Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday jointly launched a regional network to facilitate and intensify information exchange and law enforce in wildlife protection.

Petipong Pungbun Na Ayuthaya, permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, told the press that the network among 10 ASEAN countries at the ministerial level will be dedicated to working together in preventing illegal wild trade in Asia.

According to Petipong, globally, the illicit trade in wild animals, plants and trees is now surpassed only by the trafficking in drugs and weapons, and continues to grow. Countries in the region are facing criminal syndicates involved in the local, regional and international trade in wildlife.

"The network will help each country improve protection of wildlife, forest and the watersheds on which we depends," Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyut Tiyapairat said at the special meeting of ASEAN ministers responsible for implementation of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

By doing so, the countries can also increase regulation of the massive trade in wildlife across borders so as to reduce the risk of the spread of diseases transferred by some animals to humans, he noted.

The ASEAN members will firstly start a network of information and training, which is important to suppress the crimes, said Petipong.

He added Thailand has been in the process of setting up a network within officials of concern including customs and prosecutors in combating illegal trade on wildlife. He hoped the exchange of information and training, as well as closer collaboration in preventing the crimes among ASEAN members, could be realized next year.

Source: Xinhua