It is a case of playing with a double-edge as, in a shocking turn of events, South Africa’s environmental affairs minister has approved of a legislation to legalise the international trade of rhino horns. No doubt that this has set fire to the passionate hearts of WWF and conservationists worldwide as the backing goes under way.
Edna Molewa sees the approval as a solution to the ever-prevalent problem of rhino poaching, which has seen a record of 668 animals killed due to the demands for rhino horns in South-East Asia. The reasoning behind Molewa’s actions however has spurred notable scepticism amongst conservationists.
“We believe it is the right direction as one of the measures,” Molewa told South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper during a recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) meeting in Bangkok.
“The model that we have is based on pure law of supply and demand. Economics 101.
“Our rhinos are killed every day and the numbers are going up. The reality is that we have done all in our power and doing the same thing every day isn’t working. We do think that we need to address this issue of trade in a controlled manner so that we can at least begin to push down this pressure.”
The poaching “culture” of Africa has already seen the lives of 158 being taken from the wilds, which has already outweighed the birth rates of a species that many believe to be endangered. The decision has understandably alarmed nature’s protectorates, who believe that the decision to legalise rhino horn trade will only intensify the problem whilst sending out mixed messages to an uninformed public. Considering that the horns are considered a delicacy or a medicinal ingredient in South-East Asia, the concern seems entirely justified.
Will Travers, chief executive of the Born Free Foundation, was quoted by the Mail & Guardian as saying, “So what are they saying by legalising the rhino horn trade? Here is a product that every sensible scientist says has no significant impact and they are going to sell it at huge cost to a public that is ill-informed.
“I wouldn’t go to sleep at night,” he added, “if I thought I was selling something like that to a Vietnamese family who have scrimped and saved every cent to buy rhino horn for their dying grandmother, who then goes and dies.”
Between the fierce argument against the legislation and the fundamental means in which to back the decision, only time will tell whether the poachers will dissipate or fade.
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