Namibia's Attempts to Lift Rhino Horn Trade Ban Fail

Fri Dec 05 2025 21:13:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

At a crucial conservation meeting, Namibia's proposals to overturn the ban on the international trade of rhino horns were overwhelmingly rejected, continuing the struggle against rhino poaching.

Namibia's efforts to lift the ban on rhino horn trade at the CITES conference were met with significant opposition, with only about 30 votes in favor out of 120. The proposals, aimed at addressing extensive stockpiles of rhino horns and ongoing poaching concerns, highlighted the ongoing struggle of conservationists as rhino populations face severe threats. The ban on rhino trade, established in 1977, remains in place despite commercial interests pushing for its repeal.

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 other southeast Asian countries.

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

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 a 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.

Expert opinions on the situation suggest that both legalizing the trade and the phasing out of dehorning practices need careful consideration. The reasons driving the proposal primarily revolve around large stockpiles of rhino horns accumulated due to ongoing conservation measures aimed at protecting these endangered species.

Supporters of legalising the rhino horn trade argue it could generate revenues for conservation efforts, while opponents cite that it would likely stimulate demand and further increase poaching activity.

Despite the defeat of Namibia's proposals, the complexities surrounding the conservation of rhinos and the legal and illegal horn trade indicate ongoing debates on the best approach to tackle the plight of these endangered animals.