Rhino Poaching 2014

[iNdlovu]

Wynand, agreed that the horrific stats so far this year are as a result of increased poaching activity and not because anti-poaching units have become slack. However it is the same old question, if it is going to take thousands of men on the ground to put a stop to this haenous crime, why does this excuse for a government we have in SA not put those men on the ground.
I honestly don't believe they want to put a stop to poaching, it may affect a few cash flows.

[Duke]

Here is my theory.

The DEA is on record saying we have tried everything we can and it is not working so now we must try something else. We must look at opening trade in rhino horn.

If we did everything we can to stop poaching this argument falls away. If we cannot stop people from Mozambique (mainly) coming in to the country and showing no respect for our sovereignity and our natural heritage then we wasted all that money on the arms deal. Incidently the Government wasted 30 Billion lasy year alone so it is no excuse to say we do not have money for conservation and to fight poaching.

[Sprocky]

Duke, I do, and I think that everyone else has to agree 100% with what you have just said!

[H. erectus]

Just maybe some bods got together and questioned each other!!!
"We are sitting on a gold mine(Fauna Flora), why not make it work
for us???!!!

Let's suck it dry!!!!The order of the day,.....
The animals will be ok the tourists must take it or leave it,...

Conservation is our target, tourism will be a secondary, ironically!!

And so we dwell, conspicuously !!

[Bushcraft]

Here is my theory.

The DEA is on record saying we have tried everything we can and it is not working so now we must try something else. We must look at opening trade in rhino horn.

If we did everything we can to stop poaching this argument falls away. If we cannot stop people from Mozambique (mainly) coming in to the country and showing no respect for our sovereignity and our natural heritage then we wasted all that money on the arms deal. Incidently the Government wasted 30 Billion lasy year alone so it is no excuse to say we do not have money for conservation and to fight poaching.

I agree

[Richprins]

Lots of people are advocating legalising trade..that's another topic.

Part of a "multi-pronged solution"?

Obviously Moz. is not intent on coming to the party particularly quickly, not many rhino left elsewhere in Africa, especially in countries with Chinese masters...

Feeble attempts at "interpreting" and ending demand in the Asian countries that are the end-users...

Yes, obviously .gov could do more, but it is difficult to compare massive misspending there that has been the norm for decades with the current 4 year-old rhino crisis, IMO?

The bottom line may simply be the general short-sighted Third World mentality that resources are there to be used, bugger the long-term consequences.

And this is a relatively new mentality fuelled by poverty, graft and lack of leadership...in fact applicable to most 3rd world countries.

[Penga Ndlovu]

93

[Penga Ndlovu]

96

[mouseinthehouse]

One thing that is rarely discussed or taken into account is the nature of the networks we are up against. Although corruption plays a role, what you are looking at is a network of criminality that is entirely flexible, progressive or reactive as needed, well resourced, motivated, adaptive. It is a network that at the top end can enforce 'loyalty' and a code of silence and operates with a high level of organisational intelligence. At the bottom end it is exploitative and unremitting in its' use of 'human resources' and views foot soldiers as entirely expendable. On the other side, corrupt elements aside, you have not a network but a system. Top heavy, filled with bureaucratic inertia, disinterest, apathy, lack of loyalty or passion, lack of motivation and bound by laws, regulations, rules, government diplomacy, governmental agendas, governmental processes, under-resourced, constrained, slow to adapt.

Examples of incredibly efficient and 'effective' networks are international motor cycle gangs, drug and arms cartels and human trafficking syndicates all of which elude international and local law enforcement . They all work in that subversive world where the only rules that apply are those enforced by violence and money. Otherwise they have no constraints either moral or practical or financial. This is what we are pitted against.

In that regard, I believe we must direct a HUGE effort towards killing the demand in the end user countries. Unlike addictive drugs or the timeless human pursuit of war or sex, rhino horn usage is now turning away from traditional customs and following nothing more than a deadly trend or fashion as a symbol of status. Until it becomes unacceptable, old hat, passe, repugnant or all of the above, we won't win this fight. If there is a market organised crime will exploit it and run rings around authorities in the process.

[wynand]

Well said, mouseinthehouse!