PROA Announces The Launch Of Rhino Horn Trade Africa (RHTA)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JOHANNESBURG: MONDAY 5 MARCH 2018

The Private Rhino Owners Association (PROA), based in South Africa, is proud to announce the launch of Rhino Horn Trade Africa (RHTA), a groundbreaking initiative that will facilitate the legal trade of rhino horn. RHTA today unveils its newly established online trade desk, which aims to provide a managed, efficient platform from which genuine buyers and sellers can trade in ‘clean’, humanely acquired rhino horn.

RHTA will facilitate trade via its website, www.rhta.co.za, and will assist both buyers and sellers of legal horn when it comes to matters of compliance, including Finance Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) requirements and the verification of permits. The initiative is intended to prevent illegal horns from entering the market.

“The decision to form RHTA was taken at last year’s PROA AGM – PROA members voted unanimously for the crea- tion of a trade desk to facilitate sales and bring much-needed conservation revenue to mitigate rhino management and security costs,” says PROA chairman Pelham Jones. Private rhino owners currently own in excess of 7 000 black and white rhino – more than the rest of Africa combined (about 37% of the national herd).

“When this resolution was taken the moratorium on rhino-horn trade was still in place, but the Constitutional Court subsequently confirmed the High Court’s previous decision to set the moratorium aside. PROA then ap- pointed service provider Dreadnought Capital to manage the trade desk.

“Since the moratorium was lifted, PROA and RHTA have focused on how to meet the substantial demand for rhino horn in a way that is legal, transparent and will undermine illegal trade,” says Jones.

RHTA is working closely with the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL), University of Pretoria at Onderstepoort, to ensure that all rhino horn sold through RHTA, is first recorded on the Rhino DNA Index System, or RhODIS® database. Every rhino horn offered for sale through RHTA must possess a DNA certificate. Genetic profiling is the key control in establishing the provenance of every rhino horn on offer. By this mechanism no ‘blood’ horn is able to enter the market.

RhODIS works in partnership with the South African Police Services (SAPS) and various provincial wildlife en- forcement authorities at the DEA to ensure successful prosecutions in rhino-poaching cases.

All PROA members and all other persons or entities that own or possess rhino and/or legally acquired rhino-horn are invited and encouraged to contact RHTA in order to obtain assistance and guidance to certify their rhinos and/or horns in line with DEA laws and regulations, including the Norms and Standards, the Threatened or Pro- tected Species (TOPS) Regulations and the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act No. 10 of 2004 (NEMBA), as well as CITES. The process is transparent and accountable, guaranteeing 100% traceability. “We have gone to enormous lengths to ensure full compliance with TOPS, NEMBA and other regulations,” says Jones.

Says RHTA’s Chairman, Allan Thomson, “RHTA has as its primary objective the long-term survival of the rhino. The sale of rhino horn will enable those entrusted with custody and protection of the rhino to utilise the funds thereby acquired, to better protect and safeguard the lives of the existing, and future rhino populations.”

Jones says the revenue generated from sales will be viewed as conservation revenue that will assist rhino owners to continue protecting and caring for their animals, which they currently do at great personal expense, with no in- centives or outside funding. “Between 2009 and 2017, the private sector has spent approximately R2bn on rhino security and management – costs that we have largely been unable to recoup,” says Jones. “We believe that RHTA will prove to be a game-changer in the market,” he says. “Importantly, a percentage of sales can be ploughed back into rhino conservation and associated community projects.”

Interested media can contact Allan Thomson to arrange for a demonstration of how the trade desk will function: info@rhta.co.za.
For more information, visit www.rhta.co.za.

Kind Regards
Pelham Jones



Source: The Conservation Imperative


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Sounds like they are getting organized.
 
I like this. Steps in the right direction!
 
Kinda hurts the "legal trade will help poachers sell" argument doesn't it?
 
Kinda hurts the "legal trade will help poachers sell" argument doesn't it?

Was there something in that press release that indicated that? (I just scanned it.) I don't think we will know until we try this. I'm just wondering if this will lower the price of trophy hunting for those hunters who don't care about taking the horns away with them.
 
Was there something in that press release that indicated that? (I just scanned it.) I don't think we will know until we try this. I'm just wondering if this will lower the price of trophy hunting for those hunters who don't care about taking the horns away with them.

Yes - see below

RHTA is working closely with the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL), University of Pretoria at Onderstepoort, to ensure that all rhino horn sold through RHTA, is first recorded on the Rhino DNA Index System, or RhODIS® database. Every rhino horn offered for sale through RHTA must possess a DNA certificate. Genetic profiling is the key control in establishing the provenance of every rhino horn on offer. By this mechanism no ‘blood’ horn is able to enter the market.
 
I see, thanks.
 
about time,way over due,hope ivory will follow.
 
Good move. I hope it’s a huge success.
 
I consider this very good news and applaud everyone involved. It should provide financing for legitimate rhino farmers to continue security programs. Lord knows the rhino needs help
 
Seems I remember that rhino horn could only be sold within SA borders and not exported. What market is there for it in SA ?? I guess once they can start legally selling in SA that might open the discussion for export if all paperwork shows it was a legal horn.
 
Sounds they are getting organized, and getting in the right direction. The rhino that is used are white rhinos. Indian rhinos are the same exception only one large horn. They have the same temperament as white rhinos
 
Long time coming! Good beginning
 

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