Namibia's Rhino Horn Trade Bid Rejected at Conservation Meet

Namibia's proposals to overturn international bans on the trade of black and white rhino horns have been defeated at a crucial Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) meeting. The conference, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, voted against these proposals, maintaining existing trade restrictions.

These defeats follow Namibia's earlier proposal to lift the ban on African savanna elephant ivory, which was also unsuccessful. Conservationists opposed the rhino horn trade, arguing that legalizing it would stimulate demand and significantly increase poaching, a concern amplified by historical trade's link to past poaching crises.

Black rhinos are critically endangered, with populations drastically reduced since 1960. Southern white rhinos, while listed as near threatened, have also experienced population declines. Namibia, along with other southern African nations, holds large stockpiles of rhino horns, accumulated largely through dehorning programs, which they hoped to trade legally.