Staff Reporter
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been directed not to interfere with the domestic trade of sovereign countries.
In a communiqué released at the end of the African Elephant Conference (AEF) held in Hwange recently, African states agreed that CITES decisions were no longer scientific but based on emotions.
“The Conference agreed that current CITES decisions are no longer scientific but based on votes and emotions. As such there is need to review the convention and ensure it serves its intended purpose,” reads the communiqué.
The results of the AEF conference which has since been dubbed “The Hwange Declaration” agreed not to permit any country without wildlife to dictate how countries with wildlife should manage their resources.
“The general agreement is that this time we are going to CITES united. We are not going to allow any country without wildlife to dictate to those who have or tell them what to do with theirs,” reads the communiqué.
The conference noted with concern a gap between the wildlife management and the local, regional and international media institutions. It was agreed that media houses should be schooled on wildlife management in order for them to appreciate the conservations and their challenges.
“Conference further noted the information gap in local and international media about wildlife management and agreed to cultivate good media relations by inviting local, regional and international media to participate in technical workshops to better understand conservation,” reads the communiqué.
The conference further agreed that voices of communities that co-exist with wildlife should be included in decision making because they bear the brunt of living with wildlife. The same conference resolved that community involvement in elephant conservation was required at the national, regional and international levels.
The conference agreed that to develop a vibrant Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) policy and legislation that allow communities to receive benefits that outweigh the cost of management.
Meanwhile, the AEF conference was attended by representatives from Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, and other key non-state actors such as Conservation Force and TRAFFIC WWF, among many others.
