Azalaï Beach Hotel was the setting yesterday Monday, November 2, 2015, of the meeting of the Coalition for the African Elephant. This meeting will allow participants to discuss problems in the protection and management of the African elephant under the agenda of both bodies: the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Wildlife and Wild Flora threatened with extinction and the Conference of Parties.
From Ghana, Gabon, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, participants will during this meeting, prepare documents for submission to the sixth session of the Committee Standing CITES and the Conference of the Parties and will compare national experiences in this field. This session also aims to make proposals and to define common positions within the
African continent in particular with respect to conservation and management of the African elephant to be included on the agenda for the active participation of Africa to the Conference of the Parties to CITES to be held soon in Johannesburg in South Africa.
In his welcome address, the Director General of Forestry and Natural Resources, General Theophilus Kakpo, suggested that African elephants are currently facing an unprecedented increase in poaching, resulting from an increase in illegal trade ivory. In his words, the summit comes at a crucial time to enable member states of the Coalition to discuss the problems of protection and the African elephant management. The president of the Foundation Franz Weber,Vera Weber said the elephants fell by the thousands under the poisoned arrows of poachers.
According to him, the demand stems mainly from Asia and if we do not stop the ivory trade, elephant cease to exist. The co-chair of the Coalition of Burkina Faso, Benedict Doamba, said the countries of Africa must work closer together and to develop partnerships to find solutions to the many problems related to the conservation of the elephant. Making the opening session, the Minister of Environment, Theophilus Worou stressed that environmental crime related to wildlife has reached a level of concern that requires a synergy of action on the part of all our African countries to restore peace and security to troubled regions where conflicts are fueled by this illegal activity. For this reason, he insisted, the
Coalition intends to implement effective strategies to end illegal slaughtering and illegal trade with the Asian lobby that wants the lifting of international restrictions on trade in products wildlife. Note that the work shall end tomorrow.
http://www.lapressedujour.net/index.php?s=elephant&x=11&y=10