Namibia Petitions Cites About Crocodile Trade



The Namibian (Windhoek)

July 22, 2004
Posted to the web July 22, 2004

Absalom Shigwedha
Windhoek

NAMIBIA has petitioned the United Nations body that protects endangered species to allow limited trade in the Nile Crocodile.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has asked the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (Cites) to put Namibia's Nile Crocodile in Appendix II, to facilitate limited trade in trophies.

The request will be tabled at the Cites 13th Conference to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in October.

The skin of the Nile Crocodile skin is used to make shoes, handbags and belts, while its teeth and claws are sold as souvenirs to tourists.

In Namibia, the largest number of Nile Crocodiles are found in the Kunene River.

Zambia, whose Nile Crocodile species is already on Cites Appendix II, is requesting an annual export quota of no more than 548, while Cuba also wants her Cuban Crocodile to be placed on Appendix II.


The Nile Crocodile is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Nile Basin and in Madagascar.

But its largest number is said to be in Uganda.

Zambia has a similar proposal: CITES Website - Zambia Croc Proposal



According to a 2003 survey, in a 400km length of the Luangwa River, there was an average of 22.2 croc's per kilometer. The concession I'll be hunting has about 40km of river frontage, which would equate to ~900 crocs. Here's hoping there is a 16-footer in there with my name on it!



Per the African Indaba, Namibia is also looking to increase their leopard quota from 100 to 250...plus 5-black rhino. SA is asking for 10 black rhino and 150 leopard, up from the current quota of just 75. African Indaba July 2004

I read in the 2002 HuntiNamibia that they are trying to get export permits (and associated import permits) for Black-Faced Impala to the US.

Of all the countries in Africa, it seems that Namibia's government "gets it." I'm glad to see that they recognize the value and importance of sustained consumptive utilization of wildlife

I'd like to see them get the cheetah thing sorted out too. I passed on an opportunity to kill a cheetah while hunting with Vaughan Fulton because I would not have been able to import the thing. Paying a trophy fee for the picture was not on my "to-do" list. I sure would have liked to hunt him though...