ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE by Sumbu Mbilika

The international wildlife trade is a serious conservation problem, addressed by the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

International wildlife trade can be classified in two forms:

• Illegal Trade in Wildlife: is said to be the second largest illegal trade in volume, second to narcotics and followed by arms and ammunition.  Illegal wildlife trade is a serious threat to a number of endangered and vulnerable species. The removal of species from regions which is part of illegal wildlife trade may cause severe problems for the local ecosystem.

• Legal Trade in Wildlife: is distinguished by the sale of wildlife, yet done so in a sustainable manner. Wildlife farms for example farm wildlife animals with the intent of selling these, an activity which does not cause any negative effect to the ecosystem. It may also solve some other issues like conserving endangered species through controlled harvesting.

The international illegal wildlife trade is sometimes differentiated from bushmeat trade by virtue of its geographic scale and commercialization. Bushmeat, usually but not always referring to Africa, is the consumption of wildlife locally or nationally for protein. Sometimes bushmeat is internationalized through trade links from Africa to Europe or North America, but most bushmeat is consumed near its place of origin. The international illegal trade of wildlife, conversely, is defined by the trade of high-value wild animals and products derived from wild animals across borders.

IMPACTS OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE

• Ecosystem Destruction: Illegal wildlife trade puts the local ecosystem under threat, species under additional pressure at a time when they are facing threats such as over-fishing, pollution, deforestation, climate change and other forms of habitat destruction.

• Disruption of Energy Flow in the Ecosystem: In the food chain, species higher up on the ladder ensure that the species below them do not become too abundant (hence controlling the population of those below them). Animals lower on the ladder are often non-carnivorous (but instead herbivorous) and control the abundance of plant species in a region. Due to the very large amounts of species that are removed from the ecosystem it disrupts the ecosystems ability to regulate its self and allow the flow of energy from one species to the next.

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  Extinction of Endangered Species: The demand for parts of a species such as ivory for medicinal purposes as it is believed that they help cure diseases and as an aphrodisiac by Asians has led to the mass poaching of rhinos and elephants for ivory which severely impacts on their continued existence, for instance rhino’s are already extinct in certain regions of the world and are considered as endangered species.
  
  
  

• Disruption of Conservation Efforts: illegal wildlife trade negatively impacts on conservation efforts which ensure sustainable utilization of natural resources, because the resources are harvested without consultation and approve in terms of the number or quantity which can be removed from the ecosystem without negatively affecting it or lead to the extinction of endangered species.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Policy Revision: stiffer punishments have to be implemented such as longer sentences and larger fines to discourage illegal trade in wildlife. In cases of poachers that tend to be violent and problematic, the death penalty should be considered. Of course stiffer punishment would like wise increase the black market value of illegally sold products but it may also help to show future offenders that it is not worth the risk. Confiscated wildlife products should be destroyed in the shortest possible time to ensure that they are not stolen.

Confiscated products should be destroyed as soon as possible

• Strong Regional Cooperation between Wildlife Authorities: Initiatives such as community based natural resource management (CBNRM) should be effectively implemented in such a way that the community realizes the potential of their resources. That is, the profits got from wildlife resources should be used to the benefit of the communities near the national parks.   

• Public Awareness: Wildlife conservation is one of the most ignored activities in this country Zambia. Mainly because people are ignorant on the economic benefits this can bring through activities such as eco-tourism and game ranching. Major campaigns have to be taken to raise awareness of both wildlife conservation and illegal trade of these resources.
  
  Share with us your experiences, comments and recommendations. Send emails to wildlifemgtsociety@gmail.com