If 90% of the Rhino Population Globally Is in the Borders of SA and It Became Extinct Within

If 90% of the rhino population globally is in the borders of SA and it became extinct within two decades, then South Africa would be remembered for that. Decisive leadership was needed to deal with the issue. Political will was needed and therefore a champion needed to be appointed by the President at the highest possible level as a global champion to lead that. The Wilderness Foundation supported a legal trade in horns from rhinos that had died naturally but not a full trade in all horn. At a two to three percent natural mortality rate, it would mean 400 to 500 rhinos a year. urged the government to consider the issue of resources. noted the number of NGOs raising money for rhinos – they knew of 150. Only 20 of them could account for where the money had gone. One had to ask whether some were poachers. The Wildlife Foundation completely supported the DNA Database and the national management plan had to be implemented as a matter of urgency. Finally, it agreed that the permit system, especially the hunting moratorium, should be lifted.
World Wildlife Fund for Nature submission
There was a will from the SA side, but not from the partners of the MOUs. They were not effective. WWF had supported putting together MOUs and discussions. Very heavy investment was found in security and protection, but there was a need to go back to focus on growing rhino numbers and act as buffers against mortality. There was little control and enforcement against poaching. There was a lack of an integrative approach. Governing authorities need to focus more on these aspects and there was also a need for cross-cutting linkages to ensure conservation of the rhino. They would like to address the efficiency of the current environment structure. The SA structure was recognised as one of the best in Africa to provide good poaching control. But they were only as good as the drivers behind them, hence the human resource issues needed to be addressed.
Mr Okoro looked at what had changed since 2008 from three different angles: the need for national support, Interpol and upscale of bilateral relations, the need for greater action to exclude rhino products from medicine and that SA needed to be a leader to come up with joint actionable statements. There was also a need for training and capacity building. The private sector had come out as one of the role players. The WWF recommended governance, database management, relevant conservation bodies and it wanted to see a centrally regulated rhino protection unit as well as cooperation between national and provincial bodies. The WWF would also like to see the legal rhino horn trade shut down.
SADC Rhino Management Group submission
agreed with the WWF point to grow number of rhinos rapidly to provide a bigger buffer against poaching.
Over a period of 18 years, there was hardly any poaching – the rate of 0.03 rhinos per day. Then there was a massive escalation since 2007 reaching a peak in 2011. The very high demand in the black market in Asia was what was fueling the demand and drive up poaching and pseudo hunting. If the black market prices were reduced, then it would reduce illegal demand and reduce poaching. Costs for the poachers would also be increased and have their rewards reduced. Improved law enforcement and prosecutions would improve the morale of the people working in the field. The problem with organized crime was the money involved which make the poachers easily replaceable. The principle of having a permanent wildlife reaction unit was supported and more police and support was needed. On control of pseudo hunting, South Africa needed to be strong to say to countries receiving the horns that they needed to have laws and regulations for the trophies so that they remain hunting trophies.

provide incentives for the private sector and communities. There was also a risk to particular farmers as was the case of one individual who gave information when he applied for the dehorning. He did the dehorning and a day later, people pitched up with weapons to steal the horns. The question was how did the people know about what was happening. A secure system would give assurance to the private sector that they did not fear giving information to a particular province.

Legal trade was a possible way to reduce poaching. Increasing incentives was also important. People needing to take on rhinos and resources should be provided so they could have better intelligence and more anti poaching measures. The government needed to look at all the options and try to weigh them up.
Ekowild said that The answer was in the political will. If horns were donated, then we would cause confusion and we would then show ourselves as very generous and open doors for future negotiations. SA was in the framework of the BRICS and it was important to build good relationships and show itself as generous being that generosity and gifts were the cornerstone for diplomacy. Basically, if SA could not beat them, then it needed to join them. His detailed plan involved setting up an African-Asian rhino initiative culminating in a rhino treaty. A rhino summit would need to be arranged in Beijing where all the parties convened and talked to each other and carry on the momentum each year. To go to summit would be to win the hearts of the Asians. The goal of the annual rhino convention would be to build relationships and bring to the market investment opportunities. The African-Asian initiative was one of mutual respect. Diplomacy would win the case.
Eastern Cape Tourism Agency suggested increase the chance of being caught through improvement in communications between law enforcement and monitoring and supporting field law enforcement efforts through improving training in paramilitary type skills. Another proposal was to enhance early carcass detection and to maintain and grow the DNA database. It was also important to reduce the opportunity to evade the law and to revive legislation being discussed, impose harsher penalties on those that were caught, The government also needed to look to establishing an efficient and effective database to manage the issuing of real time permits, hunting and movement. Another consideration included increasing the chance of being prosecuted if caught. The DNA database, increase disincentives to poaching as fines were not working as they just became an operational cost. promote asset forfeiture where appropriate. Lastly, reduce reward for the sale of the horn and have a long-term strategy for raising awareness in user countries.
It was important to revisit the suggestions made the year before to have intergovernmental coordination and to work with user countries.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife had assessed the risk and threats in all thirteen rhino reserves. Standard operating procedures were in place and implemented. It had worked hard to secure adequate funding manpower and refocus resources. It was also working actively to develop a proactive strategy to curb rhino poaching through good intelligence, rather than being reactive. Their recommendations included legalizing the trade in rhino horn for those that had died naturally. He urged the Members to look at the oil model, diamond model, and the vicuna model. Once the market was legalized, then controls could be strengthened. A national DNA database was also recommended for the samples such as the one at the veterinary genetics lab at Onderstepoort.
Mr Terry Bengis submission
Mr Bengis said that he was making his presentation on behalf of Rhino Guardians. He urged the members that if nothing was done now, the animals would be lost forever. It was important to understand what it was that needed to be done. The effect of poaching just grew the market. In the last few years, the market had been created legally. To stop it there was a need to cut the supply off. There was a need to put in place a moratorium on all activities around rhinos: no trade, no poaching, no hunting but to account for all the rhinos in the country. Once moratorium was in place, then the DEA would need to implement other measures such as penalties. People convicted should be denied bail. Any person convicted of poaching offence would immediately have their possessions forfeited by the Asset Forfeiture Unit and after conviction for the assets to be sold. He suggested that any pilot found participating in poaching activity should have their licence cancelled and their names forwarded to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in every country that was signatory to ICAO so that they could not obtain a similar licence in that country. He urged the South African Government to engage in a robust manner with the Chinese Government and with others who had the markets for rhino parts. Mr Bengis proposed a rhino levy, collected at airports and at protected areas, to cover the cost of the programme.
Mr Bengis concluded that SA needed to go back to the reason it conserved, to get away from the notion that wild life was just another commodity to trade and to make money off. The continued argument that hunting made a massive contribution to conservation needed to be proven. Mr Bengis referred to the use of technology in poaching.
Margot Stewart submission
Ms Stewart said that she had concerns during her last visit to a Game Park as she saw only one Rhino. She had decided to act as she thought that the custodians of the Rhinos, the government had lost control of the situation. The Minister promised to increase the control and she was happy to see the extra rangers and happy to see that the fence had been re-erected. There were huge gaps in the way the portfolio was managed. There was a cloud of mistrust and misinformation but the situation was made worse by the increasing demand from the Far East, increase in poaching and the corruption of the game rangers. Perhaps every rhino needed to have an ID. Trade should never be legitimised. She expressed concerns about the growing middle class in China and their growing demand for the rhino horn which would require a very large population of rhinos to supply it.
Mr Michael Eustace argue for a regulated trade in rhino horn. There had been a failure on the trade imposed by CITES in 1977 as all it achieved was drive trade up and drive it underground. There was a need for a new plan and regulated trade was the best chance in doing that.

