousands to supply this market.

ABTA has pledged to brief the 6,500 UK travel agents and 850 tour operators that it represents about IFAW’s campaign and to warn the 1.2 million people visiting its website annually about the wildlife trinket trade and to inform travellers which wildlife souvenirs to avoid buying. ‘The destruction being caused to wildlife just for the sake of souvenirs has alarmed us, not least because tourism is among the world’s fastest growing businesses,’ says Keith Richards, ABTA’s Head of Consumer Affairs.

‘We encourage our members to raise awareness by giving advice to their customers on souvenirs that should be avoided in holiday destinations around the world. We’d also encourage tour reps to be briefed to mention the ‘Think Twice’ campaign in the meetings they have with holidaymakers in key destinations. Unless the travel industry acts now some of the very animals so many people go abroad to see may soon only be found on our mantelpieces or in our jewellery boxes.’

IFAW UK’s Director Robbie Marsland says: ‘Tourists need to remember if they don’t buy, animals won’t die. If 600,000 British tourists are bringing back parts of dead animals as souvenirs think how many millions must be dying internationally. It’s far better to buy alternative mementos, such as local handicrafts instead of items that harm the very animals that people have travelled so far to see’.

Courtesy of IFAW