The decision means that rhino horns can now be legally traded within South Africa’s borders, subject to permits. It remains illegal for them to be traded internationally.
The Cape Times and National Geographic online reports Mpumalanga rhino breeder John Hume, who owns almost 1,300 rhino and has a stockpile of nearly four tons of horns – along with safari operator Johan Kruger – managed to overturn the ban back in November year during a case in the Pretoria High Court. The moratorium, however, was not lifted because the Environmental Affairs Ministry appealed the case. the Supreme Court of Appeal has now refused leave to appeal against the high court decision, thereby allowing horns to be sold legally for the first time since February 2009.
Experts feel the decision opens a door to criminal activity that some say is necessary to save a species—and others say will doom it.
Bryan Christy of National Geographic says the scrapping of the moratorium comes at an awkward moment for the South African government. In September, South Africa will host the triennial meeting of CITES. “Given pro-trade statements by the country’s wildlife negotiators at the previous CITES meeting, in Bangkok, many had anticipated that the South African government would use the opportunity to push for removing the international ban on rhino horn trade.”
The largest markets for rhino horn are China and Vietnam. There it is ground into powder, supposedly as a cancer or headache cure. There is no market for rhino horn inside South Africa. Opening the trade in South Africa brings the potential of international smuggling.
Dr Colman O’Criodain, a wildlife trade policy analyst for WWF, told Independent Online “it is hard to see any positive benefits from lifting the moratorium on domestic trade in rhino horn, particularly at a time when rhino poaching figures are at record highs”.
