Chinese Premier Promises to Combat Poaching, Ivory Smuggling

Poaching has risen sharply across Africa in recent years, and much of the ivory smuggled is destined for China, whose rapidly growing economy has encouraged those enjoying disposable income to splash out on an ivory trinket as a sign of financial success.

In Picture: Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang displays commitment for wildlife conservation as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President William Ruto flank him in Nairobi National Park. This was a symbolic gesture of commitment to elimination of poaching & smuggling of wildlife products to his country.

In Kenya, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang signed a string of economic deals with Kenya on the final leg of a four-nation Africa tour that has underscored Beijing's growing ties with the continent. The 17 agreements include provisions for economic cooperation grants, interest-free and concessional loans and assistance to build a new railway link from the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa to Nairobi and rest of east Africa.

Wildlife conservation was also on the agenda, with Li keen to show official Chinese support for Kenya's efforts to combat the rampant poaching of elephants and rhino in the face of huge demand for ivory and rhino horns in Asia, particularly China.

Wildlife poaching and trading has been viewed as a conservation issue for a very longtime now. It’s an illegitimate global economy monopolized by syndicates and enabled by high-level bureaucrats and powerful business interests.

In Picture: Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang enjoys a game drive in Nairobi National Park.

While visiting the Nairobi National Park’s Ivory Burning Site Monument, Chinese Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said his government was sending a clear message that it supports wildlife protection and announced a Sh860 million ($10 million) financial support for wildlife conservation in Kenya.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said “We have committed ourselves to lead the fight against poaching together with the Chinese Government” and thanked China for its "continued support and cooperation in our effort to combat and eventually eliminate the illegal trade in ivory as well as in our other initiatives to preserve our natural heritage." 

In the meantime, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is in the process of using DNA barcoding to bridge the gap between conservation genetics and law alongside the new wildlife bill.  DNA barcoding is a technique that uses short DNA sequences from standardized positions in the genome to identify species. Barcode of Wildlife Project has a big part to play in protection of Kenya’s biodiversity as well as curbing illegally harvested plant materials, poached tusks, horns, and meat sold as bushmeat.   

On a separate press conference, Kenya’s Environment Cabinet Secretary Prof. Judi Wakhungu told journalists in Nairobi that both nations will enhance cooperation so as to reduce poaching on Kenya’s wildlife.

“We will expand our cooperation beyond commercial ties to include wildlife conservation efforts,” Wakhungu said when Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Guangyuan paid her a courtesy visit.

According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Kenya is both a source and a destination for illegal ivory products.

Liu said after the meeting that his country will continue to assist Kenya’s efforts to eliminate the illicit trade in wildlife products. He added that the both nations have already developed close bilateral ties.

“Our aim is to ensure that cooperation in the conservation efforts is also enhanced,” Liu said.

Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) is pushing for life imprisonment for poachers of elephants and rhinos as a deterrent measures to protect the two endangered species. KWS Director William Kiprono said on Monday the killing of wildlife especially the elephants and rhinos in the county are alarming and required stiff penalties to the perpetrators.

Kiprono said the killing of the two endangered species for their valued tusks is an economic sabotage and punitive measures have to be meted on criminals involved in the vice.

“The only way to protect these endangered species; elephants and rhinos is to send poachers to complete their remaining years of their life in prison. This will deter others from engaging in poaching,” said Kiprono in Kitale when he met with local security agencies to map out strategies to tame poaching of elephants at Nasolot Game Reserve.