WILL CITES IGNORE ITS
RESPONSIBILITY
TO CONTRIBUTE TO AFRICAN LION CONSERVATION?
Bangkok, Thailand—The
African lion is in trouble, a fact agreed upon by all respected
conservationists. The dispute arises when determining the best
strategy to ensure the long-term viability of the species.
At the 13th Meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (CITES), Kenya has proposed acting with
appropriate precaution regarding Africa’s lions, and is urging the
166 CITES nations to “up-list” the species from Appendix II of the
Convention to Appendix I. An Appendix I listing would prohibit
international commercial trade in the species and ensure greater
regulation of trade in general—it would not, however, ban trophy
hunting as some opponents have mistakenly claimed.
"Kenya's proposal makes a lot of
sense," said Will Travers, President of the Species Survival
Network. "Importantly it does not ban all trophy hunting but
offers Parties an effective mechanism to stop unsustainable trophy
hunting. An Appendix I listing requires importing countries to
issue trophy permits based on a finding that such importation
would not cause detriment to the species. This is an essential
tool for importing nations, many of which currently have no
mechanism to deny trophy imports, even in the face of evidence
highlighting the potential danger to the species of such import."
Lion population figures are hotly
disputed. Some experts suggest the continental figure may be as
low as 16,500 while others believe the population to be more
robust. Matters are made more complicated by regional variations.
Although lions are still found in 89 locations in 37 range States,
45% of these locations are home to 70 or fewer animals.
"There are many pressures on
lions," explained Winnie Kiiru, Africa coordinator for the Species
Survival Network and East Africa representative of the Born Free
Foundation." CITES cannot address problems such as habitat loss,
the decline in natural prey species such as antelope due to
illegal hunting, and the persecution of lions by livestock owners.
However, trophy hunting, which has caused the death of 600 lions a
year for the last 3 years, is an issue that CITES can and should
address. It's an essential measure if lions are to avoid the same
fate as the tiger."
Opponents suggest some lion
populations are both well-managed and robust. In particular they
cite South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, and
Zimbabwe. While lion numbers in these countries may remain
relatively high, current data obtained by SSN indicates that in at
least three—Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—unsustainable trophy
hunting may be having a negative impact.
The European Union, a
destination for about 30% of all trophies in trade, has so far
remained undecided on the issue, apparently waiting to see if
agreement can be reached between range States. The SSN urges the
EU and the USA to publicly support Kenya's proposal and encourage
other CITES Parties to do the same.
