MATHEWS NDANDULA writes
@SunZambian
TOURISM and Arts Minister Ronald Chitotela has said Government will keep lobbying through cooperating partners to convince the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for Zambia to offload the ivory stockpile at Chilanga.
The Minister said keeping more than 40 tonnes of ivory for unknown future has become expensive as some of the ivory dates back to more than 40 years ago.
Speaking during a meeting with German Ambassador Dr. Anne Wagner Mitchell, the Minister said the communities that are supposed to benefit from the resource are not.
Last year, fierce debates over ivory have dominated the global conference for the international trade in species for 30 years, since the first international ivory ban was instituted in 1989. This is no different at the 18th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Switzerland.
At CITES, 183 countries who are signatories to the treaty decide on which of 36 000 listed species should be traded, or not. This is to ensure that their survival and conservation is not threatened.
The variety of experiences people have of elephants underlie the debates on whether ivory should be traded or not.
On one hand, countries that have large numbers often view elephants as a threat to the communities that live close to them. These are large, potentially dangerous, animals that can affect people’s livelihoods and lives.
This explains why countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Namibia – which host about 70% Africa’s elephants – are behind efforts to get a CITES agreement on a legal and highly regulated trade of ivory. Their proposals to trade say that proceeds would be used exclusively for elephant conservation and community development programmes.
The pro-trade perspective is that tourism revenue isn’t enough to finance elephant conservation and provide adequate benefits to the communities that live with them.
On the other hand, most other African countries strongly oppose any form of legal trade. They back a complete ban in trade. These countries argue that any trade legitimises the purchase of ivory, putting their own elephant populations at risk of increased poaching. But many of these countries have few, or even no, elephants.
This deadlock over ivory has created huge tension between conservation stakeholders and countries with the majority of African elephants.
It has also led to animosity between African countries and other groups that should be working together for elephant protection. Zimbabwe for instance, home to over 80,000 elephants, indicated it could withdraw from CITES.
The tourism minister says the ivory stockpile has created a ‘cost centre’ as Government has to employ highest level of security which has become an expensive venture.
The policy maker observed that there is need to offload the ivory and invest back in conservation to the benefit of the various communities around the country.
Mr Chitotela said the trade restrictions in disposing the ivory have taken a negative toll on the country and Zambia is like being told to ‘guard the stock in perpetuity’ with no benefits.
And Ambassador Mitchell said she needs to learn more about the various intricacies regarding tourism sector in Zambia considering that she is new to the country.
The envoy however stressed the need for communities to be brought close to all conservation initiative by making them beneficiaries.
Zambia’s wild elephant population is large (about 27,000 animals) and stable.
The country has a well-developed Community Based Natural Resources Management Programme pioneered in the Luangwa Valley in the 1980s. The Luangwa valley accounts for more than 70% of the elephant population in Zambia. CBNRM has evolved in the Luangwa valley and offers the best hope for livelihoods.
The Department of National Parks and Wildlife works in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Zambia Police and Customs.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism and Arts’ Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has in the last five years observed a stable reduction in elephant poaching in the key elephant ranges.
This was confirmed in a statement issued by Sakabilo Kalembwe who is public relations officer at the Ministry of Tourism.
In the North Luangwa National Park, for example, the department has realised significant reduction in the poaching of the large mammal with none poached this year.
However, the Chinsali Subordinate Court has convicted and sentenced a poacher to seven years with hard labour for illegal possession of ivory.
Dickson Mbeye (39), a resident of Kankhomba village in Chief Chibale’s area was handed over the jail term with hard labour following his arrest for illegal possession of 47 kilos of ivory suspected to have been harvested from an elephant poached in Musalangu game management area.
In this matter, Mbeye was facing one count of Unlawful Possession of Prescribed Trophy, namely, elephant ivory, contrary to section 130 (2) of the Wildlife Act No. 14 of 2015 (ZWA 2015).
Following a tip-off from concerned members of the public, officers from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and apprehended him.
In passing sentence, the Court bemoaned the increase in wildlife related cases, which are depleting of natural resources as wildlife is being destroyed.
The Court also stated that due to poaching, government was losing out on revenue that could be generated through sustainable ventures like tourism.
Elephants are an important resource that attracts local and foreign tourists to Zambia’s national parks. In addition, elephants play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystems in which they live.
The Ministry has further warned members of the public that want to engage in illicit activities of wildlife that they will face the law as government continues to step up conservation efforts in the country.
