Zimbabwe: Country Stands to Lose U.S. $120 Million From Ivory Ban



The Herald (Harare)

11 May 2007
Posted to the web 11 May 2007

Harare

ZIMBABWE stands to lose between US$100 and US$120 million once the bid by Kenya and Mali to ban the country's trade in ivory sails through at the forthcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting, an official has said.

In a speech read on his behalf at a reception to raise funds to rebut the negative proposal submitted by the two countries, Environment and Tourism Deputy Minister Mr Andrew Langa said the proposal, once adopted, would impact negatively on the country.


"If the joint proposal by Kenya and Mali succeeds, the immediate impact will be reduced funding for the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, reversal of all the gains realised by our rural communities, collapse of the hunting and downstream industries and demise of wildlife conservation in this country," he said.

At least 171 countries are expected to converge at The Hague, the Netherlands, from June 3 to 15 for the 14th Cites meeting where progress in the measures adopted towards the conservation of species included in Cites appendices will be discussed.

Kenya and Mali presented a joint proposal, which seeks to place a 20-year moratorium on international trade in raw or worked ivory and hunting trophies from Zimbabwe.

This meant that export of worked ivory from Zimbabwe's domestic ivory carving industry and of trophies from elephant hunts by foreign clients would be illegal, Mr Langa said.

To support their proposal, the two countries cited newspaper reports on poaching, land reform and alleged undue influence of the army as well as reluctance of the police to act on reported cases of poaching.

"The proposals by Mali and Kenya lack scientific credibility, raise all manner of banal irrelevancies and are a fortuitous ride on the current wave of hate campaign against the country," he said.

"By ignoring facts on the ground, the proposal is clearly retrogressive and motivated by reasons no more complex than attitudinal congruence and payback for their handlers.

"Zimbabwe and the region must pierce the veil of deception covering the message from Kenya and Mali and reveal the real issue -- peddling of half-truths and innuendo falsely presented as concerns for conservation."

Parks director-general Dr Morris Mtsambiwa said at least 500 elephants were set aside for hunting annually, at US$10 000 for each animal hunted.

Since the hunting period lasted up to 15 days, the hunter would be charged an addition US$1 000 each day while tourists were also allowed to export artifacts worth US$500 from the country.

"We expect a big struggle where we are going but with your support, we hope to persuade our colleagues to withdraw the proposal and continue to ensure that Zimbabwe benefits from wildlife conservation," Dr Mtsambiwa said.

Meanwhile, Mr Langa said Zimbabwe was a success story in wildlife conservation as evidenced by increasing population of most animal species, especially elephants, while the same could not be said about wildlife in Kenya and Mali.

He attributed Zimbabwe's success to sustainable use concept where a commercial view of wildlife has seen significant increases in private areas devoted to wildlife conservation.

In the communal sector, through the establishment of the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources, Zimbabwe pioneered and successfully implemented community-based management of natural resources.

"The initiative presents a laudable and innovative approach to reconciling poverty alleviation, wildlife conservation and communal self-management," he said.


The deputy minister said the wildlife industry was also critical for the survival of other wildlife-based secondary industries especially in areas such as tourism services and the processing of products of hunting, like skins.

Zimbabwe boasts a vibrant carving industry with 45 ivory craftsmen. The ivory carvers produce a variety of products ranging from carved whole elephant tusks to ivory chess sets and sculptures of animals indigenous to Zimbabwe to jewellery from leftover ivory.

The retail value of worked ivory stands at US$800 per kilogramme. -- New Ziana.