Lors d’une opération conjointe menée par la Direction de lutte contre le braconnage et la Police Judiciaire de Libreville, avec le soutien de l’ONG Conservation Justice, un trafiquant d’ivoire a été arrêté en possession de six pointes d’ivoire. Ce nouveau coup de filet met en lumière l’ampleur persistante du trafic de faune au Gabon.
Toute l'actu sur la protection de l'environnement
Lors d’une opération conjointe menée par la Direction de lutte contre le braconnage et la Police Judiciaire de Libreville, avec le soutien de l’ONG Conservation Justice, un trafiquant d’ivoire a été arrêté en possession de six pointes d’ivoire. Ce nouveau coup de filet met en lumière l’ampleur persistante du trafic de faune au Gabon.
Le 13 septembre 2024, un important coup de filet a été réalisé dans la capitale gabonaise, Libreville. Un chauffeur de poids lourd, E.B.F, âgé de 29 ans et employé dans une société de BTP, a été arrêté en possession de six pointes d’ivoire, dont une paire intacte et deux autres paires sectionnées en morceaux. Cette saisie fait suite à une enquête conjointe menée par la Direction de Lutte Contre le Braconnage et la Police Judiciaire, en partenariat avec l’ONG Conservation Justice.
Le Gabon, bien que riche en biodiversité, est également un terrain critique pour le trafic de faune sauvage, notamment le commerce illégal d’ivoire. Le pays abrite plus de la moitié des éléphants de forêt d’Afrique, une espèce en danger d’extinction selon l’Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature (UICN). En dépit des lois strictes et des peines sévères encourues, ce trafic reste lucratif et persiste, menaçant l’avenir des pachydermes.
Selon les premières déclarations obtenues lors des interrogatoires, E.B.F a admis avoir reçu ces ivoires d’un individu résidant à Ndjolé, une ville située au nord du Gabon, connue pour être un point de transit pour les braconniers et trafiquants. Il a également reconnu être venu à Libreville avec l’intention de vendre les ivoires. Après sa garde à vue, il a été présenté au Procureur de la République le 16 septembre 2024 et placé en détention préventive en attente de son jugement.
Le commerce illégal de l’ivoire est sévèrement puni au Gabon. En vertu de la loi gabonaise de 2012 sur la faune, toute personne impliquée dans le trafic d’ivoire risque jusqu’à 10 ans d’emprisonnement et une amende pouvant aller jusqu’à 10 millions de francs CFA. Malgré ces mesures dissuasives, l’attrait financier du trafic d’ivoire continue de faire des ravages.
Quand le braconnage à la peau dure
Les autorités gabonaises, appuyées par des organisations non gouvernementales telles que Conservation Justice et WWF, multiplient les efforts pour endiguer ce fléau. Selon les données de l’ONG, plus de 250 trafiquants d’ivoire ont été arrêtés entre 2019 et 2023. En 2022 seulement, environ 1 500 kg d’ivoire ont été saisis, soit l’équivalent de plus de 100 éléphants tués.
Le Gabon, souvent décrit comme un bastion pour la conservation des éléphants de forêt, a renforcé sa législation ces dernières années. Cependant, la demande internationale d’ivoire, en particulier en Asie, continue d’alimenter un marché noir florissant.
La saisie des six pointes d’ivoire met une fois de plus en évidence l’importance cruciale de la lutte contre le trafic d’espèces protégées et la nécessité de maintenir une vigilance constante pour protéger le patrimoine naturel du Gabon.
Le défi reste immense, mais des arrestations comme celle-ci montrent que les efforts conjoints des autorités et des organisations de conservation portent leurs fruits. Toutefois, tant que la demande pour l’ivoire persiste, la protection des éléphants du Gabon reste en péril.
Cette arrestation rappelle que la lutte contre le braconnage et le trafic d’ivoire nécessite une mobilisation continue de toutes les parties prenantes. Pour assurer l’avenir des éléphants et autres espèces protégées, les efforts conjugués des autorités, des ONG et de la population locale doivent se poursuivre et s’intensifier.
Boris Ngounou
A recent study published in the journal Nature on 10 April 2024 provides encouraging news for biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin. Led by Utrecht University in the Netherlands, with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the research highlights the positive impact of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests on the region’s wildlife.
