Clinics dispensing powdered rhino horn to “health tourists” from Asia are among plans being considered by South Africa to make its natural assets pay their way.
The government has argued that its plan will guard biodiversity, create jobs and boost economic growth, as well as giving more black South Africans a financial stake in the historically white-dominated wildlife and conservation sectors.
However, Taylor Tench, a policy analyst at the Environmental Investigation Agency, said that marketing rhino horn remedies to tourists would stimulate demand for a product with no medical value.
The strategy also includes plans to market zebra, crocodile and other exotic meats for export, boost local consumption of game and expand trophy hunting on communal lands.
Critics have condemned the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy,