Mr Michael ‘tSas-Rolfes & Mr Clive Walker involved in rhino conservation for forty years. They both called for more political will and engagement at the highest level. It was also very important to protect rhinos on the ground but there were serious constraints due to lack of budget.
there was a need to look at legal trade, acknowledging the ban since 1976 and to ask if it had been effective. It was important to understand if the dynamics of demand were understood. They proposed an international workshop.
It was important to look at rhino horn as a commodity. It was highly inelastic in that consumers were not price sensitive. There was a niche market of people who wanted to buy it. the last thing to do with such products was to ban them. A small intervention in increasing supply could bring down demand. If demand did not change, no amount of enforcement would help. The legal trade would bring the market into the open where it could be monitored and managed. It was important to reduce prices as high prices drove poaching. If the legal trade was structured, it would bring in revenue that was much needed.
There should not be a moratorium on hunting. Pseudo hunters were a problem but stopping them would reduce the source of income to the country and reduce the supply to the country. What was seen after the moratorium in 2007-2008 was a direct response to the constriction in supply. It was also important to engage with the Asian consumers in their role as consumers.
Wildlife Ranching SA an association of private Rhino owners of South Africa represented 25% of the national ownership of rhinos, some four hundred properties of white and black rhinos spread across the The private rhino sector had been faced with a severe asset loss every time a rhino was killed or poached on their property.

One of the concerns was related to weapons as there had been requests to fast track the granting of licences to individuals certified and accredited to carry weapons in endeavours of anti poaching and this was causing a lot of frustration. The private owners were soft targets as poachers knew they could come onto properties and nothing could be done about it. An area where the state was not coming to the party was media interaction. Rhino poaching was now a huge matter of international interest and concern. SAN Parks as well as NatJoints were not media friendly as the media were perpetually looking for information to carry the story of the plight, the drama and the trauma that South Africans faced. Statistics seemed to be some kind of state secret. Information had been requested from the National Prosecuting Authority but it was not forthcoming. They also wanted to bring attention to suspect and bogus fundraisers who were raising funds and leading the public astray. They advised that only accredited bodies be supported such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust, WWF and others.
A delegated authority had been handed down as part of the NatJoints structure to the provincial structures to provide certain functionalities to project private property – only one province was partly functional and the rest had not even started yet. Government was requested to assist in fast tracking the antipoaching unit. The national investigating team was severely under-capacitated having a shortage of personnel, vehicles and other resources.
The Association appealed to the Minister not to entertain the moratorium as it was counterproductive but to adopt the decision to pursue the proposal to CITES 2013 of legalising trading. There was an urgent need for an electronic database and the need to prevent information leakages about applications by private rhino owners. They also called upon the Minister to uplift the existing domestic moratorium on trading of rhino horn.
Rhino Reality proposed that the second war could be won by ending the demand for rhino horn in Asia through targeted an inspirational media campaign. By reducing the demand for rhino horn where it was originating, through correct media channels, accurate and targeted information campaigns, and celebrity endorsements, the cause could be addressed and therefore poaching could be stopped.
It challenged government to take a strong stance.
Mr Kobus Du Toit suggested a central database to gather sound statistical information to enhance decision making. DNA sample

Belynda Petrie The fact that SAN Parks was selling its animals made it complicit in the rhino trade, legal or not. They called for an immediate ban of trade on rhino or any of their parts; carrying out investigations of horn infusion technology; improve forensics intelligence and law enforcement; not bowing to the commercial interests of a few; not giving in to a very small group who had a pro trade lobby. They also cautioned against any numbers presented by the pro trading lobby as the market research was not there.