The results of the study, which lasted five years and involved hundreds of local employees, are unequivocal. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forest concessions are home to a larger population of threatened large mammals than non-certified forests. In fact, certified concessions have seen a significant increase in the number of large mammals such as gorillas and forest elephants, compared with non-certified areas. This increase is particularly notable for mammals weighing more than 220 kilograms, such as gorillas and forest elephants, with a 2.7-fold increase compared to non-certified areas.
These findings underline the crucial importance of FSC-certified forest concessions in protecting the wildlife of the Congo Basin. As well as providing a haven for critically endangered species, these certified forests play an essential role in seed dispersal, nutrient cycling and forest carbon storage in the region.
The challenges of FSC certification
However, the study highlights the persistent challenges facing biodiversity conservation in the region. In particular, the impact of illegal hunting on wildlife remains a major concern. Despite proactive measures taken by FSC-certified forestry companies, such as blocking old logging roads and supporting alternative sources of protein for local communities, illegal hunting continues to threaten biodiversity in the Congo Basin.
These results underline the crucial importance of responsible forest management in conserving biodiversity. FSC-certified forest concessions offer a concrete example of how wildlife conservation can be reconciled with sustainable economic development. Sustainable forestry practices support not only biodiversity, but also local communities and help combat climate change by preserving tropical forests.
Despite the obvious benefits of FSC certification, it is still largely concentrated in northern countries, with little involvement of tropical forests in southern countries. What’s more, small-scale forestry operations, particularly family or community forestry, are often excluded from the certification process, which limits their access to international markets.
Fanta Mabo
Congo Basin: certified forests, a refuge for wildlife
A recent study published in the journal Nature on 10 April 2024 provides encouraging news for biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin. Led by Utrecht University in the Netherlands, with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the research highlights the positive impact of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests on the region’s wildlife.
Researchers from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have combined rhino estimates from various African countries for the year 2022. The continental assessment obtained from this work was published on 21 September 2023, on the eve of World Rhino Day. Among other findings, it shows that the white rhino population has increased in Africa for the first time since 2012. However, the threat of extinction continues to hang over these emblematic mammals of the savannah.
This is the first increase in the number of white rhinos in Africa since 2012. According to the results of a census of rhinos in various countries on the continent by researchers from the International Union for Conservation (IUCN), there are now around 16,803 white rhinos, an increase of 5.6%.
« With this good news, we can breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in a decade. However, it is imperative that we further consolidate and build on this positive development and not let our guard down, » said Dr Michael Knight, Chair of the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG), which initiated the study.
Black rhinos not left behind
The count carried out in various African countries by the AfRSG has resulted in a global population of 6,487 black rhinos in Africa in 2022, an increase of 4.2% compared to 2021.
South Africa remains the continent’s leading country in terms of rhino numbers, but continues to suffer high losses due to poaching, which at the same time is driving up the cost of securing reserves. Nearly 448 rhinos were killed for their horns in 2022, compared with 451 in 2021. Neighbouring Namibia recorded 93 rhinos poached in 2022, compared with 47 the previous year. In East Africa, Kenya shows the best progress, with just one rhino poached in 2022, compared with six the previous year. To mark World Rhino Day on 22 September 2023, the AfRSG and IUCN have called for increased protection for this large land mammal. Rhinos, like Africa’s other large animals, are important drivers of biodiversity and ecology. They create habitats for other species, offering opportunities for future ecosystem restoration options on a global scale. The prosperity of Africa’s wild rhinos can also contribute to the livelihoods and well-being of local people, attracting tourists from around the world, creating employment opportunities and contributing to economic development.
Fanta Mabo
AFRICA: white rhino population is increasing, but the subspecies remains threatened
Researchers from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have combined rhino estimates from various African countries for the year 2022. The continental assessment obtained from this work was published on 21 September 2023, on the eve of World Rhino Day. Among other findings, it shows that the white rhino population has increased in Africa for the first time since 2012. However, the threat of extinction continues to hang over these emblematic mammals of the savannah.
