Chinese blasted over Namibia wildlife crime

OUTRAGE at the looting of Africa’s wildlife and environmental destruction by Chinese nationals boiled over in Namibia last month in a strongly-worded letter of protest to the Chinese Ambassador, Xiun Shunkang, signed by environmental protection and research organisations in the country.

Because Chinese nationals cannot travel independently, the letter states, they appear to be part of a state-supported system and fall under the authority of the ambassasor. “As such, we call on you to put a stop to the illegal wildlife crimes perpetrated, encouraged, funded, incentivised or otherwise committed and supported by some Chinese nationals in Namibia.”

The letter notes that before the arrival of Chinese nationals in significant numbers in Namibia, commercial wildlife crime was low. But as Chinese nationals set up businesses, networks, acquired mineral prospecting licences and offered payment for wildlife products, so poaching, illegal wildlife capture, collection, killing and export increased exponentially.

Chinese nationals, it alleged, had been involved in, or are the commercial drivers behind escalating wildlife crime.

During November several Chinese nationals were apprehended and charged with wildlife crimes, including illegal possession of rhino horn, ivory and pangolin skins and scales. It is conservatvely estimated that the losses to Namibia’s wildlife and ecosystems caused by Chinese nationals is around N$811 million (R811m).

“We support our government’s policy of attracting foreign investment to stimulate growth, employment and development,” the conservationists write, “and we counter all forms of xenophobia and profiling. But we expect foreign investors and their nationals to abide by Namibia’s laws…

“Your embassy is on record stating that it will not allow a few of its nationals who have been arrested in connection with poaching to tarnish its country’s image. (But) too many Chinese nationals have abused Namibia’s environmental laws and this is causing growing resentment and anger…

“We are concerned at how little action the Chinese Embassy in Namibia appears to be taking to address the problem.” – Conservation Action Trust