Kenya’s efforts to fight poaching and illegal trade in Kenya wildlife have been recognized by the United Nations. http://kws.org/info/news/2014/7Jan2014UNEPpraisesKenya.html
Mr.
John E. Scanlon, the United Nation’s Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) Secretary-General, noted that Kenya had passed a law
with stiffer penalties against poachers and wildlife traffickers. He was
speaking in Guangzhou, China today where he had gone to witness the destruction
of confiscated ivory tusks and carvings as part of efforts to raise awareness
of elephant poaching.
Mr.
Scanlon said: “And just ten months after the conclusion of CITES CoP16, we are
seeing enhanced measures taken across range, transit and destination States -
such as in Kenya where new wildlife laws that impose significantly higher
penalties for those involved in wildlife crime have been assented to by
President Kenyatta, and in Malaysia where the Department of Wildlife and
National Parks has filled 43 new posts for enforcement and prosecution.”
Officials
in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, pulverized 6.1 tons of confiscated tusks and
carvings in an event attended by representatives from 10 countries including
the UK, and elephant states including Kenya, Gabon, and Tanzania.
The
function was also attended by the Kenyan Ambassador to China, HE Kinyanjui,
Assistant Director for International Affairs, US Fish &Wildlife Service Mr.
Brian Arroyo and high-ranking Chinese environment officials. The burning
of the 6.1 tones of ivory stockpiled over the years marks the first major
commitment by the Chinese government to publicly fight the multi-billion-dollar
illegal wildlife trade. In a letter addressed to the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) last week, China invited representatives from foreign embassies,
international organizations, and government departments to witness the event.
The
Department of International Co-operation and the State Forestry Administration
announced the intention to burn illegal ivory and other wildlife products in
Guangzhou — a major hub for ivory trade — after concerted international
pressure to close its market for animal trophies.
China
has prepared and is implementing its comprehensive National Ivory Action Plan,
as agreed with the CITES Standing Committee. The Plan has been shared with the
Committee, which will discuss it and the other seven plans in July.
Amongst
other initiatives, China led the first cross-continent wildlife enforcement
effort known as Operation
Cobra, has agreed collaborative enforcement-related initiatives through the
U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, and most recently China (Hong Kong
SAR) returned seized ivory and rhino horn to South Africa. China has also
provided funding to the African Elephant Fund and MIKE, and in-kind support to
African range States, which will be further enhanced over the coming
year.
Kenya’s proposal to fight poaching
of elephants and rhinos won backing during the CITES meeting held early this
year in Bangkok, Thailand. The country has since submitted an ‘Ivory Trade
Action Plan to reduce poaching & Ivory Trafficking. This was after Kenya
was blacklisted among the so called ‘gang of eight’ for fueling environmental
crime within the region as a major transit and source country for ivory.
The objective of Kenya’s national
action plan is a collaborative effort to ensure elephant poaching and illegal
trade in elephant ivory is reduced to the bare minimum and enhanced Kenya safari holiday all year
round.
The key thematic areas of the Action
Plan are:
·
Legislation
and regulations
- Enforcement actions, investigations and national inter-agency collaboration and coordination
- International and regional wildlife enforcement collaboration
- Outreach, public awareness and education
- National reporting to CITES Secretariat and Standing Committee.
Sharon
C
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