UK seals deal over rhino horn trade


Britain has secured international agreement to clamp down on the illegal trade of rhino horn, which has become so sought after it is now worth more than diamonds, gold, heroin and cocaine.

The UK will lead a global steering group to dispel the myths that rhino horn can cure cancer or help with strokes, which are fuelling demand for it in Asia so much that it is now worth £50,000 a kilo.

Countries and conservation groups across the world will also work together by sharing intelligence, policing tactics and public awareness campaigns against the illegal trade.

The agreement was reached at the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Geneva.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Criminals trading in rhino horn have lined their pockets while bringing this magnificent animal to the brink of extinction, but their days are now numbered.

"We will be leading global action to clamp down on this cruel and archaic trade, and to dispel the myths peddled to vulnerable people that drive demand for rhino products."

There has been a significant increase in the number of rhino killed in countries such as South Africa since 2010, in what conservationists are warning is a "poaching crisis", along with a rise in demand for rhino horn.

The UK will now support a workshop in South Africa in September to help develop better co-operation between countries where rhinos are poached and countries where their horns are sold.

Last September, after the UK's Animal Health agency detected a rise in the number of rhino horn products being sold through auction houses in the country, it issued a warning that it would be refusing almost all applications to export such items from the UK.

It was feared that the legal export of "worked items", such as ornaments, created and acquired before June 1947, was being used to send rhino horn to Asia, where it is powdered and used for medicinal purposes. The trade could stimulate the market for products from the endangered animal, fuelling poaching, officials said.

Under rules brought in for the UK and then backed by the EU, export licences are now only granted if the item is of such artistic value it exceeds its potential value on the black market, it is part of a genuine exchange of goods between institutions such as museums, it has not been sold and is being taken as an heirloom by a family moving country or is part of a bona fide research project.

quote:

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Criminals trading in rhino horn have lined their pockets while bringing this magnificent animal to the brink of extinction, but their days are now numbered.

"We will be leading global action to clamp down on this cruel and archaic trade, and to dispel the myths peddled to vulnerable people that drive demand for rhino products."

Spoken like a true beaurocrat!

What can she and her government do to those in the far East who are fueling this trade?

One big fat ZERO!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Criminals trading in rhino horn have lined their pockets while bringing this magnificent animal to the brink of extinction, but their days are now numbered.

"We will be leading global action to clamp down on this cruel and archaic trade, and to dispel the myths peddled to vulnerable people that drive demand for rhino products."

Spoken like a true beaurocrat!

What can she and her government do to those in the far East who are fueling this trade?

One big fat ZERO!

Exactly, talk is cheap. There is only one way to stop this - on the ground, right now. I am not suggesting I was the first person to think of what I'm about to write, but I have been saying it for many years to those involved here in Zim. Each and every rhino still living in Zim needs to have 24 hour protection. Round the clock surveillance, by well armed and well trained scouts. That should be put in place now and kept in place for as long as it takes for the by then 'shot to ribbons' poaching gangs to chuck in the towel. I cannot see why it would be such a problem to implement this short term strategy. Money is always the reason given for why it cannot be done, and yet millions of dollars get poured into the rhino coffers every year but the kill rate does not slow. As soon as those on the ground realize that their various strategies have not worked and resort to the measure mentioned, the sooner the situation will be contained. I also have ideas for a long term strategy, ideas which have also been scorned. I won't go into it all here because the most important thing to do RIGHT NOW is contain the situation, but the long-term plan is all to do with getting communities bordering rhino areas onsides. Without the support of those communities the rhino are doomed because they provide the springboard and safety net for the poachers. The poachers are worth more to them than hunters/conservationists and this state of affairs has to be reversed. Not as difficult as everyone makes out. 'But we are working with the communities' I hear them cry. Yes, some are, but not enough is being done - priorities/gameplans are not in order. A concerted attempt at winning the support of the locals is needed. I reiterate - not as difficult as some would have the general populace believe. Of course, it will take money, but again I refer to how much money gets wasted every year in half-hearted attempts at getting on top of things. This 'hearts and minds' plan is obviously not a new one (think campfire) but it has never been carried out effectively because those running the show have neglected their duties and stolen all the loot. But it can be done, I have no doubt. All it needs is the right kind of guy, some money and one area to begin with, just to prove it. Back to the short term strategy - these rhino guardian landowners can go on and on about all the ways they combat rhino poaching and how it is impossible to get on top of, but I know someone who is in charge of anti poaching in a 'hot' area with many rhinos, and since he began working there years ago they have not lost one. Why is that the others must wonder....

David

Why is "action" always a workshop and why do they always hold it in an exporting country and not an importing one? When are the workshops scheduled for Yemen or China?

How about some 'education" for the masses in those countries where rhino horn is valued as a sex stimulant? It should be a part of sex education for the young and mandatory advertising on t.v., on the radio, in newsprint, in magazines and through other public sources, including ads in mass transit. Of course, you'll never completely get rid of it, as some people will still cling to the old superstitions and beliefs.

It sounds to me like the horns of dead rhinos is worth a LOT more than live rhinos.
And you are dealing with humans(sort of). So, there is a real problem.
Either money or violence will change things. I don't think things will change enough.