 Reference Base  Implications for rhino conservation discussed at conference |
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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - South Africa |
| Subject: |
Trade |
| Species: |
African Rhino Species |
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Proposal of South Africa. In June of this year, representatives from over 130 govermnents will meet in Harare for the tenth Conference of the Parties (COP 10) for the Convention on International Trade in Enangered Specieses (CITES).
Submit a proposal
At the previous CITES meeting (COP 9) in 1994, South Africa successfully applied to have its population of white rhinos down-listed to Appendix 11, subject to a clause that restricted commercial trade to live animals and trophies only. At the forthcoming CITES meeting, South Africa will submit a proposal to entrench the Appendix II listing, and remove the restrictive clause. In its place, South Africa is recommending a zero quota for trade in rhino horn. Ineffect, South Africa is not advocating the immediate resumption of trade in rhino horn, but is asking for Permission to enter into discussions with rhino horn consumer nations such as China, South Korea and Taiwan. These nations are not willing to enter into such discussions with South Afnca as long as the total worldwide ban on rhino horn trade remains in place.
Why is South Africa contemplating a legal trade in rhino horn?
This country has an excellent track record in rhino management, partly because local conservation agencies have invested sufficient fimds in field protection whereas other African countries have not, and partly because the Natal Parks Board has played a very active role in translocating surplus animals to create new ~ations throughout the country. However, times are changing; budgets of goveniment conservation agencies are being cut, and there are few protected areas with swtable rhino habitat that do not already have resident rhino populations. There is still much potential rhino habitat on private land, and private landowners already own 20% of South Africa's white rhinos. A legal trade in rhino horn would not only provide an incentive for more private landowners to acquire rhinos and introduce them onto their land, but would also provide another source of revenue to supplement the dwindling budgets of the conservation agencies. Furthermore, a legal rhino horn trade would help to reduce the currently high black market prices of rhino horn, and therefore lower the incentives to poach rhinos.
Stiff opposition
South Africa will face still opposition from certain environmental lobby groups who fear that a legal trade in rhino horn may pave the way for a resumption of a legal ivory trade. These groups will argue that even discussing the possible resumption of a legal trade will create fresh incentives for poaching. However, as long as e2dsting laws and enforcement measures remain in place (which they will under the South African proposal), this argument is invalid. If and when South Africa eventually does resume legal trading in rhino horn, this would take place under very tightly controlled conditions. A cartel structure is envisaged, with a single organisation (e.g. Natal Parks Board) acting as a clearing-house for all rhino horn. The cartel mechanism would be designed to ensure that no illegally poached rhino horn could enter the system. Existing high penalties for poachers and illegal traders would remain in place and the cartel would have an added incentive to pursue such offenders.
A sincere attempt
A great deal of thought has gone into the South African proposal and there will certainly be much more input before a controlled legal trading regime becomes operational. The South African proposal clearly satisfies all the criteria laid out by CITES, and there is no reason for it not to be approved at COP 10. Unfortunately, South Africa still carries the stigma of the Kumleben Commission findings, namely that during the apartheid era, members of the South African military were actively involved in trading in ivory and rhino horn to fund covert operations in neighbouring countries. Hopefully the CITES parties will acknowledge that South Africa has 'cleaned up its act' and that the rhino downlisting proposal is a sincere and innovative attempt to address the ongoing threat that faces rhinos everywhere.
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