News Releases - WCS Newsroom > Issues > Wildlife Health and Health Policy

NEW YORK, NY | October 23, 2020

WCS Statement in Support of the Global Wildlife Trade Biosecurity Act Introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng (D–NY) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)

The following statement is from John F. Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs of the Wildlife Conservation Society in support of the Global Wildlife Trade Biosecurity Act.

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Washington, DC | September 29, 2020

Wildlife Conservation Society Statement in Support of Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020

A statement from John F. Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs of the Wildlife Conservation Society in support of Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020.

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Washington, DC | September 29, 2020

Wildlife Conservation Society Statement in Support of Stop Future Pandemics Act of 2020, Introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Representative Fred Upton (R-MI)

The following statement is from John F. Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs of the Wildlife Conservation Society in support of Stop Future Pandemics Act of 2020.

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NEW YORK, NY | September 23, 2020

WCS and its Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium join the Global Coalition for Biodiversity

One week before the 1^st ever UN Summit on Biodiversity (NYC, 30 September), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium have joined the European Commission Global Coalition for Biodiversity, calling for stronger mobilization in communicating about the nature crisis facing the planet.

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NEW YORK, NY | September 23, 2020

Piecemeal Perspectives on Preventing Future Zoonotic Pandemics Just Won’t Cut It

A new peer-reviewed paper published today in Frontiers, "COVID-19 and the Curse of Piecemeal Perspectives,” emphasizes the steps needed now to prevent future zoonotic pandemics and gives a critique of the many one-off solutions proposed over the past several months since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2.

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Ha Noi, Viet Nam | July 27, 2020

Has Vietnam banned the wildlife trade to curb the risk of future pandemics?

On July 23^rd 2020 the Vietnamese Government released Prime Minister’s Directive No. 29 on urgent solutions to manage wildlife. This has been largely reported in the global media as a widespread ban on wildlife trade in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wildlife Conservation Society welcomes the Prime Minister’s Directive and the renewed attention it will bring to combating illegal trade and consumption of wildlife. However, there are a number of points that have been mis-reported in the global media and areas we think require greater attention to reduce the risks of future zoonotic pathogen outbreaks

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New York, NY | July 07, 2020

Statement from the Wildlife Conservation Society Regarding UN Environment Programme Report on Zoonotic Disease

The Wildlife Conservation Society commends the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other organizations for bringing more awareness and science to zoonoses issues in the report, “Preventing the Next Pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission.”

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Ha Noi, Viet Nam | June 17, 2020

Viruses from Field to Fork: Study Finds That Wildlife Supply Chains for Human Consumption Increase Coronaviruses’ Spillover Risk to People

A new study found that animals sampled in the wildlife-trade supply chain bound for human consumption had high proportions of coronaviruses, and that the proportion of positives significantly increases as animals travel from traders, to large markets, to restaurants.

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New York, NY | May 22, 2020

New WCS Special Report Shows Links between Degradation of Ecological Integrity and Emerging Infectious Diseases

A WCS special report shows how degradation of ecological systems has significantly increased the overall risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks and has other complex effects on human health.

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New York, N.Y. | April 21, 2020

End the Trade: New Coalition Invites Global Community to Take a Stand Against Future Pandemics

The global trade in wild animals has produced the conditions for disastrous and deadly pandemics, including COVID-19. To prevent the next pandemic, the Coalition to End the Trade is calling for the permanent end to the commercial trade and sale in markets of terrestrial animals for consumption, particularly birds and mammals.

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