06 Jun 2007 - The Hague,
The Netherlands – An increase in the volume
of rhino horn entering illegal trade from
Africa since 2000 could be placing some
rhino populations at serious risk, according
to WWF and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring
network.
Poaching is most severe in Zimbabwe and
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
where 60 per cent of the rhino population
was illegally killed between 2003 and 2005.
In Zimbabwe, poaching accounted for two-thirds
of all rhino mortalities over the same period,
affecting one in eight animals, and some
key populations are in decline.
Both DRC and Zimbabwe have the poorest
record for seizing rhino horns in the illegal
trade, with just 13 per cent and 8 per cent
of lost horns recovered in DRC and Zimbabwe,
respectively, between 2000 and 2005. Across
Africa, law enforcement agencies recovered
42 per cent of horns entering illegal trade.
Rhino horns are shipped to illegal markets,
mainly in Asia and the Middle East, where
they are used as traditional medicines and
to make traditional dagger handles. East
and South-east Asia and Yemen are important
destinations, and trade appears to be on
the increase since 2000.
According to TRAFFIC, this matches a switch
to commercial rhino poaching which targets
horn in Kenya, Zimbabwe and DRC.
“The situation in DRC and Zimbabwe is a
particular concern,” said Steven Broad,
Executive Director of TRAFFIC. “It tallies
with an increase in the organization of
criminal horn trading networks operating
in Africa.”
The Secretariat of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) has called for better
cross-border collaboration between countries
along smuggling routes. Secure management
of horn stocks has also proved important
to prevent horns leaking to the illegal
market.
As a result of such measures, some African
countries, such as Swaziland and Namibia,
have achieved considerable success in combating
poaching and the associated illegal trade.
And despite poaching and illegal trade,
rhino populations overall in Africa are
increasing.
“This population increase is of course
very encouraging,” said Dr Sue Lieberman,
Director of WWF’s Global Species Programme.
“But better law enforcement and protection
measures are still needed for African rhinos,
particularly in the DRC and Zimbabwe.”
Richard Thomas, Communications Coordinator
TRAFFIC International
Joanna Benn, Communications Manager
WWF Global Species Programme
+ More
UN wildlife convention gives green light
to ivory sale
02 Jun 2007 - The Hague, The Netherlands
– A limited sale of ivory has been approved
by the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES).
A “one-off" ivory sale was provisionally
approved for Botswana, Namibia and South
Africa at a previous CITES meeting in 2002,
but could not go forward until certain decisions
and criteria were met.
The Standing Committee of CITES, however,
has concluded that Japan meets the necessary
requirements to be an importing party. The
committee also agreed that a scientific
system to monitor elephant poaching had
provided sufficient data.
“Although we agree Japan has met the necessary
requirements, we caution that the sale should
be closely monitored," said Dr Susan
Lieberman, Director of WWF's Global Species
Programme.
"This would include an annual report
to the CITES parties on levels of ivory
going through the system in Japan to ensure
early detection of potential problems or
trends.”
Botswana, Namibia and South Africa have
committed, and are required by CITES, to
use the revenue derived from the sale exclusively
for elephant conservation and community
development programmes.
The concept of a “one-off sale” of ivory
means that designated stocks of ivory can
be auctioned in a single event and exported
to a CITES-approved ivory importing nation.
No re-exports are allowed and the importing
country is required to implement tight controls.
The ivory is from registered, government-owned
stocks and originates from elephants that
died from natural causes or from problem
animals.
China also put in a bid to be allowed to
import ivory, which went to a vote (6 for
and 6 against). The tied vote was rejected
and China may ask again in a future meeting.
“Between December 2006 and January 2007,
we conducted market surveys in seven Chinese
cities," said Steven Broad, Executive
Director of TRAFFIC.
"Despite some improvements, there
was clear indication of the resilience of
the trade and the probability of significant
quantities of illicit ivory in China.”
According to WWF and TRAFFIC, the real
driver of poaching and illegal ivory trade
is unregulated domestic ivory markets.
The two organizations want the African
elephant plan agreed at the last CITES meeting
in 2004 to be made effective. That plan
requires every African country with a domestic
ivory market either to impose strict controls
on the trade or to shut it down altogether.
"With the exception of Ethiopia, the
implementation of this action plan has been
disappointing and had little impact,"
Dr Lieberman added.
END NOTE:
• In 1989, all African elephant populations
were listed in Appendix I of CITES, which
imposed a global ban on international commercial
trade in elephant products (the Asian elephant
had been in CITES Appendix I for many years).
Subsequently elephant populations in Botswana,
Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa were
transferred to CITES Appendix II, which
allows for regulated trade in listed species.
• CITES Parties have twice approved limited,
conditional one-off sales of ivory from
four southern African countries (South Africa,
Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe) whose elephant
populations have been transferred to Appendix
II.
Richard Thomas, Communications Coordinator
TRAFFIC International
Joanna Benn, Communications Manager
WWF Global Species Programme
