TRAFFIC India film on raising awareness on wildlife trade wins International Award

[Guest guest]

*“Don’t Buy Trouble” film wins CMS Vatavaran Award *

 

TRAFFIC India’s film “Don’t Buy Trouble” has received an *award **at the **CMS

Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film festival held in New Delhi this

October.*

 

The award was in the *Public** Service Announcements (PSA) **category, which

*includes messages, short or promotional films, commercials or advertising

campaigns that educate or inform the public at large. **

 

This film is part of TRAFFIC India’s campaign to curb illegal trade in

wildlife. A one minute version of the film captures glimpses of the

burgeoning illegal wildlife trade in India that threatens our precious flora

and fauna, and is the latest addition to TRAFFIC India’s consumer awareness

“Buyers Beware” campaign. It is anticipated that the film will be shown in

airports and other locations where tourists gather.

 

Besides highlighting the gruesome reality for many species in illegal trade,

the film also draws attention to the various national and international laws

that protect them and informs viewers about the legal consequences of

engaging in such trade.

Targeted mainly at domestic and foreign tourists, the film sends out a clear

message that it is not only poachers and traders who fuel illegal wildlife

trade, but also those who purchase and use such products. “The end consumer

is as much a partner in wildlife crime as the trader or the poacher,” says

Samir Sinha, Head of TRAFFIC India. If found guilty, offenders are liable to

hefty fines and up to seven years of imprisonment. Ignorance of the law is

not an excuse. “In recent years, illegal wildlife trade has become an

international, organized criminal activity that can only be curbed through

action at the grassroot-level as well as international co-operation and

collaboration at the highest levels. " " Equally important is the need to

sensitise potential buyers about the

dangers of buying illegal wildlife goods, and this film—as part of

TRAFFIC India’s awareness campaign—aims to make buyers beware they

could be buying trouble. " The film was shot by renowned wildlife filmmaker

Himanshu Malhotra and has been produced by TRAFFIC India/WWF-India.

 

In October 2007, TRAFFIC India launched a Consumer Awareness Campaign with

the release of the leaflet, “Are you committing a Crime? Think before you

buy”, followed by a release of four posters in February 2008 on shahtoosh

shawls, reptile skins, marine products and ivory. These can be downloaded at

www.traffic.org or www.wwfindia.org/traffic The film can be watched online

at: http://www.wwfindia.org/news_facts/?2700

 

A longer, five minute version can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/trafficnetwork#p/u/8/J8WPRfeqdwM

 

*The CMS Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film festival has been held

annually since 2002. *This year a total of 366 film were entered for the

festival, 90 of them international and 276 of them national film entries. A

total of 25 awards were made, in 15 Indian categories and 10 awards in nine

international categories. **

 

CMS Vatavaran is a visionary initiative of CMS, an independent Delhi-based,

pan-India, multidisciplinary organization. For over two decades, CMS has

been engaged in research, policy advocacy, advisory services and programme

evaluation in the domains of environment, social issues, public health,

governance, development communications and transparency.

 

 

 

*Film: Don’t Buy Trouble*

*Producer:* TRAFFIC India*| Editor: *Sabina Kidwai *Narrator: *Jatin Ram

Prakash *| Scriptwriter: *Sabina Kidwai and Samir Sinha *| Camera:* Himanshu

Malhotra *| Technical inputs: **Khalid Pasha and Dilpreet Chhabra.*

*

 

Regards

 

Programme Officer

TRAFFIC India

WWF India Secretariat

172-B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, India

Tel: +91-11-41504786, Fax: +91-11-43516200

Visit us at " www.traffic.org "

 

TRAFFIC- the wildlife trade monitoring network- is a joint programme of WWF

and IUCN-The World Conservation Union. It works to ensure that trade in wild

plants and animals is not a threat to conservation of nature.

*