Gorilla Journal 23, December 2001
Activities against the Bushmeat Trade
The bushmeat campaign initiated by the European Association of Zoo
and Aquaria (EAZA) is approaching its climax. In the summer of 2001,
many of the member zoos redoubled their publicity efforts. The collection
of signatures for a petition addressed to political decision-makers in
Europe and Africa terminated on 31 October. With more than 1.9 million
signatures, it has been very successful. The exhibition "Gorillas
in the Cooking Pot", which had been designed with considerable input
from Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe, was placed on
the internet by us.
This was done on the occasion of a press conference of VDZ (the Association
of German Zoo Directors) in early September. Panellists included politicians
and representatives of zoos and conservation organisations. Other conservation
organisations such as the Jane Goodall Institute and the International
Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) were also present. Questions were invited
from the press after the panellists had made short statements.
The lobbying of politicians continued in the European Parliament in Brussels
on 6–8 November. The handing over of the petition with more than
1.9 million signatures was combined with a big press conference and a
public hearing. The bushmeat exhibition was also shown. Its English and
French versions have also been placed on
the internet by Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe. IFAW
has funded the lobbying required before and during the EAZA campaign as
well as the English and French versions of the exhibition on the internet.
In cooperation with other organisations working to solve the bushmeat
problem (e.g. UNEP), an EAZA delegation will travel to concerned African
countries early in 2002 to hand over the petition.
The funds generated by renting out the German exhibition "Gorillas
in the Cooking Pot" currently add up to more than DM 13,000. As agreed
with other participating organisations, funds were shared between various
nature conservation organisations. The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
(WCF) and the Zoological Society of Antwerp/Jef Dupain received DM 2,000
each. WCF will use this money to support environmental education in its
long-term project in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.
Theatre plays and a newspaper aim to help create an awareness of the problem
among the human population living in the vicinity of areas with threatened
chimpanzee populations.
Jef Dupain is in the process of setting up a conservation project in Cameroon
in cooperation with the local population. This area borders the Dja Wildlife
Reserve and contains chimpanzees and gorillas, among other species. The
money will be used for the employment of local rangers.
Roland Wolf, representative of Rettet den Drill/Pandrillus also
received DM 1,000. Mainly active in Nigeria, this organisation runs an
orphanage and a breeding station for the threatened drill. Project leaders
Liza Gadsby and Peter Jenkins have also been running environmental education
campaigns for a long time.
In agreement with Karl Ammann and Rettet den Regenwald (Save the
Rain Forest), DM 5,000 have been made available to fund the next issue
of the magazine Le Gorille for the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Iris Weiche
There are several other initiatives in progress to try to solve the great
apes bushmeat problem. In November/December a mission of the UNEP program
GRASP visited African countries to discuss action
plans. Each country concerned had already named a national focal person
for GRASP.
In October, the ad-hoc committee of the IPS (International Primatological
Society) discussed with UNESCO representatives the possibility of
declaring the great apes as World Heritage Species. The aim is to appoint
a Special Envoy and national ambassadors for the great apes in habitat
countries. During that discussion, however, it became clear that the concept
has to be further developed. This is a complex procedure and will take
some time.
Latest update of the campaign
(June 2004)
On the panel (left to right): Marianne Holtkötter
(Wilhelma), Ulrich Schürer (VDZ), Uschi Eid (German Government),
Konrad Schwaiger (EU), Koen Brouwer (EAZA), Iris Weiche (Berggorilla &
Regenwald Direkthilfe), Karl Ammann (Photos:
Michael Reibenspies)
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