Prince William speaks out against illegal wildlife trade in first-ever webinar

Prince William took part in his first-ever webinar on Wednesday as spoke out against the illegal wildlife trade.

The prince called for the world to address the illegal wildlife trade with renewed urgency amid the COVID-19 crisis.

He was speaking at a virtual meeting of the United for Wildlife Taskforces, an organization he spearheaded in 2014 to bring together those working to prevent species extinction.

"Crucial tourism revenue has largely dried up, and it will be many months, perhaps even years, before it recovers," he said.

Prince William expressed his on how the pandemic could increase the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals.

"Rangers' salaries are at risk, and there are early indications that economic hardship may be leading more people to turn to poaching," he noted. "The Uganda Wildlife Authority recorded more than double the incidents of poaching in their parks between February and May this year than last year."