Namibia's proposals to lift international trade bans on black and white rhino horns and African savanna elephant ivory were rejected during a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting. The voting results, held earlier in the week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, were adopted by the conference on Thursday.
Rhino Horn Trade Proposals
Namibia submitted two distinct proposals concerning rhino horn trade: one for black rhinos and another for southern white rhinos. Both were unsuccessful, receiving approximately 30 votes out of 120. CITES regulations mandate a two-thirds majority for a proposal's adoption. This marks Namibia's initial submission of these specific proposals, though the country has previously supported similar initiatives from other southern African nations such as South Africa, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe.
Historically, Namibia initiated the practice of dehorning rhinos in 1989 to reduce their value to poachers. This method, involving the removal of horns above the growth plate, was subsequently adopted by other southern African countries, including Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa. Rhinos' horns regrow, necessitating repeated removal and contributing to the accumulation of horn stockpiles.
Conservation Status and Poaching
Black rhinos are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2023, their global population stood at 6,421, representing a decline of over 90% since 1960. Southern white rhinos are categorized as near threatened by the IUCN, with a population of 15,752. This figure indicates an 11% decrease since 2023 and represents the lowest point since the current rhino poaching crisis began almost two decades prior.
CITES implemented a ban on the trade of rhino horns and other rhino parts in 1977. Despite this ban, over 8,000 rhinos have been lost to poaching in the last decade, according to Save the Rhino International. In Namibia, 87 rhinos were poached in 2022, marking the highest number on record for the country and nearly doubling the previous year's figure.
Stockpiles and Trade Justifications
Countries advocating for the lifting of the trade ban cite the substantial stockpiles of rhino horns they have amassed over time. Taylor Tench, a senior wildlife policy analyst with the Environmental Investigation Agency, noted that Namibia's stockpiles are estimated at 6.45 tonnes of white rhino horn and 4.6 tonnes of black rhino horn. South Africa is believed to possess at least four times Namibia's volume.
The accumulation of these stockpiles is linked to dehorning programs. While some countries, such as Kenya, destroy their rhino horn stockpiles, others, including Namibia and South Africa, maintain them in anticipation of potential international trade legalization. Rhino horns are valued in some traditional Asian medicine practices and serve as status symbols in countries such as China, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian nations.
Wildlife conservation organizations assert that legalizing the rhino horn trade would likely increase demand, potentially leading to a rise in poaching.