The year-long campaign kicks off on World Wildlife Day, March 3
Silver Spring, MD (March 1, 2021) – The Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (WTA), a program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and eBay have been working together for the past five years to raise consumer awareness and reduce demand and sale of illegal wildlife products. Today, WTA and eBay are announcing a partnership on a year-long series of events kicking off on World Wildlife Day.
“eBay is the world’s leading peer-to-peer seller platform and models corporate concern and responsibility for the goods that are sold using their technology. Part of this is a commitment to educating consumers on illegal wildlife products,” said Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the AZA. “We are excited to partner with eBay on this series of events. Together, we will educate millions of consumers and raise money to help stop wildlife trafficking.”
eBay is one of the founding corporate partners of WTA, and over the past five years has taken critical steps to fulfill those commitments—from online monitoring of listings and developing partnerships with law enforcement agencies, to raising awareness about wildlife trafficking through its consumers and helping to reduce the purchase and sale of illegal wildlife products on its platform. Additionally, since WTA was acquired by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2018, eBay has maintained annual “Gold Partner” status, contributing $10,000 of unrestricted funds per year to help fund WTA activities.
This year marks the first comprehensive effort that will take place on key dates throughout the year with the goals of raising awareness about wildlife trafficking, reducing the attempted purchase and sale of illegal wildlife products on the eBay platform, and raising money for WTA projects and initiatives that seek to combat wildlife trafficking around the world.
The 2021 day-long event series will kick off on March 3 (World Wildlife Day) and continue throughout the year on July 29 (International Tiger Day), August 12 (World Elephant Day), September 22 (World Rhino Day), and will conclude with the main auction event on September 27 (World Tourism Day).
To celebrate these key dates, eBay will feature the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance as part of their “Give at Checkout” program, starting with the week of February 28—March 7 in recognition of World Wildlife Day. Additionally, eBay customers will be able to support WTA year-round by purchasing a donation certificate as part of eBay’s “Gifts That Give Back” program or utilizing the give at checkout feature.
“eBay is committed to doing its part to protect endangered species and has worked closely with conservation organizations and regulatory authorities to develop company policies designed to combat the illegal trade of wildlife. As part of those efforts, we have blocked over 257,000 listings for items that may violate our Animal Products Policy in 2020,” said eBay’s Director of Global Policy and Regulatory Management, Mike Carson. “But eradicating the illegal wildlife trade must be a collaborative effort that not only addresses supply issues, but also educates the consumer on the illegal and unethical nature of these products in order to reduce demand. eBay is proud to work with the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance to raise awareness about the issue among our community and to support efforts to raise money for anti-wildlife trafficking activities.”
For more information about the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance visit: www.wildlifetraffickingalliance.org.
About AZA
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation. AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and 12 other countries. Look for the AZA accreditation logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in saving species and your link to helping animals all over the world. To learn more, visit www.aza.org.
About Wildlife Trafficking Alliance
The Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (WTA) is a coalition of more than 80 leading companies, non-profit organizations, and AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums working together to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the illegal trade of wildlife and wildlife products. WTA works with a variety of partners whose active engagement is essential to the success of the WTA goals. To learn more, visit www.wildlifetraffickingalliance.org.
About eBay
eBay Inc (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity for all. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.