South African Government Has Plans To Legalise Trade In Rhino Horns
The South African Government is pushing ahead with plans to legalise the sale of the rhino horn within its borders. The proposed legislation will include a provision for the export of the animal product that is the reason behind a poaching crisis which many experts believe could result in the extinction of the species with ten years. Edna Molewa, South Africa’s Minister of Environmental Affairs filed draft regulations in February which would allow the sale of rhino horn in the country for “personal purposes” with a valid permit.
More valuable than gold
Over the last ten years, powdered rhino horn has become more valuable in weight than either gold or cocaine. The reason is Asian demand where in some countries it is believed to cure ailments ranging from cancer to impotence. Rhino horns are actually made from keratin which is the same ingredient as fingernails from humans are made from. The proposed regulations are not clear on why South Africa is thinking about opening up the trade though it has been previously argued that the sale of the horn could help fund the protection of living animals.
South Africa home to most of the world’s rhinos
Most of the world’s living rhinos make their home in South Africa and both the government and private individuals have kept caches of horns worth perhaps billions of dollars. Some breeders have begun to campaign for legalisation arguing that such stockpiles could flood the market and drastically drive down the price undercutting the income of poachers who kill over 1000 of the animals each year.
Breeders argue ban on trade caused the price to jump
John Hume who is a rhino breeder says that banning the horn trade has driven up the price of the commodity. Mr Hume owns more than 1,100 rhinos and argues had the ban never been implemented, its price would never have reached the levels seen today. Breeders such as Mr Hume as well as a number of conservation groups cut the rhino horns off whilst the animals are still alive as they seek to deter poaching. Dehorning a rhino is relatively harmless to the animal though it does cause them stress and needs to be repeated every few years since like fingernails they grow back.
