BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINBLE WIDLIFE TRADE IN UGANDA

A REVIEW OF NATIONAL WILDLIFE TRADE POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD

FAUNA AND FLORA

Godber TumushabeJames Lutalo

International Workshop on Wildlife TradeGeneva, 21-23 April 2008

IntroductionProject was implemented between June 2007-February 2008;Broad objective –to examine the current policies for wildlife in

Uganda, potential environmental, social and economic impacts of such trade, and build capacity of Government officials to undertake review and reform of policies governing wildlife trade.

The study was designed:to analyze the trends in trade in wildlife fauna and flora in Uganda;Describe the current institutional and legal framework for wildlife trade

in the country; andexamine the opportunities and challenges for promoting a sustainable

national wildlife trade regime consistent with Uganda’s obligations under CITES and other related international agreements regulating such trade.

Summary of FindingsLegal & Policy Issues:- mainly need to bring the Wildlife

Act and policy in conformity with the Constitution on key issues especially ownership of wildlife:

Ownership of wildlife as a trust resource;Ownership of wildlife on private land;

Wildlife in bred in captivity- does the grant of a permit for a particular wild animal or plant cover the species bred in captivity – this is essential for wildlife ranching;

Integrity of wildlife ecosystems especially the protected estate;

Institutional Issues:- mainly need to clarify institutional mandates and ensure clear channels of accountability and responsibility;

Summary of FindingsSelected Specific Findings:-

Wildlife trade is very small as compared to other small components of export trade such as cotton, which fetches US$ 16 million, and much smaller than tourism, which records over US$160 million.

Increasing pressure on wildlife is likely to come from an economic development policy that heavily biased towards agriculture, industrialization and related forms of investments;

Weak institutional capacity, weak enforcement of regulation and low human resource capacity in areas such as breeding, handling multiplication, resource monitoring, resource assessments and distribution.

Selected RecommendationsEnsure certainty in the legal regime and consistence with the

Constitution regarding trusteeship over wildlife and protected areas;

Clarify ownership of wildlife and accruing property rights in wildlife on private land and wildlife from ranching;

Ensure specific and accurate data – ecological data, economic data relevant for improvement of the management of wildlife species; assessment and monitoring of species and their utilization, regulation of the trade, and for proper decision making during determination of quotas and during licensing.

Policy on wildlife trade should emphasize that the viability and stability of wildlife species in in situ conditions is a condition precedent for a growing and sustainable wildlife trade.

Evidence-based decision making Regular collection and dissemination of data. Development of clear monitoring indicators.-wildlife

sustainability indicators; resource stability and productivity indicators; equity indicators