Faced with illegal wildlife trade, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the High Commissioner for Water, Forests and Combating Desertification (HCEFLCD) announced the signing of a partnership for the protection of wildlife and habitats, said Business Insider today. The document was signed in the presence of Abdeladim Lhafi, High Commissioner for Water, Forests and Desertification, and Azzedine Downes, President of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. «We have long recognized the complexities of wildlife trade and in response have worked hard to nurture and support inter-agency cooperation as a way to address them. We are therefore pleased to be working closely with the Moroccan government to implement creative activities that would facilitate the coexistence and harmony between local communities and wildlife», said Azzedine Downes. «This agreement comes in support of the National Strategy for the Protection of Nature and more specifically of endangered species of fauna and flora. This strategy began in the 1990s through the establishment of several nature reserves, the rehabilitation of endangered species as well as the strengthening of national legislation,»said Abdeladim Lhafi. The agreement signed between the two entities represents an opportunity that will allow new initiatives to strengthen the fight against poaching and dismantle wildlife trafficking networks. As a reminder, Morocco is home to many species threatened with extinction such as Macaque de Barbarie.
