Samarkand: Namibia’s proposals to lift the ban on the international trade in black and white rhino horns have been rejected at a key conservation meeting. The result of the voting at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) earlier this week was adopted by the conference on Thursday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Namibia had also proposed overturning the ban on African savanna elephant ivory, which was similarly defeated.

According to Nam News Network, Namibia’s proposals raised eyebrows due to its pioneering role in the practice of dehorning rhinos since 1989, a method intended to reduce the value of rhinos to poachers. This practice has since been followed by other southern African countries, including Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa. Rhino horns are highly valued in traditional Asian medicine and as status symbols in countries such as China and Vietnam.

Namibia presented two separate proposals, one for black rhinos and another for southern white rhinos.
Both proposals were resoundingly defeated, with only around 30 votes out of approximately 120 in favor. Cites regulations require a two-thirds majority for adoption. Black rhinos are critically endangered, with only 6,421 alive in 2023, having declined by more than 90% since 1960, as per an IUCN report. Southern white rhinos, listed as near threatened, have a population of 15,752, marking an 11% decline since 2023.

Cites implemented a ban on the trade of rhino horns and parts in 1977, yet poaching persists, with over 8,000 rhinos lost in the last decade, according to Save the Rhino International. Namibia recorded its highest number of rhinos poached in 2022, with 87 incidents reported, nearly double the previous year.

Although this was Namibia’s first attempt to propose lifting the ban on rhino horn trade, the country has supported similar proposals by other southern African nations like South Africa, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe in the past. Experts suggest that one of the main reasons these countries seek to li
ft the ban is due to the large stockpiles of rhino horns they have accumulated over the years.

Namibia’s stockpiles are estimated to include 6.45 tonnes of white rhino horn and 4.6 tonnes of black rhino horn, while South Africa likely holds at least four times as much. The dehorning program contributes to these rapidly growing stockpiles, as the horns grow back and need to be removed repeatedly. Speculative stockpiling by governments and private individuals is a key reason for not destroying the horns.

Supporters of the rhino horn trade argue that it could generate revenue to support conservation efforts. Experts note that many private rhino owners in Africa back legalisation due to the high costs of anti-poaching measures. However, opponents contend that legalising the trade would increase demand and poaching, reminiscent of the rhino poaching crisis of the 1970s and 1980s.

Rhino populations continue to face threats from poaching and illegal trade. Between 2021 and 2023, over 150 rhino horn seizures were
reported globally, with approximately 1.8 tonnes of horn recovered, equivalent to 716 whole horns, according to a recent report by Traffic and the IUCN. Opponents maintain that opening up the trade would further stimulate demand and escalate poaching activities.