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PHASA Takes Action on White Rhino
The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA), followed by Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA), have taken the initiative to prevent the taking and export of white rhino horn for purposes not permitted under CITES regulations.

They have called upon the CITES scientific and management authorities within the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism of South Africa (DEAT) so that appropriate measures be taken to prevent a possible circumvention of CITES regulations inside or outside South Africa.

It had come to the notice of PHASA that a rapidly increasing number of Asian nationals took advantage of the excellent conservation status of white rhino in South Africa. These persons contract hunting safaris and are subsequently legally hunting and killing white rhino. Various sources reported that the Asians concerned come under the guise of being sport hunters, since sport hunting white rhino is perfectly legal in South Africa and has to a large extent also contributed to the phenomenal recovery of the species.

Under CITES conditions hunting trophies of White Rhino can be exported from South Africa and imported into the home country of the hunter. It is apparent that the final purpose of the mentioned Asian “hunters” was not the trophy, but the commercialization of rhino horn and/or parts in China or other far eatern countries, a completely illegal activity in all concerned countries, contravening the CITES protocols.

It must be understood that bona-fide hunting tourists from the USA, Europe and elsewhere in the world, who hunted white rhino in South Africa in the past and have booked hunts for the future, have been and remain  one of, if not the major driving sustainable force, behind the resurrection of the white rhino from the brink of extermination.

The white rhino of South Africa has been downlisted to Appendix II of CITES because of this hunter-driven recovery along with very sound conservation management by the South African conservation and regulatory authorities. The downlisting to Appendix II was an “annotated” downlisting permitting that trophy parts of the white rhino can be moved internationally. Trade for commercial purposes was and remains prohibited. Any change in CITES protocols has to be authorized by the Parties of CITES.

The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) must be congratulated to have taken this strong action to prevent further circumvention of CITES regulations by unscrupulous persons. PHASA further advised all members to be on the lookout and will be cooperating with TRAFFIC and DEAT who are aware of the problem. Although there is no present risk to the continued conservation and growing numbers of white rhino in South Africa, PHASA took the prudent course of being vigilant and this is good!

The very same issue was first raised during the last CITES Conference of the Parties by Kenya and protectionist non-governmental organizations. The awareness was further raised by the director of TRAFIC East and Southern Africa, Tom Milliken in his presentation at a SADC workshop in Windhoek in September 2007 before representatives of hunting associations and communities, Directors of Wildlife Conservation Departments and Conservation NGOs from Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The international hunting community is now aggressively taking steps to bring any illegal activities to a halt and/or mend any loopholes.

John J. Jackson III, Chairman of Conservation Force and President of the CIC Commission on Sustainable Use warned in the March 2008 Conservation Bulletin, distributed by the Hunting Report that “these alleged hunts call for strong action, not because there is any present risk to RSA rhino, but because of the potential implications for the favored treatment of hunting trophies of all CITES-listed game species.”

http://www.africanindaba.co.za/Newsletter/17.htm
 

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