WHEN the United Nations announced that 2009 would be the , many of the world’s primate experts were singularly unenthusiastic. This may seem puzzling. Gorillas are disappearing at an alarming rate so you would expect all those with an interest in them to be thrilled by the attention promised by a year dedicated to saving the species.
It depends on the attention and support on offer. One criticism of the UN’s gorilla tactics is the familiar complaint of too much money spent on glitzy meetings and grand declarations that are long on fine sentiments and short on action. Of course, the UN’s function is to get people talking, broker agreements and encourage governments and wealthy donors to pump money into the projects it considers most helpful.
For many who work with gorillas, though, there’s a bigger problem. The UN has decided to link gorilla conservation with reducing global poverty by 2015, one of its . The logic goes as follows: cut people’s need to chop down forest or hunt bushmeat and the gorillas will benefit. Create parks to provide jobs and, if you can turn gorillas into tourist attractions, then enough money will flood in to convince even the poorest African governments to protect gorillas. For donors, this sort of scheme ticks all the boxes – help people and, as a bonus, save a gorilla. In times of global recession, it’s good to know you can make your money go further.
Advertisement
However, critics of the UN’s approach – and there are many – argue that even in those parts of Africa where development and tourism can help gorillas, their impact will be felt too late to prevent a decline into small scattered populations – pushing them ever closer to extinction.
The UN’s approach is a vital part of any long-term conservation strategy. But what’s needed right now is an end to illegal hunting. If poaching isn’t stopped, there won’t be any gorillas to provide jobs or attract tourist dollars. The fear is that by encouraging donors to back “conservation through development”, the UN is diverting attention and money from more urgently needed action. The plight of the gorilla is now desperate (see “The gorilla’s last stand”).
“The fear is that ‘conservation through development’ diverts attention from more urgent action”
The quickest and most effective way to help gorillas is to put an immediate stop to poaching, most especially the commercial-scale operations that feed the growing market for bushmeat. If donors really want their money to be put to good use, they would be better off funding anti-poaching efforts and law enforcement – which have been proven to work but remain chronically underfunded.
If we can make 2009 the Year to End Gorilla Poaching, there will be plenty of time to think about the long-term future of these smart, beautiful and inspirational creatures.