Qatar re-commits to wildlife fight

Qatar Airways has recommitted to the Buckingham Palace Declaration, which it signed in 2016 to protect wildlife from illegal trade and transportation.

The carrier said it had a policy of zero tolerance towards the illegal transportation of endangered species through its network and would continue to raise employee and passenger awareness of the issue, improve detection and share intelligence and best practice in the industry.

Chief executive Akbar Al Baker, said: “Since signing the declaration, we have ramped up efforts on all fronts in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking. This month we launched an extensive passenger awareness campaign, and our customers will start to notice our new wildlife posters appearing at our Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, and at strategically selected outposts worldwide”

The carrier is also putting the final touches to a tailored e-learning package to help its workforce to identify and manage suspicious activity. Training will be rolled out later this year targeted at staff most likely to encounter illegal wildlife trafficking, including cargo and customer-facing roles.

Qatar Airways Cargo added that it had enhanced efforts to prevent and detect misconsignment, one of the primary ways that this illegal trade is carried out.