NAIROBI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's first lady Margaret Kenyatta on Thursday called for a holistic approach that embraces technology in fighting illegal wildlife trade in the east African nation.
One of the greatest challenges facing wildlife conservation is the sophistication of the methods used by wildlife traffickers around the world, Margaret said.
"We must look at new ways in this new age of technology and innovation," she said in Nairobi during the official opening of an awareness workshop on combating illegal wildlife trafficking.
"We need a synergistic approach, one that harnesses the complementary capabilities of diverse sectors and groups. We must apply better intelligence and new methods because pressure is building and countries continue to suffer huge losses," she added.
The first lady noted that wildlife conservation is becoming an increasingly prominent global issue, stressing that focused leadership, political goodwill, policies and imposition of bans have helped Kenya in registering significant progress in combating the illegal wildlife trade.
She urged officials to accelerate their efforts and increase investments in the fight against illegal trade since wildlife heritage and invaluable resource is under threat.
"We must build better and stronger networks that consider all possibilities and close out the loopholes that have allowed the growth of illegal trade," she said.
The first lady expressed confidence that innovative measures that include the global transportation systems would help break the illegal chains of unlawful transportation of endangered species.
"From my work in Hands off Our Elephants, I have learned that wildlife populations of elephant, rhino, buffalo, giraffe and zebra have been decreasing over the years due to illegal wildlife trafficking and trade. We must ensure that we secure our heritage for our future and for our children's future," she said.
