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Nature Conservation: Africa

Answer

The UK Government is committed to working to help the conservation of biodiversity worldwide. The UK works closely with African and other countries to promote the conservation of the world's wildlife through our active membership of key international agreements, notably the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on Migratory Species. The UK chairs the CITES Rhino Working Group, tasked with investigating the drivers behind, and possible solutions to, the dramatic rise in rhino poaching in parts of Africa. We have also worked within the EU to introduce stricter controls on the importation of hunting trophies of certain species such as lions and elephants.

The UK has played a leading role in galvanising international action to combat the illegal wildlife trade. We hosted the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in February 2014, actively supported the Government of Botswana in its hosting of a follow-up Conference in March 2015 and have committed financial support to Vietnam in hosting a third international conference in 2016.

Defra manages a £13 million Challenge Fund to help combat the illegal wildlife trade. On 5 August we launched Round 2 of the Fund to support practical projects around the world that aim to do this. Details of currently-funded projects in Africa and elsewhere can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/451392/iwt-existing-projects.pdf

In addition, we fund species conservation projects across Africa through the Darwin Initiative, a UK Government scheme that helps to protect biodiversity and the natural environment. The Initiative has funded a wide variety of projects in Africa ranging from a £240,000 contribution towards the development of innovative anti-poaching strategies in Cameroon, to over £299,000 to improve the conservation of Tanzania’s large carnivores: leopards, lions, cheetahs and wild dogs.

The UK also supports the African-led Elephant Protection Initiative, launched in the margins of the London Conference, through which nine African countries have committed to a ten-year moratorium on domestic ivory sales and to put their ivory stockpiles ‘beyond economic use’, in exchange for support and funding for their National Elephant Action Plans. The UK committed to match fund the first tranche of private sector funding, amounting to around £1 million.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

16055

Session

2015-16

Transferred

Yes

Subjects

Animals Africa Nature conservation

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk