Conservation action urged

ON THE eve of the Johannesburg summit of the Forum on ChinaAfrica Co-operation, a group of respected Chinese and African civil society leaders and celebrities were shining a spotlight on the role of wildlife conservation in sustainable economic development.

For many participants from China, including box office dynamite Wang Baoqiang, the trip to Kruger was their first time visiting a national park in Africa.

The China-Africa Wildlife Conservation Council met last week for a three-day field visit and talks in Kruger National Park, facilitated by the African Wildlife Foundation and the USbased Aspen Institute.

“I have always loved being out in nature, and I enjoyed seeing Africa’s elephants, rhinos and other wildlife for the first time,” said Wang.

As a cultural and economic exchange, the council was to deepen co-operation and support the governments of China and African states in their joint efforts to protect African wildlife and expand wildlands conservation.

Following the discussions, the council released a statement recommending China strengthen its collaboration with African countries to conserve natural wildland habitats by expanding the continent’s protected area system.

Before this month’s Forum on China-Africa co-operation, meetings were held in Beijing, Nairobi and Kigali to discuss the illegal wildlife trade that is fuelling the poaching in Africa, said Dr Patrick Bergin, African Wildlife Foundation CEO.

“This trip gave dialogue participants a chance to see and hear first-hand about the devastation that poaching has wrought on Kruger’s rhino population.”

Singer and songwriter Alikiba, a wildlife ambassador in Tanzania, said celebrities as well as government leaders and conservationists had a role to play in protecting wildlife. Key outputs include: A formal proposal to include topics of wildlife and wildlands protection at the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Co-operation was submitted to the African Ambassadors Group in Beijing.

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A proposal to include wildlife on the diplomatic agenda of the forum was submitted to SA’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

In response, the department requested the submission of formal commitments for inclusion in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation’s action plan.

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Picture: SUN YAT-SEN CULTURAL FOUNDATION Chinese actor Wang Baoqiang (left) and Tanzanian singer-songwriter Alikiba participated in the discussions to co-operate on protecting wildlands and wildlife.