Brett Herron, Secretary-General for GOOD
GOOD calls for larger fines to deter rhino horn trade
31 October 2019
During a special meeting, today, of the Western Cape Standing Committee on Environmental Affairs draft regulations to restrict and deter illegal rhino horn trade were considered. GOOD’s Secretary General and Member of the Provincial Parliament, Brett Herron, has called for:
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the maximum value of the fines to be increased further, and
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make the fines applicable per rhino horn.
This will ensure that the amendments offer a real deterrent and an effective tool for the judiciary to work to reduce the illegal trade.
In the present draft, the National Department of Environmental Affairs is calling for fines of up to R5 million for illegal rhino horn trade. Yet according to available data, equivalent or even far higher prices can be achieved on the black market.
The weight of an average white rhino’s horns is 5kg, and the price of rhino horn in Vietnam is reported at R1 million per kg. However, at some outlets in China, small pieces of horn can fetch nearly R4m/kg.
“The R5 million fine is thus an ineffective deterrent to a trader or exporter caught with lots of horns, because much higher prices can be attained on the black market. The fine for illegal rhino horn trade must be higher and must be applicable per horn” said Herron
Recent research has confirmed that stricter environmental protection laws and higher penalties are associated with a decline in rhino killings. We must act.
More than 1000 South African rhinos were killed in 2016 and 2017. At prices of R1million per kg. South Africa is dealing with a R4 billion per year illegal export industry. The measures our government adopts need to match that might.
Herron said that “in light of the black market prices of rhino horn and the evidence that higher penalties are confirmed to be linked to reduced poaching, I am appealing to the Minister to consider at least doubling the proposed fines and ensure these are applicable per horn.”
The pressure on Africa’s rhinos is this unlikely to reduce and the measures we take to protect our country and its assets need to be effective.