North-South Conflict Preview at CITES Meet

by suvendrini kakuchi

kyoto, mar 12 1992 (ips) -- the environmental debate between the countries of the north and south got into gear at the meeting in kyoto this week of the 112-nation convention on international trade in endangered species (cites) in what experts see as a preview of what to expect at the earth summit in brazil next june.

two crucial decisions taken during the two-week conference highlighted the rift between the developed and developing world on the environment -- the ban on the trade of blue-fin tuna and elephant products.

japan successfully blocked a proposal to ban the trade in the atlantic blue-fin tuna after sweden, its proponent, backed down under intense pressure from industrialised countries.

''the verdict on the blue-fin tuna issue was the classic example of the north-south problem,'' said michael sutton of the worldwide fund for nature (wwf). ''the rich north cannot take what it expects the poor southern countries to take.''

japan, the united states and canada strongly resisted the imposition of controls on the north atlantic blue-fin tuna trade which has been immensely profitable for them.

despite evidence produced by environmentalists to prove that the breeding population of the species has declined by 70 percent since 1970, hardcore lobbying led by japan, which accounts for two-thirds of the trade, successfully blocked the ban.

but, pointed out sutton, these same countries did not think twice about supporting a total ban on the ivory trade despite a passionate plea by southern african states for much the same reasons.

downlisting the african elephant from the cites prohibitions list would have allowed zimbabwe, botswana, malawi and namibia to carry out a controlled trade in their now rising elephant populations for much-needed foreign exchange.

the africans' case has focused attention on a fundamental threat facing the global environmental movement -- why the five billion dollar annual wildlife trade hardly benefits the producer countries.

the issue had been dormant for many years but surfaced at the kyoto meeting for the first time when the four south african states asked to resume a limited trade in elephant products.

argued gail amvot of the wildlife society of zimbabwe: ''africa is always pictured with a begging bowl. but zimbabwe's successful wildlife management methods, based on the principle that wildlife can support itself, has proved that foreign exchange can be earned through the carefully monitored export of wildlife instead of depending on western aid.''

environmentalists meeting here say that the united nations conference on environment and development (unced) in rio de janeiro in june will likely be bogged down by a split into south and north camps.

''the cites conference is a prelude of what will happen in june and we need to get over this fast,'' said a senior official of the u.n. environment programme. but the gulf seems unbridgeable.

''when southern producer countries sit down at the negotiatimg table they are desperate to sell their valuable natural resources to the north which, cash-laden, decides when and how they will buy,'' explained peter kramer, director of wwf international.

''they are dealing with a system where a volkswagen or toyota goes up in value every year whereas the prices of coffee or bananas have been the same for decades,'' kramer said.

to blunt the criticism, some of the importing countries have promised assistance to producer countries. britain, for instance, has pledged one million dollars for wildlife conservation.

but environmentalists say it only adds insult to injury. ''a million dollars is a joke in the face of the enormous budget needed,'' said kramer.

while the consumer appetite of the north is the most visible obstacle to reaching a solution, the concern for short-term economic and political benefits among developing countries has also proved discouraging.

japanese media reports accused the indonesian delegation at the conference of being composed more of wildlife traders than conservationists.

wwf criticised malaysia for condemning a proposal by the netherlands to ban the trade of two highly traded species of tropical timber, ramin and merbau.

the cites meeting ends friday after up two weeks of negotiations during which over 1,000 delegates and environmentalists have discussed about 2,500 animals and 35,000 plant species.

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