Namibia's Proposal to End Rhino Horn Trade Ban Rejected

Fri Dec 05 2025 19:01:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Namibia's recent attempt to lift the ban on international trade of rhino horns has been thwarted at a key conservation conference, reflecting ongoing challenges in wildlife protection.

At a recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Uzbekistan, Namibia's proposals to overturn the ban on rhino horn trade and African elephants' ivory were rejected. Though Namibia pioneered dehorning rhinos to deter poaching, recent statistics show a surge in rhinoceros poaching, leading to increased conservation concerns.

Namibia's proposals to lift the ban on the international trade in black and white rhino horns have been rejected at a key conservation meeting.

The result of the voting at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) earlier this week was adopted by the conference on Thursday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Namibia had also proposed overturning the ban on African savanna elephant ivory; this too was defeated.

Eyebrows were raised about the rhino horn trade proposals mainly because Namibia pioneered the practice of cutting the horns off rhinos in 1989 so they no longer have value for poachers.

Dehorning was followed by other southern African countries, such as Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa.

Rhino horns are prized in traditional Asian medicine and are also status symbols in China, Vietnam, and some Southeast Asian countries.

Namibia tabled two separate proposals - one for black rhinos and the other for southern white rhinos.

Both were resoundingly defeated, with only around 30 votes out of about 120 in favour.

CITES regulations require a two-thirds majority for a proposal to be adopted.

Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2023, there were only 6,421 alive - a decline of more than 90% since 1960, according to an IUCN report.

The southern white rhinos are not in quite such danger - they are listed as near threatened, with a population of 15,752. But this is down 11% since 2023 and at its lowest point since the current rhino poaching crisis began nearly two decades ago.

CITES banned the trade in the horns and other rhino parts in 1977, but their poaching continued with more than 8,000 lost in the last decade, according to Save the Rhino International.

Supporters of the rhino horn trade argue that it would generate revenues that could be used to support conservation efforts. However, those opposing the idea believe it would stimulate demand and lead to increased poaching.

The realities of rhino conservation remain complex, with ongoing discussions around balancing trade proposals and protective measures necessary to safeguard these endangered species.