The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses legislation introduced today, the Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020, which seeks to prevent future pandemics by addressing the spillover of infectious diseases from wildlife to humans.
The bipartisan bill, spearheaded by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Fred Upton (R-MI), would prohibit the import, export, and interstate trade of live wildlife for the purpose of human consumption, and allocates $35 million for implementation of this ban.
The legislation also allocates $150 million to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to hire, train, and deploy at least 50 new law enforcement officers in countries where there is a flourishing illegal trade in at-risk species.
Additionally, the US Agency for International Development would receive $300 million to increase its efforts to promote global health and biodiversity, combat wildlife trafficking, and empower communities that wish to transition to sources of protein other than wildlife.
