Rhinos Seriously Threatened by Poaching Surge, CITES Hears

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ng-crisis.html>Rhinos

Seriously Threatened by Poaching Surge, CITES Hears

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on July 9, 2009

Rhinos are falling to poachers at the rate of two to three per week in some

areas as Asian demand for their horns escalates, according to a report to

the 58th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species <http://www.cites.org/> (CITES) Standing Committee this week in

Geneva.

 

Poachers in Africa and Asia are killing an ever increasing number of rhinos

to meet a growing demand for horns believed in some countries to have

medicinal value, says the briefing to the international wildlife trade

regulation body by WWF <http://www.panda.org/>, the International Union for

the Conservation of Nature <http://www.iucn.org/> (IUCN) and their

affiliated wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC<http://www.traffic.org/>

..

 

An estimated three rhinos were illegally killed each month in all of Africa

from 2000-05, out of a population of around 18,000, the groups said in a

news statement today. " In contrast, 12 rhinoceroses now are being poached

each month in South Africa and Zimbabwe alone. "

 

" Illegal rhino horn trade to destinations in Asia is driving the killing,

with growing evidence of involvement of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai

nationals in the illegal procurement and transport of rhino horn out of

Africa, " the briefing states.

 

Rhino poaching is also a problem in Asia. About 10 rhinos have been poached

in India and at least seven in Nepal since January alone--out of a combined

population of only 2,400 endangered rhinos.

 

" Rhinos are in a desperate situation ...This is the worst rhino poaching we

have seen in many years and it is critical for governments to stand up and

take action. "

 

" Rhinos are in a desperate situation, " said Susan Lieberman, director of the

Species Programme, WWF-International. " This is the worst rhino poaching we

have seen in many years and it is critical for governments to stand up and

take action to stop this deadly threat to rhinos worldwide.

 

" It is time to crack down on organized criminal elements responsible for

this trade, and to vastly increase assistance to range countries in their

enforcement efforts. "

 

Almost all rhino species are listed in CITES (the Convention on Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in Appendix I, which means that

any international trade of any rhino parts for commercial purposes is

illegal.

 

" Increased demand for rhino horn, alongside a lack of law enforcement, a low

level of prosecutions for poachers who are actually arrested and

increasingly daring attempts by poachers and thieves to obtain the horn is

proving to be too much for rhinos and some populations are seriously

declining, " said Steven Broad, executive director of TRAFFIC.

 

The situation is particularly dire in Zimbabwe where such problems are

threatening the success of more than a decade's work of bringing rhino

populations back to healthy levels, the briefing said.

 

" For example, earlier this week a park ranger arrested with overwhelming

evidence against him for having killed three rhinos in the Chipinge Safari

Area, was acquitted without any satisfactory explanation for the verdict.

 

" Similarly, in September 2008, a gang of four Zimbabwean poachers who

admitted to killing 18 rhinos were also freed in a failed judiciary

process. "

 

*Firm International Action*

 

The briefing concludes that governments need " an accurate and up-to-date

picture of the status, conservation and trade in African and Asian

rhinoceroses, as well as the factors driving the consumption of rhinoceros

horn, so that firm international action can be taken to arrest this

immediate threat to rhinoceros populations worldwide. "

 

" Rhino populations in both Africa and Asia are being seriously threatened by

poaching and illegal trade, " said Jane Smart, director of IUCN's

Biodiversity Conservation Group. " IUCN and its African and Asian Rhino

Specialist Groups are working hard to gather data and information on rhinos

so that CITES parties can make informed decisions and ensure that rhinos are

still here for generations to come. "

 

The 58th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee is being held in Geneva

from July 6 -10 . This issue will be further discussed at the 15th meeting

of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, which will be held in Doha, Qatar

March 13-25, 2010.

 

CITES is an international agreement between 175 governments that aims to

ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does

not threaten their survival.

 

 

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