Save the rhino or legalise trade is the question
Whether or not the current ban on international trade in rhino horn is working will be at the forefront of discussions at the 17th Conference of Parties (CoP17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) around whether or not to allow trade in rhino horn.
Ever since Cites stepped in to protect the rhino, poaching has escalated, with a record total of 1 215 rhinos poached in 2014 in South Africa.
Thanks to a massive effort by government, that number dipped a little to 1 715 for 2015 and SA is on track to starting a trend of dropping poaching.
“Between January and the end of August 2016, a total number of 458 poached rhino carcasses were found in the Kruger National Park, compared to 557 in the same period last year,” said Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, citing the implementation of the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros (ISMR).
Nationally, 702 rhino have been poached in SA as of September 11.
The ISMR entails an intensive protection zone inside the Kruger – the park hardest hit by poaching – and translocation to other parks and countries.
The thinning of the herd has two spinoffs: it makes rhino harder to find and scientists believe it stimulates breeding.
Yet, as home to the biggest population of rhinos – black (less than 6 000) and white (more than 20 000) – SA is still vacillating on its final decision, anti-trade activists are vehemently opposed and farmers and hunters are saying if rhinos don’t pay their way, there’s no point in keeping them.
On Saturday, Molewa said a final decision on whether to support Swaziland’s proposal to trade legally in white rhino horn would be made once “we have received further information” – this despite working groups recommendation trade be stopped.