MEDIA RELEASE BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN HUNTERS AND GAME CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION DATE: 4 JULY 2013 EMBARGO: NONE ___________________________________________________________ Hunting body welcomes proposal for legal rhino horn trade The South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SAHGCA) welcomes and supports government’s decision to ask CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to lift the ban on rhino horn trade as a measure to curb poaching. SAHGCA CEO Chris Niehaus said they trust that it is not too little too late. “With another three years until the next meeting of CITES in Cape Town in 2016 when this proposal can even be considered, let alone accepted and implemented, we should brace ourselves for the continued slaughter of rhinos. In the interim, all concerned South Africans will have to maintain and expand their efforts to protect rhinos from extinction.” In 2011, SAHGCA was one of the first game conservation organisations that publicly called for the legal trade in rhino horn as the only sustainable solution for the protection of rhinos. Although SAHGCA applauds the efforts to debunk medicinal myths about rhino horn, it maintains its stance that it is naïve to expect a substantial short-term change in a 5000-year old Asian belief system in which rhino horn forms an integral part of traditional medicinal practices. “Whether the Department of Environmental Affairs’ proposal of a once-off sale of more than 18 tons of stockpiled horn in public and private hands will be sufficient to satisfy the demand in the long term remains to be seen. We trust that SAHGCA will have the opportunity to give input to government as part of broader consultation process necessary for the proper preparation of the submission to CITES,” Niehaus said. SAHGCA fully understands the added responsibilities that will accompany a resumption of trade in rhino horn and acknowledges the need to implement appropriate regulatory measures. Full and public consultation with all stakeholders, including the Private Rhino Owners Association, should lead to a much better understanding of potential demand and supply, implementation/process requirements and the modalities of the re-introduction/legalisation of trade in rhino horns. It is also imperative that whatever regulations are introduced, are practically enforceable across the rhino range countries of Southern Africa. THE END Issued by the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SAHGCA) SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association is the largest hunting and conservation NGO in South Africa with more than 36 500 members in 71 branches nationwide. In 2012, SAHGCA’s contribution to conservation initiatives at national and branch level
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 09:21:23 +0000
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