Focus on poaching to end illegal wildlife trade

A mega meeting to check the booming illegal wildlife trade — valued at $20 billion a year — under way in Johannesburg has got stuck in an unseemly fight. The clash comes on the heels of a report which says that the population of African elephants has declined by 111,000 in the past ten years due to surge in poaching. The Western charities are calling for a total ban on ivory trade. But countries like Zimbabwe and Namibia dismiss these calls as “imperialistic policies”. They want nod to sell ivory stockpiles accrued from natural deaths to fund community elephant conservation programmes. They have got backing from South Africa and Zambia, which feel these decisions must be respected and the Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) group ought to consider the “sovereign rights of nations”.
Now, CITES has to take a stand on this contentious matter. It would be hard to convince and goad the African countries to torch their stockpiles, like Kenya did some time ago. And if it lets them go ahead with the sale, it would be very difficult to monitor the dealings even if the ivory stockpiles from dead pachyderms are labelled properly. There will always be a chance that poachers or unscrupulous traders skirt the law. Lack of transparency and accountability can make the dealings dicey.
The clash has thrown up fresh challenges before the group. CITES has to address these very prudently. But in the midst of all these, the growing problem of poaching shouldn’t be downplayed.
Trade in rhino horns was banned around four decades back. But its illicit hunting continues. It is imperative that poaching of these animals is stopped in the first place. Trade in animal parts can only be checked if strong prohibitory laws that deter poachers are put in place. While doing so, there has to be public education that makes the consumers see the plight of helpless animal behind the commodity they buy — whether it is a coat, a decoration piece or a medicine. An informed choice will go a long way in curbing demand for stuffs made from
animal parts. Slogans like ‘Only elephants should wear ivory’ will sensitize the people and drive home the message.
Between 35,000 and 40,000 African elephants are poached a year. Three rhinos are poached every day. Only 3,890 tigers are left in the wild. There is a wide array of species — not just elephants, rhinos or tigers — that are being overexploited for quick gains. As many as 28,300 freshwater turtles are bartered each day. Sushi and sashimi have put bluefin tuna on the brink of extinction. More than a million pangolins were poached from the wild in the past decade — for their meat, medicine or to make guitar plectrums.
In Vietnam, the rhino horn — which is mistakenly believed to cure cancer — still fetches price like that of gold. Illegal wildlife trade is a thriving organized business today — next only to illegal weapons smuggling, narcotics trade and child trafficking. It is low-risk business with high returns. If one gets caught, there is light punishment. But in case one gets through, he can make a fortune. Inadequate laws, rampant corruption, poverty and ignorance are fuelling this trade.
The CITES meeting has to nail these problems. The gathering has to come out with strict international trade regulations and take steps to tackle the alarming situation.