Accra: Strict restrictions will continue to apply to the trade in giraffes, despite a move to exempt certain populations of the African animal. A vote on the issue on Saturday at the World Wildlife Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, failed to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority, meaning full protection of the giraffe remains in place. The conference also kept restrictions on the trade in rhinoceroses and ivory in place. The decisions must still be confirmed in a plenary session, at the end of the event on December 5.
According to Ghana News Agency, giraffes were first protected by strict trade restrictions in 2019. However, some countries called for the exclusion of stable giraffe populations in Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Daniela Freyer from the organization Pro Wildlife expressed relief at the decision: Control of trade from across Africa is urgently needed to prevent hunting, poaching, and trade from threatening the survival of the few remai
ning giraffes. Products made from the animals bones and fur, hunting trophies, and even live giraffes are traded, according to the organization.
Regarding the rhinoceros trade, Namibia says it currently has around 92 tonnes of ivory. It wanted to trade just over half of this. The growing stocks posed administrative and security problems for Namibia, according to information provided by the Namibian conference delegation. However, the trade ban is to also remain in place. Namibia also wanted to allow trade in rhinos and their horns, in further rejected applications. It argued that around 77% of Namibias white rhinos belonged to private landowners. Tourism, trophy hunting, and the sale of live animals were often not enough to cover the costs of reinforced fences, ranger patrols, and surveillance systems. This was necessary in view of poaching, the Namibian delegation argued.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) governs the international trade of endange
red animals and plants to ensure their survival. Signatory states have gathered in the Central Asian city since Monday, to discuss limits on the international trade in wildlife and measures to ensure the survival of endangered species.