Illegal Trade In Wildlife; The Fight Goes On!
Countries the world over , June 5, 2016 celebrated the 44th edition of the World Environment Day, a day instituted in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly to raise global awareness on the need to take positive environmental actions to protect nature and the planet earth.
The principal objective of this year’s World Environment Day according to the United Nation Secretary General, Ban Kim Moon was to shine the much-needed spotlight on the illegal trade in wildlife, which has become a grave cause for alarm given its devastating effects on world’s biodiversity depletion
Statistics indicate that hundreds of millions of wild plants and animals are exploited each year and sold as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist curios, and medicine. Some of these trades might not be illegal and may not be of any meaningful harm to wild populations but most are illegal and threatens the survival of many endangered species.
A 2014 WWF report indicates the earth lost half of its wildlife within the last forty years due to unsustainable human activities. Global population is cutting down trees faster than they regrow, catching fish faster than the oceans can restock, pumping water from rivers and aquifers faster than rainfall can replenish, hunting down wild animals faster than they can regenerate.
Elephants are killed for their ivory, rhinos for their horns, and pangolins for their scales and thousands of species of wild animals and plants are being driven closer to extinction
The biggest declines in animal numbers is mostly observed in developing nations caused by both illegal wildlife trade/trafficking and or poaching
Cameroon is one of those countries that have suffered a great deal from this malaise
A few years ago armed poaching gangs from Sudan massacred more than half of the elephants in the BoubaNjida National Park in northern Cameroon highlighting the vulnerability of elephants even in stable African countries. Also, one of the largest burnings of poached wildlife goods in African history was observed recently in the country’s administrative head quarter with the burning of some 2,000 illegally trafficked elephant tusks and hundreds of finished ivory products.
Cameroon’s minister of forestry and wildlife, Philip NgoleNgwese, during this burning exercise, said seized tusks and ivory, much of which originated abroad, were now “beyond reach.” He described the human costs of poaching, mourning several guides and park rangers who have been killed in recent years.
Meanwhile Some 42 illegal wildlife traffickers are presently detained in the Southern Region of Cameroon after they were caught transporting elephant tusks and some illegal games
The problem is precarious and far reaching with most Cameroonians pointing accusing fingers to Western countries most especially the Chinese for fuelling such illegal activities as to have raw material for their home industries.
There is however needs for stronger and even more stringent measures to avert this plight.
Beside Putting in place policies, increasing conservation campaigns and investment in community and law enforcement, the Cameroon government has over the years taking a series of actions aimed at combating illegal wildlife exploitation and trade
The creation of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 1992, and its subsequent separation in 2005, enactment of forestry law in 1994, enactment of environment law in 1996, ratification of convention on biodiversity in 1994, and the ratification of the convention on international trade in endangered species in 1975 are some government’s efforts towards ameliorating this plight.
These are great efforts but equipment, training, and policy enforcement are still very epileptic and remain a major hindrance in combating poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Cameroon.
Ecoguards who are supposed to be helping the government in tracking down poachers and bringing them to justice either lack equipment or are not well motivated.
The number of ecoguards per national park in the country are not only very limited per surface area but some still use Dane guns. How do they track down poachers with sophisticated guns?
Many have complained that they are the only paramilitary officers in the country
without a status unlike others like custom officers, prison guards and police officers and all the others
With international gaze now tilted towards stopping illegal trade in wildlife, it incumbent on all Cameroonians consuming wildlife-based products to make informed choices. Most importantly, the government and all other stakeholders involved in wildlife conservation and law enforcement must review policy implementation mechanisms without which we will just be casting castles in the air in our efforts to fight poaching and illegal trade in wildlife.
Ndimuh Bertrand Shancho
