The Tagimaucia is the rarest flower in the world.

Steps are being taken to clamp down on the illegal trafficking of plants and animal species at our borders.

The Ministry of Environment has partnered with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Services to counter this growing issue.

Director for Environment, Sandeep Kaur Singh, highlighted this while opening the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora training for Customs Border Control Officers in Nasese, Suva yesterday.

Singh says she looks forward to affirmative outcomes from the training with strengthened partnership and collaboration towards the protection of CITES-listed species and those that are indigenous to Fiji.

She says with the loss of natural habitat and the ever-increasing trade, thousands of plants and animals are rapidly disappearing from the planet.

“The need to stop illegal wildlife trade and combat illegal environmental crime has gained an increasingly prominent place on the political agenda over the past years. Tackling this multi-million-dollar illegal industry is not an easy task for any country; let alone any organization. We cannot do it alone. It calls for collective efforts at all levels. Coordination and engaging in a partnership are essential to cease the illegal trade of wildlife.”

She says this wildlife trade ranges from live species such as parrots and plants to wildlife products derived from them, for example, handbags made from crocodile leather, wooden musical instruments made from mahogany and ornaments such as turtle shell jewelry.

Singh says environmental crime such as wildlife trafficking is fast becoming a lucrative business worldwide.