Namibian Government Bans Commercial Wildlife Exports
6/4/98
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Title: Namibian Government Bans Commercial Wildlife Exports
Source: Reuters
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 6/4/98
WINDHOEK - The Namibian government, seeking to protect the economic value of
its wildlife, has suspended indefinitely the commercial export of live wild
animals.
"No further permits will be issued for the routine export of live animals from
Namibia until policies on this issue have been reviewed," Environment and
Tourism deputy minister Nangolo Ithete said in a statement released in Windhoek
on Tuesday.
"This decision applies with immediate effect, and is intended to encourage
local processing, value addition to wildlife resources, and the protection
of endemic wildlife rather than the export of live breeding stock," he said.
The embargo will not affect applications to export live animals as part of a
recognised conservation programme or the export of exotic species of wild
birds.
Ithete said wildlife export permits issued before Tuesday would remain valid.
(C) Reuters Limited 1998.