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CITES votes down Namibia's rhino horn trade proposals
Delegates at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, overwhelmingly rejected Namibia's push to legalize international sales of black and white rhino horns this week.
Vote breakdown
Namibia presented two separate motions-one for black rhinos and another for southern white rhinos. Both failed to secure the required two-thirds majority, drawing support from only about 30 of the roughly 120 voting parties. The final decision was formally adopted on Thursday.
Conservation context
Black rhinos, classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), number just 6,421 individuals-a 90% decline since 1960. Southern white rhinos, while less threatened, have also seen sharp declines, with their population dropping 11% to 15,752 since 2023, marking the lowest count in nearly two decades.
Despite a global ban on rhino horn trade since 1977, poaching persists. Over 8,000 rhinos have been killed in the past decade, according to Save the Rhino International. Namibia recorded its highest annual poaching toll in 2022, with 87 rhinos killed-nearly double the previous year's figure.
Stockpile controversy
Namibia and other southern African nations, including South Africa and Zimbabwe, have accumulated vast stockpiles of rhino horns through dehorning programs. These initiatives, pioneered by Namibia in 1989, involve trimming horns above the growth plate-a painless process akin to human nail clipping-to deter poachers. However, horns regrow, leading to rapidly expanding stockpiles.
Namibia holds an estimated 6.45 tonnes of white rhino horn and 4.6 tonnes of black rhino horn. South Africa's stockpile is believed to be at least four times larger. Unlike Kenya, which destroys its stockpiles, Namibia and South Africa retain horns in hopes of future legal trade.
"The reason for not destroying the horn is speculative stockpiling by governments and private individuals,"
Taylor Tench, Senior Wildlife Policy Analyst, Environmental Investigation Agency
Debate over legalization
Proponents argue that legalizing trade could fund conservation efforts and offset the high costs of anti-poaching measures, particularly for private rhino owners. However, opponents warn that lifting the ban could reignite demand, fueling poaching. They point to the 1970s and 1980s, when legal domestic markets in China and Vietnam were linked to surging poaching rates.
Global enforcement data underscores the ongoing threat: between 2021 and 2023, authorities seized over 1.8 tonnes of rhino horn-equivalent to 716 whole horns-in more than 150 incidents. South Africa accounted for 66% of seizures by weight, with major shipments intercepted en route to Malaysia and Vietnam.
Regional alliances
While this was Namibia's first solo attempt to overturn the ban, the country has previously supported similar proposals from South Africa, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. The rejection at CITES reflects broader skepticism among member states about the potential risks of legalizing rhino horn trade.
