Kasane Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade kicks off in Botswana

The Kasane Conference on The Illegal Wildlife Trade kicked off Wednesday in Botswana's northeastern town of Kasane, with the aim of setting out specified commitments to eradicate the market for illegal wildlife products, ensure effective deterrents and strengthen law enforcement and economic development.

Presidents of Botswana and Gabon, deputy president of Tanzania, vice president of Zambia, deputy prime minister of Namibia, UK environment minister, other leaders from 35 countries and heads of over 20 INOs and NGOs participated in the meeting.

In his remarks made at the conference, Botswana's President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama said wildlife poaching and trafficking has reached unprecedented levels throughout the world, with endangered species being poached at an alarming rate.

He underscored that proceeds of trafficking are used to fund crimes such as terrorism, arms and drugs trafficking which undermine the rule of law, fuel corruption and even cost lives of wildlife rangers.

According to the president, the Kasane meeting will review the status of implementation of the London Declaration reached at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade held in February 2014.

"The Kasane Conference will provide an opportunity to develop further actions to deliver the commitments of the Declaration, and the Kasane Statement will be tabled for adoption at this conference to highlight key areas to complement the London Declaration for action by all of us,"said the president.

UK Environment Minister Lord de Mauley, said the illegal wildlife trade matters because it drives corruption and instability, because wildlife resources are being stolen from the communities on a scale never seen before and it threats the existence of some of the world's iconic and treasured species.

"It is a truly global issue, all of us are affected. The organized criminal networks behind the trade do not respect borders, they operate across continent, all of us need to act," noted the minister, adding the Kasane conference is an opportunity to maintain and build on the high level of political commitment made in London last year and to agree to new essential measures to tackle illegal wildlife trade.

A recent report released by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows that over the last 40 years, the world has lost one half of its animal population, unsustainable use including illegal offtake and large scale habitat loss are important contributory factors. Endi