SA mulls trade listing of bitter aloe forex

AMENDING the trade listing of bitter aloe ferox, increasing the black rhino export quota for hunting trophies and asking for more time to register captive-breeding facilities for African grey parrots.

These are the proposals and documents that South Africa has submitted for consideration by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) at its upcoming COP18 meeting in Sri Lanka.

Tourists, says the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), are faced with “challenges” when they buy aloe-based finished products in the country and were unable to take them home immediately.

“Several resource assessments of aloe ferox and a biodiversity management plan is being developed,” said DEA spokesperson Albi Modise of the proposal to exclude finished products of aloe ferox, listed on Appendix II, from regulation under Cites.

“It’s anticipated that the amended annotation will still allow regulation of trade from wild populations but will facilitate the in-country processing of both primary and secondary extracts from A. ferox leaves.

“This should promote the sustainable and efficient use of wild harvested aloe resources. At the same time benefits to community livelihoods and local economies will be enhanced, and the regulatory burden on both importers and exporters will be reduced.”

The DEA also wants to increase South Africa’s export quota for black rhino hunting trophies from five adult male black rhino (0.2%) to a total number of adult male black rhinoceros not exceeding 0.5% of the total population of black rhinos, or about nine black rhinos a year, in the year of export.

“This quota maintains the percentage harvest at the level of population offtake that prevailed when the original quota of five adult males was approved.

“The biological status of the species has improved since the original quota was introduced,” said Modise. “The objectives of this cautious increase in the quota are: to expand the species’ range in South Africa through incentivising the keeping and protection of viable populations of black rhinos and to increase/maintain productive population growth rates through the offtake of surplus males.”

The third submission is to ask for the extension of the decision on trade in captive-bred African grey parrots to allow SA to register captive-breeding facilities. International trade in wild African-grey parrots was outlawed at COP17, but captive facilities are regulated under Cites rules.