ChinaandAfricaworktogethertocurbrisingillegalwildlifetradeByLuAnqi
NowwhenChinesetouristsgoabroadtheywillbeabletoseeanti-wildlifetradepromotionalpostersatairportsandports.Andtheywillalsoreceivetextmessagesremindingthemnottobuyandcarryivoryproducts.
ZhangQi,Chief,GeneralAffairsDivisionofEndangeredSpeciesImportandExportManagementOfficeundertheStateForestryAdministration
ToZhouFei,aformerdiplomatwhohastraveledtheworld,Africaisthemostbeautifulplacehehasevervisited.Zhouwasespeciallycaptivatedbythethrillofseeingwildlifelivingthewaynatureintended.“TheybelongnotonlytoAfricabutalsototheworld,”hesaidatawildlifeprotectionworkshopheldinJohannesburg,SouthAfricainApril.
ZhouisnowheadoftheChinaprogramofTRAFFIC,aninternationalorganizationaimingtopromotetheconservationofnature.InApril,ZhoutraveledtoAfricaasamemberofawildlifeprotectiontaskforce,madeupofChinesewildlifeprotectionexpertsfromtheStateForestryAdministration(SFA),GeneralAdministrationofCustoms,andrepresentativesfromTRAFFICandtheWorldWildlifeFund(WWF).TwoworkshopsinJohannesburg,SouthAfricaandMaputo,MozambiqueaimedatintroducingChina’swildlifeprotectionlawsandtheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpeciesofWildFaunaandFlora(CITES)regulationstoChineselivingandworkingintheseAfricancountries,helpingraisetheirwildlifeprotectionawarenessanddiscouragingthemfrombuyingandcarryingwildlifeproductsbacktoChina.
Withabout130localChineseparticipants,thetwoworkshopsrepresentedpartofthecross-borderjointeffortsChinaandAfricahavetakeninrecentyearstoprotectwildlifeandcurbitsillegaltradeinAfrica.
Anti-poachingefforts
Wildlifeissufferinganunprecedentedcrisisworldwide.TaketheAfricanelephantasanexample.Theanimal’spopulationhasdecreasedby60percentinthepastdecade,duetoreasonssuchasthelossoftheirnaturalhabitatandpoachingfortheirtusks,meatandskin,saidZhangQi,chiefoftheGeneralAffairsDivisionofEndangeredSpeciesImportandExportManagementOfficeunderSFA,China’sCITESManagementAuthority,addressingtheworkshop.Surveysonwildlifeshowthat450,000to650,000elephantsnowliveinAfrica,Zhangsaid.Inrecentyears,around20,000havebeenpoachedannually.
Africa’srhinosfaceasimilarpredicament.SouthAfrica,hometoaround80percentofAfrica’sestimated25,000rhinos,hasseenpoachingnumbersrockettoarecord1,215in2014from13in2007.In2015,atotalof1,175rhinoswereslaughteredinSouthAfrica.Continent-wide,arecord1,338rhinoslosttheirlivestopoachers.
OnApril30,Kenyasetablaze105tonsofelephanttusksand1.3tonsofrhinohorns.Thebonfirewasmeanttosendthemessagetotheworldthativoryhasnovalueanditstradeshouldbebanned.(seeABurningIssueonpage34)
LikeKenya,manyAfricancountrieshaverealizedtheproblemandhavebeguntakingaction.Mozambique,Ethiopia,Tanzania,Botswana,UgandaandAngola,amongothers,haveincreasedpunishmentforwildlifetrafficking.InMozambique,endangeringrarespeciesandpoachingcouldresultinfinesofupto$90,000andapotential12yearsinprison.
Tougherlaws
ChinahasexpandeditsbanonivoryimportstoprotectAfricanelephants.OnMarch22,ChinaextendedtoDecember31,2019thebanontheimportofAfricanelephantivorycarvingsacquiredaftertheCITESregulationstookeffectin1975andAfricanelephantivoriesacquiredashuntingtrophies.AnewbaninMarchforbidstheimportofivoriesandtheirproductsacquiredbeforetheCITESregulationsbecameeffective.
ChinabecameaCITESpartyin1981,andsetupaCITESlawenforcementcoordinationtaskforceinDecember2011.Thetaskforceintegratesforcesfromtheforestry,customs,agriculture,industryandcommerce,andpublicsecuritysectorstocoordinatedomesticactionsandcross-bordercollaborations.Nowithasofficesinthe31provincialadministrativeregionsontheChinesemainland.
FiguresfromChina’sSupremePeople’sCourtshowthatnearly700individualswereprosecutedduringthepast10years,withpenaltiesfortheirinvolvementinwildlifecrimesrangingfromthreeyearstolifeimprisonment.
Chinadestroyedmorethan660kgofconfiscatedelephantivoriesinBeijingonMay29,2015.ItwasthethirdpublicdestructionsinceJanuary2014,followingsimilarinitiativesinDongguan(6.2tons)andHongKong(28tons).ObserverssayChina’seffortsincrackingdownonillegalivorytradehassentanunequivocalmessagethattheChineseGovernmentdoesnotandwillnottoleratethisillegaltrade.
China’se-commerceoperatorsandlogisticscompanieshavealsojoinedthecampaigntocombatwildlifecrimesonsocialmediaplatforms.In2014,nineofthelargeste-commerce,socialmediaandantiquecollectiblecompanies,includingAlibabaandTencent,reaffirmedtheirzerotoleranceforillegalwildlifetrade.TheTencentGroupownsthemobiletextandvoicemessagingcommunicationappWeChat.ThetraditionalChinesemedicinesectorand10Chinesetravelagenciesfollowedsuit.
“NowwhenChinesetouristsgoabroadtheywillbeabletoseeanti-wildlifetradepromotionalpostersatairportsandports,”Zhangsaid.“Andtheywillalsoreceivetextmessagesremindingthemnottobuyandcarryivoryproducts.”
China-Africacooperation
China’ssupportforanti-poachingeffortsinAfricahasgrowninrecentyears.
InJanuary2013,theChina-ledOperationCobra,whichworkedacross22countriesinAsiaandAfrica,initiatedanewmodeltojointlyfightillegaltraffickingofendangeredwildlife.Laterthatyear,Chinaand28countriesinAfrica,AsiaandNorthAmericaconductedOperationCobra2,aground-breakingglobaloperationtofightpoachingandwildlifetrafficking.
InDecember2015,whenChinesePresidentXiJinpingvisitedZimbabwe,hereiteratedChina’scommitmenttowildlifeprotection.HealsopointedoutthatwildlifeprotectionisoneofthekeyareasinChinaZimbabwecooperation,andChinawillcontinuetohelpZimbabweimproveitscapabilityofprotectingwildanimalsthroughdonatingequipmentandexchangeofexperience.
ChinesePremierLiKeqiang,duringhisstatevisittoKenyainMay2014,saidChinawouldenhancecooperationwithKenyatoprotectwildlife.LisaidtheChineseGovernmentwouldprovideAfricawith$10millionforwildlifepreservationandprotectionofbiologicaldiversity.
Chinesevolunteersfromthenon-governmentalChina-ZimbabweWildlifeFundhavealsojoinedtheZimbabweParkandWildlifeManagementAuthorityinitsanti-poachingactions.
ThesecooperativeeffortswerefurtherembeddedintheForumonChina-Cooperation(FOCAC)JohannesburgActionPlan(2016-18)issuedattheFOCACJohannesburgSummitlastyear,whichstatedthatChinaandAfricawillstrengthencooperationintheareaofwildlifeprotection,andjointlyfighttheillegaltradeinwildfaunaandfloraproducts.CA