AR-News: Stop chimp export!

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From:primfocus at waste.org

http://www.sundayvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=7&newsCategoryId=124&newsId=335485

New Vision Editorial
Published on: Sunday, 25th January, 2004

Stop chimp export!

THE Ministry of Tourism is to export three chimpanzees to China. A committee
comprising members from Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Wildlife Education
Centre and the ministry's department of wildlife has endorsed the decision.

Export of chimpanzees violates the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES). Uganda, a signatory to CITES, knows this full
well. There are 5,000 chimps in Uganda today, an alarming drop from 100,000
in 1900. If the ministry goes ahead with the deal the number will drop
further to 497. And with the precedent set, it means many more such
unacceptable exports will be possible. The ministry has no convincing reason
to 'trade' off the apes. If the Chinese don't have chimps they should come
to Uganda as tourists. Its ridiculous to say that it's a "donation to
strengthen Uganda's ties with China". In fact doing that amounts to trade
and goes against the convention.

And it also means Uganda has no better ways of forging foreign relations.
The ministry needs to tell the nation when Uganda crafted foreign relations
around chimp exports or trade. Chimpanzees are on high demand as laboratory
animals. One costs as much as $30,000.

It is possible that the destination of chimps could turn out to be a
laboratory somewhere in the world with a brief stopover at a Chinese zoo.
This deal smells fishy. It is not good for Uganda, which has been at the
forefront of the fight against chimp trafficking. It must be cancelled.


the wild, cruel beast is not behind the bars of the cage. he is in front of it - axel munthe

"Never doubt that a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. 
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."      Margaret Mead
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