News / National
Zimbabwe stranded with 29 000 elephants
10 May 2019 at 16:09hrs | Views
Zimbabwe is failing to sell about 29 000 elephants and about 15 000 elephant tusks due to the strict control of the trade by the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Ivory sales currently require approval from the international community through CITES.
"Zimbabwe has 84000 elephants. Its carrying capacity is 55000. Humans and elephants are living in conflict." Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infromation Nick Mangwana has revealed.
"Our ivory stockpile is worth over US$300 million which we can't sell because countries without elephants are telling those with them what to do with their animals." He added.
The presidents of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia, as well as Angola's environment minister, met Tuesday in Kasane, Botswana, to forge a common policy toward elephant management, saying that conflict between elephants and rural farmers is escalating.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the gathering that "Let us resolutely affirm our position on elephant management and speak with one voice for our communities. That one size fits all approach from CITES of banning everything disregards the good efforts of our governments and is neither sustainable or advisable. We must reject it."
"We cannot continue to be spectators while others debate and take decisions about our elephants," Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi added.
"I listened this morning to all the experts lecturing us, and I wanted to ask where they come from?" said Hage Geingob, Namibia's president. "If they are from Europe or the U.S., I wanted to ask them how they destroyed all their elephants, but come to lecture us."
Ivory sales currently require approval from the international community through CITES.
"Zimbabwe has 84000 elephants. Its carrying capacity is 55000. Humans and elephants are living in conflict." Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infromation Nick Mangwana has revealed.
"Our ivory stockpile is worth over US$300 million which we can't sell because countries without elephants are telling those with them what to do with their animals." He added.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the gathering that "Let us resolutely affirm our position on elephant management and speak with one voice for our communities. That one size fits all approach from CITES of banning everything disregards the good efforts of our governments and is neither sustainable or advisable. We must reject it."
"We cannot continue to be spectators while others debate and take decisions about our elephants," Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi added.
"I listened this morning to all the experts lecturing us, and I wanted to ask where they come from?" said Hage Geingob, Namibia's president. "If they are from Europe or the U.S., I wanted to ask them how they destroyed all their elephants, but come to lecture us."
Source - Byo24News