The 2023 survey report on elephants in the Kavango-Zambèze Transfrontier Area (KAZA) shows that elephant populations there are stable. In this region of southern Africa, which includes Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the elephant population is estimated at 227,900 individuals.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) has just published the first-ever synchronised and comprehensive survey of elephants, carried out in the Kavango-Zambèze Transfrontier Area (KAZA). This region of southern Africa includes Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
According to the survey, elephant populations there are stable, and are estimated at 227,900 individuals. In detail, the study counts 5,983 pachyderms in Angola, 131,909 in Botswana, 21,090 in Namibia, 3,840 in Zambia and 65,028 in Zimbabwe. Only the elephant population in Zambia has declined.
« These results are very satisfying, and we congratulate the KAZA Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat, the States and their partners for their joint efforts to maintain stable elephant populations despite the threats posed by climate change, habitat loss and poaching, » says Philip Kuvawoga, Ifaw’s programme manager for habitat conservation.
« This rigorous survey provides an important basis for assessing the effectiveness of our joint efforts to secure a future for the region’s elephants and the human populations that live alongside them. While this is positive news, we must continue to address the growing challenges of habitat connectivity and human-elephant coexistence, and ensure that conservation actions support those who live in contact with the wildlife of this region, » adds Philip Kuvawoga.
With a surface area of 520,000 km2, around five times the size of Switzerland, the KAZA transboundary conservation area is the largest network of protected areas in Africa. The region is a veritable mosaic of landscapes, made up of grasslands, forests and wetlands. They are home to a wealth of wildlife. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), almost half of Africa’s savannah elephants, a quarter of Africa’s hyenas, 15% of Africa’s lions and countless other species, including buffalo, giraffe and hippopotamus, live in these reserves.
Fanta Mabo
SOUTH AFRICA: Kavango-Zambèze, an area of stability for elephants
The 2023 survey report on elephants in the Kavango-Zambèze Transfrontier Area (KAZA) shows that elephant populations there are stable. In this region of southern Africa, which includes Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the elephant population is estimated at 227,900 individuals.
Meeting in Mombasa, Kenya, from 3 to 6 January 2023, the member countries of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) took a major step towards limiting industrial fishing for tuna and all marine life. The text adopted establishes an annually renewable three-month ban on drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs). This technique has caused an 80% decline in tuna stocks over the past fifty years, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Indian Ocean states, including Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Kenya and Indonesia, have agreed to temporarily suspend the use of drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs). This industrial fishing equipment is causing the world’s tuna stocks to plummet by 80% over the past 50 years, according to a recent study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The new measure was adopted by 16 votes out of 23 at the meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), held from 3 to 6 January 2023 in Mombasa, Kenya. The adopted text establishes an annually renewable three-month ban on drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs).
Fish aggregating devices (FADs)
As explained by the conservation organisation Greenpeae, a FAD is a raft made up of an assembly of floating objects extended underwater by nets or ropes. FADs naturally attract fish and have been used by artisanal fishermen for thousands of years.
Unfortunately, this technique has been taken over and « improved » by the fishing industry, particularly in tuna fishing. FADs are now accompanied by GPS and satellite beacons that allow the position of each FAD to be tracked in real time, along with depth sounders that allow fishermen to know the volume of fish around the device. Above all, it is the increase in the number of FADs deployed by vessels that makes the situation out of control.
This is not the same as the coastal communities that survive on their artisanal fisheries. While an artisanal fisherman brings in a few kilos of fish after each trip, a tuna boat can bring in over 100 tonnes of tuna with one net.
EU opposes new FAD resolution
The temporary suspension of the use of FADs in the Indian Ocean is not to the liking of the European Union (EU), which has already threatened to oppose the new Ctoi resolution. If the EU were to do so within the next 120 days, the resolution would not apply to its vessels.
For Anne-France Mattlet, head of the tuna group of the European shipowners’ union Europêche, « the adoption of India’s proposal on FADs would be catastrophic ». The European tuna lobby argues that the use of FADs has several advantages. They ensure food security and safety by alleviating the scarcity of reef and lagoon resources, they save fuel by making it easier to access the resource. They guarantee safety at sea by reducing the distances travelled on the high seas in search of schools of fish and by focusing on more restricted fishing areas. They also make it possible to preserve reef-lagoon resources by transferring fishing effort to the more abundant pelagic resources.
