In brief
Namibia's proposal to overturn the ban on the international trade of rhino horns was overwhelmingly rejected at the CITES conference in Uzbekistan. Despite pioneering dehorning to combat poaching, Namibia's attempts to monetize stockpiles and safeguard rhinos faced significant opposition. The rejection illustrates the complexities of balancing wildlife conservation with economic interests amid persistent poaching challenges.
Namibia's proposals to lift the ban on the international trade in black and white rhino horns have been rejected at a key conservation meeting.
The result of the voting at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) earlier this week was adopted by the conference on Thursday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Namibia had also proposed overturning the ban on African savanna elephant ivory - this too was defeated.
Eyebrows were raised about the rhino horn trade proposals mainly because Namibia pioneered the practice of cutting the horns off rhinos in 1989 so they no longer have value for poachers.
Dehorning was followed by other southern African countries, such as Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa.
Rhino horns are prized in traditional Asian medicine and are also status symbols in China, Vietnam, and some other southeast Asian countries.
Namibia tabled two separate proposals - one for black rhinos and the other for southern white rhinos.
Both were resoundingly defeated, with only around 30 votes out of about 120 in favour.
CITES regulations require a two-thirds majority for a proposal to be adopted.
Black rhinos are listed as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2023, there were only 6,421 alive - a decline of more than 90% since 1960, according to an IUCN report.
The southern white rhinos are not in quite such danger - they are listed as near threatened, with a population of 15,752. But this is down 11% since 2023 and at its lowest point since the current rhino poaching crisis began nearly two decades ago.
Supporters of the rhino horn trade argue it could generate revenues to support conservation efforts. Experts suggest that many private rhino owners in Africa support legalisation due to the high costs of anti-poaching measures. However, opponents contend that legalizing the trade could boost demand and exacerbate poaching.
