President Jakaya Kikwete shares views with CCN reporter Christiane
Amanpour shortly after an exclusive interview at CNN’s London Studios on
Thursday evening. In the interview -- on illegal wildlife dealings --
President Kikwete described the bloody trade as “madness and a very
serious matter,” that calls for joint efforts to end it.
London. More than 40 countries
including China and African states have signed a declaration aimed at
stamping out the illegal trade in wildlife, in a move broadly welcomed
by conservation groups.
The London Declaration urges practical steps to
end the illegal trade in rhino horn, tiger parts and elephant tusks that
contribute to criminal activity worth more than $19 billion (14 billion
euros) each year.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who
hosted Thursday’s meeting, said: “I believe the measures we have agreed
can mark a crucial turning point.”
Hague highlighted the attendance of China and
Vietnam, two major consumers of the banned products. Beijing sent
Forestry Vice minister Zhang Jianlong.
“I do welcome the involvement of China (and) the
constructive approach from their minister and from other Asian
countries, but there will be more work to do,” Hague said. He
highlighted the progress that China had made in reducing the number of
sharks killed to make shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy.
“The conference wants to follow this example in
other areas,” he said. Conservation groups gave the declaration a
largely positive reception, but said it did not go far enough.
Ms Mary Rice of the London-based Environmental
Investigation Agency said: “This has been an unprecedented gathering,
the first indication that many of the world’s governments are really
serious about combating organised wildlife crime.
“We would have liked them to go further and, specifically with regard to ivory and tigers, close down legal domestic markets.”
Tanzania, Chad, Gabon, Ethiopia and Botswana
announced a separate action plan to protect elephants of which 25,000
are killed each year by poachers, according to official estimates.
Botswana will organise a conference in 2015 to evaluate progress on the initiative.
Opening the meeting, British heir to the throne
Prince Charles , said that while it was important to tackle poachers,
the key thing was to “attack demand” for rare creatures which are used
to produce traditional medicines and other products.
Charles said the declaration would “address what
is the most significant problem in my view -- that of demand for and
consumption of specific products from critically endangered wildlife.
Most recently, demand from Asia -- particularly China -- has fuelled the
trade, but we also know that the US and Europe are contributing to it.”
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