Combatting Wildlife Trafficking: A Revealing Visit to Terminal 2 of Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle Airport

In 2021, just at Terminal 2 of Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle, 36 tons of illegal perishable goods were seized, including more than ten tons of bushmeat. What is even more concerning is that these seizures represent only a fraction, estimated at just 10%, of the illegal trade. NGOs and biodiversity experts have been sounding the alarm for over ten years.

The visit by the Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Bérangère Couillard, underscored the importance of a global dynamic driven by the government to move things forward with the creation of a task force to combat wildlife trafficking.

Cooperation with the air transport sector and airlines is essential. Today, Air France offers its customers the possibility to bring two free checked bags of 23 kilos for flights to and from Africa. Eliminating the second checked bag would make a difference by reducing the number of bags to check and thus the amount of trafficking.

In this vein, the French Committee of the IUCN signed a collaboration agreement with the ADP group, manager of Paris airports, to fight against wildlife trafficking, carry out training and awareness-raising activities for travelers and professionals in the sector, and create animal stations in French international airports.

The main demands of the task force are ambitious but necessary:

1. Organized control with customs officers: Strengthening control procedures in collaboration with customs officers is essential to limit the entry of products derived from wildlife trafficking into our territory. Protecting our endangered species requires close cooperation.
2. Awareness-raising displays in terminals: Raising awareness and educating travelers about the harmful consequences of wildlife trafficking is a priority. Informative posters in terminals will encourage collective awareness and prompt passengers to act responsibly.
3. Opening an animal reception station at Orly: Creating an emergency reception center increases the survival chances of species weakened by conservation or transport. It also provides the necessary time to place them in appropriate conditions.