Fanta Mabo
AFRICA: FAD fishing for tuna will be restricted in the Indian Ocean
Meeting in Mombasa, Kenya, from 3 to 6 January 2023, the member countries of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) took a major step towards limiting industrial fishing for tuna and all marine life. The text adopted establishes an annually renewable three-month ban on drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs). This technique has caused an 80% decline in tuna stocks over the past fifty years, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
At the 15th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), which takes place from 7 to 19 December 2022 in Montreal, Canada, one of the key issues for developing countries will be to secure funding from rich countries to safeguard their natural heritage. As one of the 17 countries with the richest biodiversity, South Africa is keen to ensure that the agreement to be adopted at COP15 is not just on paper.
During the discussions at the 15th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), which is being held in Canada until 19 December 2022, South Africa will focus on a real commitment by nations to halt the loss of biodiversity. For developing countries, the challenge is to secure financial resources to implement conservation targets. Aware that statements will be made in this sense in Montreal, South Africa’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, nevertheless calls for the sincerity of the promises.
« What we don’t want to see is a situation where we get an agreement on paper but with no real possibility of implementation. This means that we believe that a global fund for biodiversity should be established, » says the minister, who attended COP15.
With biodiversity providing more than 400,000 jobs and generating an annual income of around €1.6 billion, South Africa ranks among the 17 countries with the richest natural heritage. The country therefore has a vested interest in seeing the negotiations result in international collaboration on ambitious targets to protect ecosystems, but these targets face the problem of funding.
According to the head of advocacy at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), African countries « must be able to obtain some form of guarantee from rich countries that their actions to protect and conserve biodiversity will be rewarded. An economic value that can be stronger than the incentives to destroy biodiversity, » says Pierre Cannet.
At present, 154 billion dollars, or a little over 146 billion euros, are mobilised each year to preserve nature worldwide. This is not enough, according to the United Nations (UN), which believes that this amount should be doubled by 2025 and tripled by 2030 to combat the pressure on natural environments and the disappearance of species.
Fanta Mabo
COP15: South Africa calls for genuine commitments in Montreal
At the 15th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), which takes place from 7 to 19 December 2022 in Montreal, Canada, one of the key issues for developing countries will be to secure funding from rich countries to safeguard their natural heritage. As one of the 17 countries with the richest biodiversity, South Africa is keen to ensure that the agreement to be adopted at COP15 is not just on paper.
As Tunisia aspires to resilient biodiversity to accelerate sustainable development, the banking, cement and mineral water sectors in this North African country signed voluntary commitments with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on 29 November 2022. The agreements were signed in the framework of the « Ambition for Biodiversity Biodev2030 » project.
In Tunisia, cement producers will take biodiversity into account in quarrying activities. They will develop and disseminate knowledge on biodiversity in and around quarrying areas. Restoration of ecosystems and landscapes after quarrying and collaboration with biodiversity stakeholders will also be part of the process.
This is the substance of an agreement signed on Tuesday 29 November 2022 in Tunisla capital, between the Tunisian National Chamber of Cement Producers (CNPC) and the North African branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The Swiss-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) has also signed similar agreements with two other economic sectors, namely mineral water and banking.
The Biodev2030 project
The commitments made by the cement, banking and mineral water sectors in favour of biodiversity are a first in Tunisia. They were concluded on the sidelines of the closing ceremony in Tunis of the « Biodev 2030 » project, which is being conducted in 16 pilot countries, including Benin, Kenya, Cameroon and Tunisia. This project is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), coordinated by Expertise France, and implemented in Tunisia by WWF-North Africa for a period of two years (2020-2022).
In its vision, the biodev230 initiative aims to halt the decline of biodiversity by 2030 and restore biodiversity by 2050.
To further reduce the pressure on Tunisian biodiversity (nearly 7500 animal and plant species in 17 national parks and 27 nature reserves), WWF-North Africa representatives and the « Biodev2030 » partners aim to involve other economic sectors in this cause through the development of green investments and the promotion of corporate social and environmental responsibility.
Fanta Mabo
TUNISIA: Economic sectors join « Biodev2030 » for biodiversity
As Tunisia aspires to resilient biodiversity to accelerate sustainable development, the banking, cement and mineral water sectors in this North African country signed voluntary commitments with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on 29 November 2022. The agreements were signed in the framework of the « Ambition for Biodiversity Biodev2030 » project.