The World Wildlife Day was first marked on
March 3, 2015. This day was established by the UN General Assembly and
facilitated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to celebrate the planet’s extraordinary array of
wildlife, as well as to raise awareness around illegal wildlife trade.
It will be celebrated under the theme “The
future of wildlife is in our hands’, which reinforces the inextricable link
between wildlife, people and sustainable development. It is the responsibility
of each generation to safeguard wildlife for the following generation. It also
imparts the pressing need for national action to ensure the survival in the
wild of both charismatic and lesser known species.
At this inaugural occasion, UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon told an audience in Geneva that, “Despite its intrinsic
value to sustainable development and human well-being, wildlife is under threat,”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told an audience gathered in Geneva. “The environmental,
economic, and social consequences of wildlife crime are profound. Of
particular concern are the implications of illicit trafficking for peace and security
in a number of countries where organised crime, insurgency, and terrorism are
often closely linked.”
Wildlife commerce – legal and prohibited – sits at the nexus of trade,
development, and the environment. Indeed, a key negative impact of wildlife
trafficking is that it unsustainably strips countries of vital natural resource
assets (BioRes, 2014). This extends well beyond terrestrial mega-fauna such as
rhinos and elephants to include key trade industries such as fish and timber. A
multifaceted approach that includes demand reduction, law enforcement, as well
as sustainable use, will be vital to tackling various illegal wildlife trade
challenges.
Unfortunately, the media in East Africa is awash with stories related
to continued illegal trade in wildlife. For example this month (February 2016)
alone, in Tanzania two residents of Kondoa District in Dodoma Region
have been sentenced to 20 years in jail or payment of a Tanzania shs 5 million
fine each after being arrested with elephant tusks worth Tanzania shs 38million.
In Uganda, Police arrested one person for illegal possession of three Grey Crowned Cranes — the country’s national
emblem, whose populations are rapidly declining due to loss and degradation of
wetlands, while weak laws have exposed the Kenya’s game parks to poaching even as government
officials lead global campaigns to end the menace.
This raises serious operational questions: What can tangibly change
events at source (communities and wildlife sanctuaries) to reduce demand and
scale up sustainable use options especially for the endangered species like
elephants, rhinos and others? How far are the mandated institutions willing and
able to execute their respective roles in line with global commitments? How
effective are they to reach out to the target / public in the destination
countries of this trade?
In February 2014, the UK government hosted a high-profile London Conference on
the Illegal Wildlife Trade to discuss the challenge posed by illegal wildlife
trade. Forty-six heads of states converged on London, duly agreeing to an
official declaration designed to showcase political will to tackle this
problem. The Conference issued
a Declaration that underline the scale and consequences of the illegal trade in
wildlife, noting the need to build on the existing international framework for
action, and committing themselves to providing the political leadership and
practical support needed to take 5 essential actions.
Similarly, in
September 2015, the UN Member States adopted Agenda 2030 which among others
recognizes wildlife crime as a threat to sustainable development. The new
agenda has two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with an explicit focus on
maintaining the integrity of the natural ecosystems which underpin our
development and wellbeing. Environmental crimes, both marine and terrestrial,
are targeted under these two goals:
- SDG14:
“Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development”. This goal calls for an end to illegal and unreported
fishing, and destructive fishing practices.
- SDG15:
“Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land
degradation, and halt biodiversity loss”. This goal has targets aimed at
stopping the poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna.
From commitment to Action: Prudent for all States
to report on progress on the London Declaration
From the London
Conference Among others, under the sustainable livelihoods and economic
development, States committed themselves and called upon the international
community to take action, to recognise the negative impact of illegal wildlife
trade on sustainable livelihoods and economic development; Increase capacity of
local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities and eradicate
poverty; Initiate or strengthen collaborative partnerships among local,
regional, national and international development and conservation agencies to
enhance support for community led wildlife conservation and to promote
retention of benefits by local communities for the conservation and sustainable
management of wildlife, including actions to reduce illegal use of fauna and
flora; and to work with, and include local communities in, establishing
monitoring and law enforcement networks in areas surrounding wildlife.
Given the gravity of
this problem, it would be prudent for all the States represented at this global
conference to report back on what they have done. For example, the Kasane conference on
the illegal wildlife trade, 25 March 2015 was a UK Government self-assessment
of progress on commitments in the London declaration.
This is especially
important for East Africa and other countries that are faced with the huge
challenge of containing illegal wildlife trade and could best handle it through
regional and global partnerships. This can only be known if the self-assessment
or independent reporting is done to ascertain actions taken, future actions
planned, and ways forward. For the London Conference, this needs to be done by
April 2016 in order not to further lose momentum, one year afterwards.
Getting
Ready: Implementing the SDGs amidst the current wildlife crisis
The SDGs reflect the
importance which UN Member States place on addressing the global wildlife
crisis across the source, the transit, and the receiving countries. However
success of this will on be measured on progress attained based on the final
indictors agreed upon.
It is therefore
important for UN member states to periodically generate this information for
review in order to determine the relevant courses of action
In conclusion, in
order the ‘future of wildlife to be in our hands,’ political will in form of regularly
tracking progress on implementing global commitments through self – reporting
or independent reporting is key.
