1. Preamble
As a socially and environmentally responsible company, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (“the Company”) is committed to taking a more sustainable approach for this and future generations.
The Company recognises the importance of conserving habitats and enhancing species diversity. The Sustainable Development Cargo Carriage Policy (“the Policy”) aims to provide guidance on how the Company’s carriage policies and practices are to be formulated and implemented so that we will not knowingly facilitate in trade of any flora or fauna or their produce that may threaten the sustainability of any species.
2. Policy
The Company strives to comply with all relevant international and local regulatory requirements and to ensure that the items listed in Appendix 1 are not accepted for carriage on board any Cathay Pacific flight.
3. Approach
The Company supports the industry’s approach to global issues of enhancing species sustainability and live animal carriage whilst taking account of current external, science and research-based input and good international practice. The Company will work with industry bodies, enforcement authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to encourage a practical and responsible approach to promote sustainability.
4. Note
The Company recognises that any policy is only as good as it is practicable and enforceable and will continue to engage with our customers and agencies to ensure that this Policy is understood and supported.
The Company understands that research will be on-going and the determination of good practice is a dynamic process, meaning this Policy will evolve over time.
Version 2.0. Last updated: 16 August 2021
Appendix 1: Sustainable Development Cargo Carriage list
| Type |
Related Carriage Policy |
| Flora and Fauna cargo |
Only for those in full compliance with the IATA Live Animals Regulations 1 and the IATA Perishable Cargo Regulations 2, which includes the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 3 (CITES) and local regulatory requirements. |
| Wildlife |
Not knowingly facilitate or tolerate the carriage of illegal wildlife products, or game or hunting trophies (including legally hunted or legally acquired trophies). |
| Cetaceans |
Not accepted for carriage for wild-caught or captive-bred, that are transported for amusement or performance purposes. |
| Laboratory Animals |
Not accepted for carriage when intended for laboratory, experiment, research or testing purposes. |
| Greyhounds |
Not accepted for carriage when intended for racing purposes. Carriage of non-racing greyhounds can only be accepted with approval from the Cargo Service Delivery – Special Cargo Team and upon the shipper signing the Shipper’s Declaration Letter for Live Animals. |
| Shark and Sharkrelated (except fins) |
Shipment must be assessed by an external panel of acknowledged experts in accordance with the sustainability of the species before they could be considered for carriage. |
| Shark’s Fins |
Not accepted for carriage. |
| Ivory |
Not accepted for carriage. |
| Rhino horn |
Not accepted for carriage. |
| Tiger pelts, bones |
Not accepted for carriage. |
Appendix 2: External Charters and Memberships
| Name of Organisation |
Nature of Involvement |
| IATA |
Member of the IATA Illegal Wildlife Trade Task Force 4 |
| United for Wildlife |
Signatory to the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Buckingham Palace Declaration 5 |
References:
1. http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/live-animals/Pages/index.aspx
2. http://www.iata.org/publications/store/Pages/perishable-cargo-regulations.aspx
3. http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/text.php
4. http://www.iata.org/policy/environment/Pages/wildlife-trafficking.aspx
5. https://www.unitedforwildlife.org