Article: SA considering rhino horn trade

[Derrick]

You can view the page at http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/content....ino-horn-trade

South Africa is considering whether to approach the international community with a proposal to trade in rhino horn, Environment Minister Edna Molewa told MPs on Wednesday...

[marco79]

Policies had to be in place "that do not allow any shena****ns to operate in the system," Molewa said.

Really? I wonder who would benefit from the sale of the rhino horn in storage?

[boramk]

This will drastically reduce poaching. We should also start rhino farms..

[DigitalSoldier]

We should also start rhino farms..

Why haven't we done this yet, is it not possible ?

So many good farm land in Limpopo are empty because of government redistribution policies. Why not use that farm land for Rhino farming ?

[KhoisanX]

Why haven't we done this yet, is it not possible ?

So many good farm land in Limpopo are empty because of government redistribution policies. Why not use that farm land for Rhino farming ?

They don't breed like sheep, cattle etc., at best you're looking at one calf every two to three years.

[Mila]

They don't breed like sheep, cattle etc., at best you're looking at one calf every two to three years.

And it's only mature at 7 (IIRC) so we have 7 years before we reasonably start the harvesting. In the mean time they will kill every last one. And they even kill babies for a little stump.

And how to harvest... i do not think we will easily domesticate that large of an animal, and how to harvest the horn with our killing the animal?

Maybe our reserves has them stockpilled and we can flood the market with that first. I'm all for getting a solution, it was sad going to the KNP and not even seeing a Rhino or smelling a midden

[porchrat]

Why haven't we done this yet, is it not possible ?

So many good farm land in Limpopo are empty because of government redistribution policies. Why not use that farm land for Rhino farming ?

From what I have read it seems that they are extremely territorial and so want a large living space. Also they are not very easy to breed.

So there are practical and ethical issues to consider.

[Albereth]

This will drastically reduce poaching. We should also start rhino farms..

Say what now?

Another brilliant idea from the same government that brought you etolling.

[boramk]

Say what now?

Another brilliant idea from the same government that brought you etolling.

Unlike E tolling this actually is a good idea.

[Albereth]

Unlike E tolling this actually is a good idea.

So you think that supporting quackery is a good idea?

Why not just harvest toe nail clippings, repackage and sell to the Vietnamese and Chinese idiots. They're that dumb, they'll buy it.

[boramk]

So you think that supporting quackery is a good idea?

Why not just harvest toe nail clippings, repackage and sell to the Vietnamese and Chinese idiots. They're that dumb, they'll buy it.

I'll explain it because you don't understand economics.

Selling rhino horn stockpiles doesn't increase demand for rhino horns because demand is always independent of supply. Because South Africa has 20 tonnes of rhino horns that they can start selling, poaching will decrease significantly. The average rhino horn weighs about 1.6kg.

20000kg/1.6 = 12500 rhino horns.

That's 12500 less dead rhino's. That's more rhino horns than we have alive rhinos.

Because those stupid Asians as you referred to can legally buy rhino horns they will no longer go to poachers, Poachers who will charge a premium. That premium is the cost of a "what if" situation if they are caught (getting arrested, death). The profit these criminals make is the incentive to go out and poach. If they have competition ie. the government they will less likely poach.

Result? Drop in poaching. Less dead rhinos. Revenue for the country. Understand?

[DJ...]

So you think that supporting quackery is a good idea?

Why not just harvest toe nail clippings, repackage and sell to the Vietnamese and Chinese idiots. They're that dumb, they'll buy it.

No amount of boycotting on our part will change their attitudes towards what they consider to be a perfectly acceptable sacrifice...

[Merlin]

Thaaat's great. Let's use the foreseeable demise of our rhino population to make a quick buck, which the country at large, will never see.

At the same time, we'll undermine any and all action taken up to this point in an attempt to slow, stop or at least control the trade whilst simultaneously increasing the demand for rhino horn thanks to the increased availability i.e. an expanded market.

Bravo, government, you c*nts.

[phoneJunky]

Thaaat's great. Let's use the foreseeable demise of our rhino population to make a quick buck, which the country at large, will never see.

At the same time, we'll undermine any and all action taken up to this point in an attempt to slow, stop or at least control the trade whilst simultaneously increasing the demand for rhino horn thanks to the increased availability i.e. an expanded market.

Bravo, government, you c*nts.

Uhm dude, from all the documentaries I have seen so far every one is pro rhino horn trade to reduce the poaching. We have so much horn in reserve that we could literally make it infeasible for poachers to well poach. I think this is a step in the right direction, albeit a bit slow by the government. Calls for this has been going on for a while now.

[DJ...]

Thaaat's great. Let's use the foreseeable demise of our rhino population to make a quick buck, which the country at large, will never see.

At the same time, we'll undermine any and all action taken up to this point in an attempt to slow, stop or at least control the trade whilst simultaneously increasing the demand for rhino horn thanks to the increased availability i.e. an expanded market.

Bravo, government, you c*nts.

It is a smart move. There is no other way to control this. No amount of force will deter poachers and they will merely move on if they're eventually intimidated. Sure, it won't be our problem but the problem will persist...