Prince William: 'We must do more on illegal ivory trade'
Discussion
d,Jasandjules said:
Really? How can it not be admirable to be concerned about wildlife and what the human scum are doing to hunt them to extinction?
S3fella has a chip on his shoulder the size of the water buffalo irrelevantly posted above. A chip on his shoulder so burdensome it precludes giving even tacit support to a wholly worthwhile cause purely because it's fronted by a Duke.Must be a miserable existence, in fairness.
snuffy said:
It's very simple indeed.
It's all about risk and reward. There's little risk for the poachers but big rewards. So just change the balance. All that has to be done is to kill 2 or 3 poachers, maybe half a dozen and it will stop there and then.
Are you Donald Rumsfeld? It's all about risk and reward. There's little risk for the poachers but big rewards. So just change the balance. All that has to be done is to kill 2 or 3 poachers, maybe half a dozen and it will stop there and then.
The potential rewards mean there will be a steady queue of people willing to go and do the dirty work, so I doubt tackling them wouldn't change much.
The people who actually fire the shots are literally worth less than the weapons used; I remember a guide once telling me the reward for capturing a weapon is far larger than the reward for capturing the man who was going to fire it.
The root of the problem is wealthy Chinese and Americans (predominantly, I think) who are willing to pay for it, and those managing the operations at the African end.
If this is to be stopped, shooting them would have far greater impact.
durbster said:
The root of the problem is wealthy Chinese and Americans (predominantly, I think) who are willing to pay for it, and those managing the operations at the African end.
If this is to be stopped, shooting them would have far greater impact.
^This.If this is to be stopped, shooting them would have far greater impact.
As someone who has, on several occasions, had the absolute privilege of spending time in close proximity to wild elephants, the trade is utterly repugnant, but it is also almost entirely driven by (external to Africa) wealth. There is a job for global authorities to stamp this out.
durbster said:
The potential rewards mean there will be a steady queue of people willing to go and do the dirty work, so I doubt tackling them wouldn't change much.
There's a steady queue of people willing as you say because there is little or no risk to them. But if the risk was to increase significantly (i.e. the people that protect the elephants shoot to kill the poachers) then that queue of willing people would stop instantly.The Americans are not the biggest users of ivory, but they are the biggest hypocrites.
Whilst banning virtually all imports of worked ivory except for a 200 grams 'de minimis' allowance of ivory being part of a larger object (such as an old piano with ivory key coverings), they are still allowing two sport-hunted trophies per hunter per year to be imported
.
I suspect that's down to the well organised lobbying of the National Rifle Association.
Whilst banning virtually all imports of worked ivory except for a 200 grams 'de minimis' allowance of ivory being part of a larger object (such as an old piano with ivory key coverings), they are still allowing two sport-hunted trophies per hunter per year to be imported
. I suspect that's down to the well organised lobbying of the National Rifle Association.
snuffy said:
It's very simple indeed.
It's all about risk and reward. There's little risk for the poachers but big rewards. So just change the balance. All that has to be done is to kill 2 or 3 poachers, maybe half a dozen and it will stop there and then.
Poachers are shot all the time. The South Africans apparently kill something like 100 rhino poachers a year. I think your simple plan needs some work.It's all about risk and reward. There's little risk for the poachers but big rewards. So just change the balance. All that has to be done is to kill 2 or 3 poachers, maybe half a dozen and it will stop there and then.
snuffy said:
There's a steady queue of people willing as you say because there is little or no risk to them. But if the risk was to increase significantly (i.e. the people that protect the elephants shoot to kill the poachers) then that queue of willing people would stop instantly.
They can shoot poachers, they do shoot poachers. It doesn't work.It's the same as thinking killing terrorists will stop terrorism. It misses the point entirely.
Why aren't you suggesting we shoot the wealthy pricks that are funding it?
durbster said:
They can shoot poachers, they do shoot poachers. It doesn't work.
It's the same as thinking killing terrorists will stop terrorism. It misses the point entirely.
Why aren't you suggesting we shoot the wealthy pricks that are funding it?
Agreed. There are plenty of poachers and would-be poachers - the money being funneled into the job ensures that is the case - but, and ere is the crux of the issue, there aren't too many elephant and rhino left.It's the same as thinking killing terrorists will stop terrorism. It misses the point entirely.
Why aren't you suggesting we shoot the wealthy pricks that are funding it?
IMHO, HRH Prince William is absolutely right to call this.
ETA, this is me with an orphaned black rhino:
Edited by Digga on Monday 26th September 11:27
gareth_r said:
Mr Snrub said:
Maybe he ought to start a bit closer to home?
That's a feral(?) Asian water buffalo in Argentina. They are culled in Australia as well. I thought conservationists were in favour of removing invasive species.
Mr Snrub said:
gareth_r said:
Mr Snrub said:
Maybe he ought to start a bit closer to home?
That's a feral(?) Asian water buffalo in Argentina. They are culled in Australia as well. I thought conservationists were in favour of removing invasive species.
Mr Snrub said:
gareth_r said:
Mr Snrub said:
Maybe he ought to start a bit closer to home?
That's a feral(?) Asian water buffalo in Argentina. They are culled in Australia as well. I thought conservationists were in favour of removing invasive species.
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