Namibia loses bid to overturn ban on rhino horn trade

At a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Uzbekistan, Namibia's proposals to overturn the ban on international trade in black and white rhino horns were rejected. Namibia argued that lifting the ban, initially implemented in 1977, could help manage rhino populations, especially since they pioneered dehorning to deter poachers. The proposals failed to gain the required two-thirds majority vote. Rhino horns are highly valued in traditional Asian medicine and as status symbols, fueling poaching that has decimated rhino populations. Despite dehorning efforts and Namibia's rising poaching numbers, concerns about endangering the critically endangered black rhino and near-threatened southern white rhino led to the rejection of the proposals.

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