28 Dec 2017

Animals are fascinating to observe and study. Their beauty is amazing, living in the deepest parts of seas and the highest peaks of mountains. Some animals are majestic, aggressive, cute, colourful, inspirational and stunning while others are exotic.

Whichever way one can think of animals, the view of nature can create the widest sense in the natural physical world, which can cause humanity to think of animals as indispensable.

Animals could be kept for investment or for the sole reason that nature is beautiful, hence it should be preserved for its aesthetic and wonder, especially those that go extinct.

Humans nevertheless are responsible for causing changes in the environment that hurt animals and plant species. The principal factor that leads to the elimination of species is the destruction or effluence of its natural habitat.

It is a well known phenomenon though that some animals are endangered because of a combination of natural and man-made causes. Perhaps the simple question could be why should humanity preserve endangered species? Why should mankind use money on animals instead of using it on the eradication of poverty or non-communicable diseases? Answers could be that some people find nature as beautiful as a master piece of art that can be kept for generations to come.

Investigations have proved that the extinct rate has gone faster over the past years. It might appear that it takes a lot of energy and resources to take care of animals, but what would happen if humanity stops taking care of animals, especially in the world that has a lot of things to be concerned about? Many countries have laws offering special protection to species and their environments, for example those that deal with forbidding hunting of certain species.

The convention of International Trade for Endangered Species (CITES) is an international agreement between governments with the mandate to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted from a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union), according to CITIES released data. A consensus was reached by 80 countries in the United States of America on March 3, 1973 and on July 1, 1975 Cites came into existence. Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks’ Mr Abednico Macheme said in an interview that CITIES as an international body understands that for wildlife conservation to be effective it must be viewed as a cross border issue because the resource itself is not limited by international boundaries.

Secondly, as human populations and settlements grow, wild spaces get diminished and yet humanity relies on the natural environment for their well-being and sustenance, he said. He said the pressure from built up areas fragment wild habitats and make the range of species smaller all the time, noting that markets were most profitable in metro cities and therefore resource demand would not be limited to local environment as human settlement and needs grow.

“Because of the trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders, the effort to regulate it requires international cooperation to safeguard certain species from over-exploitation. “CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation. Today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35 000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs.” On the recent strategies by CITIES to conserve endangered species, Mr Macheme said they have witnessed the UN General Assembly make deliberate decisions on addressing the issues of illegal wildlife trade and also dedicate and commemorate March 3 as World Wildlife Day. “This is a strategic process through which as an international community we combine efforts to sensitise communities, governments and international partners that it is imperative to conserve species,” said Mr Macheme.

On what the country has done to conserve endangered species, he explained that the Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act conformed to the resolutions of the Conference of Parties to CITES. As a primary tool for the conservation of wildlife, Mr Macheme said the country further recognised that some species required higher protection than others, hence there were certain amendments like the review of penalties on offences related to endangered species like rhino, lion, pangolin and elephant.

Botswana’s approach to wildlife management, according to Mr Macheme, was adaptive and where necessary changed to suit current needs and challenges. The country, he said, has equally championed high level engagement in the region and beyond the protection of species like the African Elephant Summit, which was held in Gaborone in December 2013. He noted that Botswana formed the nuclease with other three presidents of Gabon, Uganda and Chad, called the African Elephant Initiative which desires to curtail the unrelenting pressure on the illegal killing of elephants and illicit trade of elephant ivory.

Compared to Malawi where the community has limited information about Conversation of Endangered Species, in Botswana communities were encouraged to engage in non-consumptive sustainable utilisation of wildlife resource to derive a livelihood, he noted.

Hopefully the mindset change will influence safeguards in the long term for protection of all our wildlife resource, Mr Macheme said. He further explained that the Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act was the domestication of the convention, adding that as an act of Parliament the act was enforced in totality.

On the sensitisation of communities about endangered species, he was of the view that traditionally Batswana were a very eco- sensitive society with norms and values.

Speaking on behalf of South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs, specialist writer, Mr Eleaner Momberg said in an interview with Botswana Press Agency that to accomplish the mission of conserving endangered species his country has in place a strong policy and legislative framework for the conservation, management and sustainable use of biodiversity.

He said the South African government has a constitutional obligation under Section 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. At a regional level, there is strong cooperation between the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries in the implementation of SADC Protocols related to the management of the environment of natural resources, forestry, fisheries and tourism, he said.

Through collaboration among state parties, the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement and Anti-poaching (LEAP) strategy is being successfully implemented to combat illegal wildlife trade, which undermines the gains made in conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, he explained.

The introduction and management of Trans Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) in the region also contribute significantly to conservation of species through range expansion, collaborative management and harnessing the potential of tourism in the region, Mr Momberg noted. Internationally, South Africa has entered into a number of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, The United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change(UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Memoranda of Understanding in the field of biodiversity management and conservation have been signed with a number of countries including Vietnam, China, Kenya, Chad and Mozambique. He was of the view that habitat loss and degradation, overharvesting, invasive alien species, pollution, illegal wildlife trade and climate change were all threats to wildlife, adding that illegal wildlife trade was a burning issue which member states had to deal with.

In a press release of December 5, 2017, CITIES explains that the European Union signed a 17.2 million Euro agreement with three UN institutions working jointly to reduce the illegal killing of wildlife and the trafficking of wildlife products throughout Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean.

The new “cross-regional wildlife programme” will focus its activities in the regions’ most important protected areas, national transit points, and in some of Africa’s most important trans boundary ecosystems, according to the release. ENDS