Posted on December, 22 2011

The number of gorillas remaining in the wild is declining as a result of poor law enforcement, range country governments say. The countries have agreed that multilateral cooperation is needed to protect gorillas from being killed for their meat, which is gaining popularity in some African cities. 

“Poaching and trade in great apes within Africa are among the biggest threats to gorilla conservation,” WWF African great ape programme coordinator David Greer said at a meeting of gorilla range country governments last month.

“As long as laws are poorly enforced, resources for enforcement are inadequate, and poachers and illegal traders are not prosecuted, gorilla populations will continue to decline.”

Of the four subspecies of gorillas, three are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and one is considered endangered. The animals are under threat from poaching, trade, armed conflict, disease and deforestation across the ten African countries where they are found.

Range state governments, meeting as part of the Conservation of Migratory Species treaty, agreed to prioritize law enforcement in their gorilla management plans, and encouraged one another to scale up customs capacity and wildlife crime prosecutions. The parties agreed to share information and statistics related to gorilla poaching, illegal trade, and seizures of contraband, according to a resolution on law enforcement. “The resulting up-to-date and international database can lead to more efficient and targeted law enforcement activities,” the resolution states.

The parties also adopted elements of a plan for better collaboration between agencies involved in field patrols, crime scene investigations, customs monitoring, and criminal prosecutions recently developed by Central African governments. The law enforcement collaboration initiative was finalized in mid-November at a meeting convened by the Central African Forests Commission, known as COMIFAC. Once implemented, the COMIFAC plan will allow for greater transboundary cooperation such as joint patrols along border areas between Central African countries.

“Improving protections for apes and the other animals sharing their habitats is an important first step toward conserving these fragile species,” Greer says. “But law enforcement does not stop in the forest. Urban markets for illegal wildlife products such as gorilla meat must be shut down, and those involved in poaching or trading endangered species should be rigorously prosecuted. Punishments for wildlife crimes need to be severe in order to serve as a deterrent.”