Absalom Shigwedha
3 June 2004
Windhoek — NAMIBIA has requested Cites to list the Carrion Flower (Hoodia) in Appendix II, to enable it to sell the natural resource.
Plants and animal species classified in the United Nations on International Trade on Endangered Species (Cites) Appendix II can be sold in controlled commercial trade.
Appendix I contains highly endangered species and no trade on them is allowed.
Dr Pauline Lindeque, who deals with Cites-related matters at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, said Namibia made the proposal as Hoodia was not at present listed at all.
Botswana and South Africa have also made the same proposal.
Hoodia has appetite-suppressing properties and is found only in the arid regions of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
It has dominated discussions in the pharmaceutical industry in Europa and the United States over the past five years.
In February, Environment Philemon Malima told a Cite's Plants Committee in Windhoek that Namibia was conducting cultivation trials to get small-scale farmers involved the growing Hoodia for commercial purposes.
He said the cultivation of Hoodia for commercial purposes would reduce the pressure of wild harvesting and prevent over-utilisation.
Namibia's proposal will be tabled at the 13th Cites Conference of Parties, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand in October.
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