Export of lion bones ‘will kill SA’s brand and tourism’

Exporting lion bones is killing South Africa’s brand.

This was said by Michele Pickover, director of the environmental nonprofit EMS Foundation, in response to the new lion bones export quota environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa announced on Monday.

“[I am] completely gobsmacked‚” Pickover said.

“That we are actually taking lions and killing them for their bones – shame on South Africa.

“The worst part [is] that tourists will not want to come to this country.

“[The department] might be supporting [the canned lion industry]‚ but they’re slitting their own throats‚ because they are killing brand South Africa and killing tourism here.”

Molewa said on Monday that 1‚500 lion skeletons can be exported annually from South Africa, effective retrospectively from June 7.

The department said the quota was based on new evidence from a research project by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) and the universities of the Witwatersrand (Wits)‚ Oxford and Kent‚ which analyse and monitor the lion bone trade in South Africa.

The department said the research found:

● There is a growing stockpile of lion bones due to all the restrictions;

● There has been no discernible increase in poaching of wild lion‚ but there appears to be an increase in poaching of captive-bred lions for body parts like heads‚ faces‚ paws and claws; and

● The captive breeding industry is in a state of flux as breeders respond in different ways to the United States’ restrictions on trophies and the imposition of the skeleton export quota.

Pickover said she had not seen the research‚ but would request it urgently.

She said some of the research by these institutions found that there was reason for concern.

“But the biggest question is: Why are they doing this?

“There is so much damning evidence to show there is a huge problem with lion bone trade‚” Pickover said.

“There just is not enough information and as a conservation agency it should [use] the precautionary principle – if you don’t know enough‚ don’t do it.” Pickover said the EMS Foundation would release a report on the lion bone trade later this week.

She said it was “pretty explosive”.

The department said there was a demand for lion bones and‚ if supply from captive breeding facilities was restricted‚ dealers might seek illegal ways to source bones or start poaching lions.

It said: “South Africa has learnt through its experience with rhino and abalone poaching that these illegal supply chains are very difficult to disband once they become established‚ and seeks to avoid such a scenario materialising.”

Pickover claimed‚ however‚ that once trade was legalised it became a cover for the illegal trade.

“Abalone is a perfect example of that and now we have a domestic rhino issue as well.”

‘That we are taking lions and killing them for their bones – shame on SA’ Michele Pickover EMS FOUNDATION DIRECTOR