With the Fate Of Rhinos At Stake, South Africa Contemplates Horn Trade

The South African government's stance on rhino horn trade can be a decisive factor for the fate and survival of the species in the region,as per reports. The country will reveal its position on the global ban related to purchasing or selling rhino horn later this month. Rhino horn trade can be a $2 billion industry, a fact that may have a bearing on the decision made. 

The demand for rhino horn is high in Asia owing to its curative properties and use in traditional remedies. The increasing need to balance supply and demand ratio has led to higher rates of poaching, and 1,305 rhinos were killed last year in Africa alone. Incidentally, rhino horn trading has been globally banned since the 1970s.

According to those arguing against the ban, the horn of rhinos grows back if the animal is alive during the cut. Rhino horn trade is dangerous only when animals are killed to facilitate it. The opponents to the ban proposed that legalizing the trade won't have an adverse impact if it is regulated, which would ensure that rhinos are not killed to procure horns. Consequently, it has been suggested, that the move will bring down poaching levels and the resultant decrease in rhino population, which could also save them from future extinction.

The government of South Africa has still not disclosed any details about its rhino horn inventory, created by seizing horns from smugglers as well as procuring them from animals that died of natural causes. According to estimations by the Private Rhino Owners Association, the size of the stockpile could be close to 25 tons. Supporters in favor of rhino horn trade legalizing say that the money obtained through it could, in fact, be used for conservation purposes by the government.

Those in favor of the ban agree otherwise. "Legalizing rhino horn trade would remove the stigma associated with consumption of endangered species, stimulate the insatiable demand for rhino horn, and fuel further rhino poaching," the International Fund for Animal Welfare  (IFAW) said on its website.

South Africa is yet to take a decisive stance on rhino horn trade, though it is contemplating lifting the ban. An overturn of the ban can only be possible if the government gets two-thirds support from the countries that will attend the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Johannesburg, later this year.