Uganda: Ugandan Leopards Face Extinction


New Vision (Kampala)

EDITORIAL
7 June 2007
Posted to the web 8 June 2007

Kampala

ON Tuesday at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at the Hague, Uganda was given permission to restart trophy hunting of leopards. According to reports from the function the decision was justified on the strength of 20-year-old data.

CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.


Trade in endangered species and their trophies grosses $12b a year, a figure only bested by drug trafficking and the arms trade.

Under the current arrangement Uganda can export 28 leopard skins a year.

This decision is hard to justify.

Often times after trade in endangered species is prohibited for some time and animal populations grow an easing on hunting restrictions can be allowed to regulate the species numbers.

If that is the case, Ugandans will not be blamed for wondering where this ballooning population of leopards is that needs culling. They probably will be even more shocked that we can afford to lose 28 leopards a year. Are there 28 leopards in Uganda today?

An enquiry should be made to find out who is responsible and what is our justification for requesting that leopard trophy hunting be recommenced.


Not only because the scarcity of leopards in Uganda is a cause for concern in and of itself, but more importantly it points to insidious workings by some shadowy characters set on undermining government processes.

It is shocking to note that the players behind these underhand manoeuvres are now operating in broad daylight using established official and diplomatic channels to achieve their own ends. Today it is our miserly population of the leopards, God knows what it will be tomorrow.

Government needs to nip this impunity in the bud before it becomes pervasive and paralyses government's legitimate mission to improve the collective welfare of Ugandans.

Uganda: To Start Leopard Hunting Sport


New Vision (Kampala)

7 June 2007
Posted to the web 8 June 2007

Harriette Onyalla
Kampala

UGANDA has been allowed to introduce leopard hunting as a sport. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on Wednesday approved a proposal by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Ministry of Trade to partially lift a ban on leopard hunting.

The country can now kill a maximum of 28 leopards annually.


"For the exclusive purpose of sport hunting for trophies and skins for personal use," the proposal read.

Uganda's original proposal of an export quota of 50 leopards was amended just before the meeting.

The first proposal had also sought to down-list leopards from appendix one to appendix two of the CITES grading.

The organisation grades animals and plants according to the degree of protection they need. Appendix one covers species threatened with extinction.

"Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances," the CITES website explains. Species in appendix two are not threatened with extinction but trade in this species is controlled.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda has a total of 2,700 leopards. Its executive director, Sam Mwandha, said the hunting sport would benefit the country.

Each trophy hunter would be required to pay $50,000 (sh83m) per leopard killed.

"It is unlikely that any Ugandan will be interested in the sport, especially with the cost, but we are expecting a lot of foreigners. It is easier to regulate the number of leopards hunted because trophy hunters want to show off their prizes," he noted.

According to a survey carried out in Kiruhura district by the Lake Mburo Conservation Area Problem Animal Unit, nine leopards were killed between 2003 to March 2006.

"Sport hunting will make leopards more valuable than being poisoned or killed. It will also generate tangible economic benefits that will motivate local people to protect them instead of regarding them as vermin," Mwandha argued. The country director of the World Conservation Union, Alex Muhwezi, supported the lift of the ban.

"By the time Uganda presents its case at CITES, which is a big international meet, it means that they have good scientific backing to suggest that these animals be hunted."


However, another conservationist criticised the move, arguing that CITES approved the proposal without ascertaining the population of the leopards in the country.

"Despite a profound lack of contemporary scientific information about the population status of leopards in Africa, the meeting supported proposals to establish and increase leopard trophy export quotas," commented Will Travers, the chairman of the Species Survival Network.

"It is terribly unfortunate that CITES parties have again put the interests of wealthy trophy hunters above the needs of imperiled species."

The interests of wealthy trophy hunters contribute to the preservation of the species, the interests of wealthy non-trophy hunters don't. I'm still working on the wealthy part.

The antis will make any sort of unsubstantiated and sensational comment as long as they feel it will play on the emotions of the populace score points in mainstream media.

Did I read that right? Is it $50,000.00 U.S.?



Dutch


I'll just remain sittin' in the gutter sluggin' rats for free.