Who engages in "Bio-Piracy"? Who trades natural resources in Africa? And who is trying to prevent the depletion of biological diversity?
The answers are quite surprising. It is surprising that the answer to the last question is: the (new) Muslim government in Somalia at the northeastern end of the continent. At the southern end, the "strange" government in Zimbabwe.
Despite failed attempts to stabilize a central government, since 1991 Somalia has been ruled by warlords, a few months ago Islamic elements took control of most of the territories, and unlike the warlords, these elements are trying to stabilize the government and restore an orderly way of life to the citizens. Among other things, for the first time in many years, a port was opened Mogadishu to operate the port and allow the arrival of ships "handling" the scourge of maritime robbery (piracy). Shed in the waters of Somalia
In our case: The Muslim Court of Somalia recently distributed a "halachic ruling" intended for the protection of the environment and nature, according to the order of the court, it is forbidden to cut down trees for the purpose of trading in charcoal. The court orders that the massive cutting of trees has caused long periods of drought, soil erosion and harm to wild animals , that is why a serious warning was directed mainly to merchants who are engaged in exporting charcoal-wood to neighboring countries - mainly to the United Arab Emirates (in half Arab Island).
Not only trading coal, the sheikhs in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula are known for their appetite for wild animals, whether for the purpose of keeping them as pets (cheetahs) or for hunting (eagles and falcons), Somalia was a close and cheap source for purchasing animals. The court issued an order prohibiting the hunting, trading and keeping of wild animals, when the order was accompanied by a stern warning that anyone caught would be imprisoned immediately. This is how the western world "is not happy" with its creation of the preservation of natural resources and the environment.
Zimbabwe - despite (perhaps because of) being one of the most failed countries on the continent has always been a source of attraction for nature lovers. Large reserves with rich, interesting and relatively easy-to-see biodiversity, the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls, mysterious archaeological remains ("Great Zimbabwe"), all these attract thousands of tourists who continue to come and visit despite (personal) insecurity, despite governmental instability and despite "lack of sympathy " to the president.
Among the thousands of tourists there are those who take advantage of the governmental "mess" to smuggle animals and plants, smuggling that is contrary to the laws of the country and contrary to the International Convention for the Prevention of Trade and the Protection of Endangered Species (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). Despite the lack of governmental order, the president (at least in appearance) to preserve the attractiveness of his country, i.e. to protect the biological diversity by implementing the local laws and the convention the international
Smuggling of animals and plants (in Zimbabwe) is carried out using various different methods: Recently, a number of people who entered the country as tourists were caught in possession of animals/plants that they tried to smuggle out of the country. A group of people who visited the Gonerza reserve, left the reserve on rural side roads that they suspected called the inspectors and they found in the "tourists" vehicle: A pangolin, two pythons, five elephant tusks, three rhinoceros horns, several turtles and unidentified plants. In their investigation, they said that they had to call an agent who would transfer the "goods" to Mozambique or DRAP and from there to Europe. In another case, a German "tourist" was caught on his way to a plane with 56 live snakes on board. The two cases are only the latest in a series of attempts - it can be assumed that in many cases also successes - to smuggle biological species, or as the subject is defined as bio-piracy according to the "Rural Center for Technological Cooperation Agricultural (Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA).
It is difficult to prevent smuggling, smuggling that harms the resources of developing countries: cats, parrots, monkeys, snakes and others are wanted alive or dead when the living are sold as pets, and the dead for skins and animal parts to be presented as "tropics", when collectors are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for the wings of a defined bird ( by the World Conservation Organization) as an endangered species. their roots and are sold in the markets of Europe, USA and Japan. The growing demand for natural remedies causes the wild collection of plants and their destruction.
Bio-robbery is considered the third criminal activity in financial scope, after weapons and drugs. Those engaged in bio-robbery are equipped with the best modern equipment, helicopters, satellite tracking systems, weapons and above all connections with corrupt rulers, which allows extensive and almost uninterrupted activity. Those who go on a "mission" are equipped with a "shopping list" according to which they operate, meaning that the shoppers order the items according to customer demand. Recently, containers marked with names (beetles and reptiles) were stopped at airports in the DRAP on their way to "raid" the reserves of KwaZulu-Natal. In another case, snakes were found in hollow Bibles, birds' wings were painted to trick customs officials and inspectors.
The market for Bio-Robbery deals in the sale of: pets, animal parts, wood, ornamental plants, medicinal plants, and many other natural resources. The smugglers manage to combine the smuggled "goods" with legal loads and thus outwit customs inspections in the destination countries.
Probably the best option to prevent the continuation of bio-robbery is to put the supervision of the resources in the hands of the locals, the residents of the place with the resources are the most skilled guards, so that they have an interest in safeguarding and not in making easy profits and quickly by selling resources they must understand the advantage of conservation, for this purpose there are projects that teach the natives how to benefit from natural resources without harming them. In Zimbabwe and Kenya the locals are allowed to develop tourism projects Ecologically, to develop nurseries for local trees, fish ponds and vegetable gardens whose produce is marketed to tourists. Tourists who come to the reserves in Chad grow the Nile in "breeding farms", and sell the skins and meat in the neighboring countries.
With the help of spreading the idea of sustainable utilization of resources by the natives, it will (perhaps) be possible to regulate the sale of the products, and since the natives will have an interest/profit in marketing, there is a chance to reduce bio-robbery
