Zim in catch-22 situation over CITES membership
The Zimbabwean
September 16, 2022
See link
https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2022/09/zim-in-catch-22-situation-over-cites-membership/
for photo.
Zimbabwe is caught up in a catch-22 situation over its membership at CITES
where it is struggling to extract full benefits from its large elephant
population but is unable to walk out of the agreement because it will be
restricted from trading.
CITES – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora – is an international agreement between governments whose
aim is to make sure international trade in specimens of wild animals and
plants does not threaten their survival.
With a population of 100,000 elephants, Zimbabwe has the world’s
second-largest elephant population after Botswana but the country cannot
sell its stockpiles due to a ban on ivory trade.
This has resulted in some calls that Zimbabwe must pull out of CITES but it
is not an easy task.
“The reason for us walking out primarily is that CITES restricts us from
trading and how we are restricted from trading is that they will control
the market. You are not able to sell to that market but also, they will put
restrictions on your ability to sell,” said Minister of Environment,
Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mangaliso Ndlovu while
answering questions at the Senate recently.
“Zimbabwe walking out will just stand out there. Our primary markets are
China and Japan, they will remain in CITES and will not be able to purchase
as they are bound by CITES. So, when you analyse the benefits of being
there and being outside, it is much better to go in there, influence
decisions so that the market is opened for those countries that have
demonstrated they have conserved their wildlife so well, are able to
maintain it and have been able to contain poaching. This is how we have so
far been able to maintain our membership at CITES.”
This was in response to Senator Morgan Komichi who asked why Zimbabwe “does
not quit from CITES” since it was the desire and wish of Zimbabweans to
benefit from its wildlife.
The environment minister acknowledged it would help ‘a lot’ if Zimbabwe was
allowed to trade in wildlife but the position was “very difficult within
the CITES provisions.”
“All member states of CITES are bound by the provisions of CITES,” Ndlovu
said, highlighting that three years ago, Zimbabwe for the first time
informed CITES the country was not given the attention it deserves.
“This also applied to the whole southern African region which holds more
than 85 percent of the world elephant population.”
Ndlovu noted walking out of CITES was an option but a position which
Zimbabwe would have to consider thoroughly.
“The potential bias of our products are members of CITES. They will not be
in a position to purchase any if they are still within CITES. If moving out
of CITES is a solution to our problems, we would have left the solution
within CITES,” said the minister.
He added that southern Africa needed to intensify efforts to influence
CITES to make due consideration based on science and experiences of local
communities who encounter wildlife on a daily basis.
This consideration, he said, was to allow these countries to do once-off
trade of their stockpiles and be flexible when it comes to trading in
wildlife resources.
The environment minister said when Zimbabwe goes to the CITES conference to
be held this November in Panama, it would strongly advocate for its
position to be considered.
“Because the situation keeps getting worse from CITES to CITES and we know
that sometimes some Governments, because of funding from certain so-called
animal rights groups, fail to consider reason and science. We are in the
process of engaging them so that when we go there, we will speak with one
voice,” Ndlovu said.
When Senator Dr Tichinani Mavetera asked whether CITES was useful for the
country, the minister said both Zimbabwe and the convention have benefited
from sharing best conservation practices of different natural resources and
of international trade.
“Admittedly, when it comes to, particularly our elephants, we seem to be
struggling to extract the full benefits from this,” Ndlovu admitted.
“However, we believe as a country and as a region, we are in a position to
help conserve these important animal species for the world, which is why we
have always emphasised that we want science to lead the decision-making and
not necessarily politics because it is clear that it is politics that is at
play.”
The minister said there were clear benefits from CITES provisions as
Zimbabwe had been able to curb poaching of many animal species and save a
number of bird species that were nearing extinction.
“There are clear benefits from this and we believe the best way forward for
now, is to try and influence CITES to make considerate scientific decisions
that also take due consideration of communities who bear the brunt of
living adjacent to the wildlife species,” summed Ndlovu.
https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2022/09/zim-in-catch-22-situation-over-cites-membership/