EU to Back Kenya at CITES next month

With just a few weeks to go to the next meeting of CITES in Bangkok, the Dutch ambassador to Kenya has announced that the EU will be voting as a bloc in favour of Kenya’s proposal to ban all trade in ivory for the next 9 years and to prevent any proposals for auctions being presented to CITES in that time period. The Dutch ambassador,  H.E Mr. Joost Reintjes, was paying a visit to the Kenya Wildlife Service when he announced  that the Netherlands will be joining the other EU member states to vote en bloc in support of Kenya’s proposals when the international community meets in Bangkok for the 16th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties (CoP). The CoP meeting takes place between 3rd March and 14th March at the  Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. Kenya has submitted a number of proposals to the CITES meeting including:

• Amendment of the annotation for Ceratotherium    simum simum as follows:  (added text underlined):    “Ceratotherium simum simum (Only the populations of South Africa    and Swaziland;    all other populations are included in Appendix I. For the exclusive purpose    of allowing international trade in live animals to appropriate and acceptable    destinations and hunting trophies. Hunting trophies from South Africa and    Swaziland shall be subject to a zero export quota until at least CoP18. All other specimens shall be deemed to be specimens of species included in    Appendix I and the trade in them shall be regulated accordingly.)” Proposed by: Kenya.
• Amend the annotation for Loxodonta africana as follows: (additional text underlined, deleted text struckthrough):       h) no further proposals to allow trade in    elephant ivory from any populations already in Appendix II    shall be submitted to the Conference of the Parties for the period from CoP14    and ending nine years from the date of the single sale of ivory that is to    take place in accordance with provisions in paragraphs g) i), g) ii), g) iii),    g) vi) and g) vii). In addition, such further proposals shall be dealt with    in accordance with Decisions 14.77 and 14.78 (Rev. CoP15). Proposed by: Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Kenya,  Mali and Togo
• Inclusion in    Appendix II: Osyris lanceolata – East African Sandlewood. Proposed by: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania.
• Illegal trade in Cheetahs: Actions on enforcement and trade in cheetahs. Proposed by Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

At the meeting between the ambassador and Dr Kiprono, Director of Kenya Wildlife Service, the Director announced that funding was being made available for an additional 500 rangers to be recruited to help combat the current surge in poaching activity.