Effects Of Poaching In Africa

The swift annihilation of elephants and rhinos in Africa due to poaching has become a crucial international issue in the recent years. The previous explosion of the commercial poaching in Africa took place in the 70s and lasted until the late 80s when international agreements and wildlife protection programs helped to improve the crisis. As a result, poaching in Africa subsided for a brief while. However, around the same time, China and Vietnam saw an enormous increase in the demand for the ivory and the rhino horn, which, among other factors, largely contributed to the current ongoing crisis (Baldus). At present, the major driving forces of the problem include a high demand for ivory in the Asian countries, widespread poverty, corruption, unemployment, and medicinal purposes (Kideghesho 370), and the consequences spread over various social, economic, and environmental sectors. Currently, the international trade in illegal wildlife is estimated to bring between $8-$10 billion dollars each year, and it has become the fourth highest ranked crime after firearms, drugs, and human trafficking (Kideghesho 370). In addition, the numbers of extinguished animals have reached catastrophic proportions. According to the statistics published by the Convention on …show more content…
According to the United Nations Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey "Poaching has fueled regional wars in Africa, particularly the Great Lakes region" (How Animal Poaching). In addition, various paramilitary forces involved in poaching operations engage in extensive human rights abuse which include recruiting child soldiers and human trafficking (How Animal Poaching). Furthermore, in the recent years, many terrorist organizations joined the poaching trade by turning to dealing ivory to fund their operations, a trend that has been dubbed "the white gold of jihad" by the