Interview: Conservationist lauds China's ban on import of African ivory hunting trophies

African conservation organization AWF has lauded the Chinese government for imposing the one-year ban on imports of African ivory hunting trophies, terming it a win against rampant poaching in the continent.

The Africa Wildlife Foundation (AWF) CEO Dr. Patrick Bergin said the ban would cover significant and timely restrictions on the import of ivory as hunting trophies as well suitable steps to halt the domestic commercial trade of ivory.

"In accepting to sign an agreement to end global trade in ivory in its territory, China has set example for the whole world," Bergin told Xinhua in an interview.

Chinese authorities imposed on the ban on Oct. 15, two weeks after President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama announced that the two nations would take swift action to protect elephants from the ongoing poaching crisis.

Analysts say the commitment by the two global powers to enact "a near total ban" on the import and export of ivory represents a major step in efforts to shut down an industry that has fuelled the illegal hunting of elephants.

Bergin said the move should be emulated by other development partners to help improve the population of wildlife in the world.

He said AWF and other partners have managed to ensure that the protection of wildlife and rangelands form part of the upcoming forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that will be held in South Africa in December.

"The issue will be part of the high-level discussions as it will be the first time wildlife and environmental conservation is discussed at the forum," he added.

Bergin said governments and regional bodies in collaboration with the conservation organizations need to collectively agree on how to support the protection of wildlife.

According to Bergin, Africa's wildlife population is bouncing back due to concerted conservation efforts attributed to the cooperation and contributions of the private and public sector at the regional and international level.

"We have seen the progress through partnership and now have to keep up the pressure to ensure that the wanton destruction of wildlife is stopped," he said.

The conservationist revealed that the number of critically endangered mountain gorilla, which today is the only great ape in Africa, has increased from getting extinct.

He said the number of wildlife population has increased tremendously with that of white rhino hitting 20,000 down from 100.

Bergin observed that countries like China, who are keen in conservation efforts, need to be incorporated to help keep the population of wildlife in the Africa.

"In the last five years, we have seen alarming declines in wildlife populations across Africa that has led to loss of 100,000 elephants in Tanzania and Mozambique alone, and 1,215 rhino in South Africa in 2014," he said.

He revealed that the number of African lions that is currently estimated at around 20,000 is likely to drop by half over the next 20 years unless action is taken.

For the past two years AWF and the Aspen Institute have been hosting a China Africa Dialogue Series that involves civil society leaders in China and Africa.

The AWF CEO commended China Development Bank's Africa Development Fund for creating an opportunity for development take-off in the continent.

"The governments must ensure that development projects funded by the Bank are invested in a manner that does not interfere with the protection and of wildlife and environment," Bergin said.

He noted that the technology must be applied to ensure that conservation trouble spots are identified and at the same time ensure that wildlife corridors and their grazing areas are protected.

"The people implementing development projects should use the available information in collaboration with wildlife conservation experts in their planning and also to minimize negative impacts to wildlife," he added.

AWF, founded in 1961 as the African Wildlife Leadership Foundation, is an international conservation organization that focuses on wild lands and wildlife protection in Africa. Endit