Zimbabwe: Lobby Against Move to Ban Ivory Trade - Parks

The Herald (Harare)
17 May 2007

Harare

THE Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has called for all stakeholders to lobby against the proposal to bar Zimbabwe from trading in ivory.

Mali and Kenya are jointly pushing for a total ban on international ivory trade.

The proposal was made to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora ahead of a meeting scheduled for next month in the Netherlands.

Parks spokesperson Retired Major Edward Mbewe said the proposed prohibition lacked credibility and all stakeholders should be geared to fight and campaign so that the ban is not effected.

"The corporate world, civil society and all stakeholders should support the cause to make sure that the ban fails to go through," he said.

Rtd Maj Mbewe said the authority had already started lobbying against the move and had managed to raise more than $500 million, which was being used in the campaigns against the proposal.

The authority has printed brochures, placards and other material to counter the negative campaigns to ban ivory trade.

Rtd Maj Mbewe said the campaigns would enable the world to understand Zimbabwe's success story in conservation and sustainable wildlife management and how this would be destroyed if the ban was effected.

He said this was evidenced by the increase in the population of most animal species such as elephant.

He attributed this to a commercial view of wildlife which had seen a significant rise in private areas devoted to wildlife conservation.

Rtd Maj Mbewe said as a counter measure, the authority had assembled a team to lead the campaign against the move during the convention. He said the ban would have drastic effects on the country as ivory was a notable foreign currency earner.

The ban, he said, would affect development in rural communities that had been benefiting from the sale of ivory, elephant hides and other products.

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