By Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)



The UN Year of the Gorilla has given high profile to the plight of this endangered animal and the urgent need to protect these great apes. According to the IUCN Red List, all gorilla species are endangered or threatened with extinction due to hunting; habitat loss as a result of mining activities, logging and other exploitation of natural resources; diseases; and armed conflicts. Gorillas live in 10 African countries, sharing their habitat with millions of people in West, Central and East Africa.  Most of these people live below the poverty line, which puts further strain on the gorillas, as poverty and lack of knowledge drive people to use wildlife and other natural resources unsustainably.



Since gorillas migrate across political borders, they benefit from conservation action under the UNEP Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). CMS, also called the Bonn Convention, provides the legal framework to conclude transboundary agreements and action plans for endangered migratory animals among its member states.



The Convention concluded a legally binding agreement with all 10 range states to protect their gorilla populations. It entered into force in 2008. Tailored action plans for each of the four subspecies were developed with the support of the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), established by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The action plans concentrate on the development of networks of protected areas, data collection, analysis and diffusion. The Year of the Gorilla was launched to support the long-term survival of gorillas, their forest habitat and dependent human populations. It continues to support community-based projects that not only aim to restore gorilla populations, but also protect forests and the ecosystem services they provide as carbon sinks.



Controlled and sustainable ecotourism can help preserve gorillas in the wild by providing alternative livelihoods to people. Gorillas and their habitats have the potential to support post-conflict reconstruction efforts and advance long-term regional economic development through ecotourism. A gorilla can indirectly generate US$4 million during its lifetime. In Rwanda and Uganda, tourism has developed into the leading contributor to the national economy, exceeding tea and coffee exports. In addition to providing a boost to the national economy, gorilla tracking can even support wildlife conservation in other protected areas.



Second only to elephants in the amount of seeds dispersed, gorillas play a key role in maintaining the African rainforests, which are vital to the world’s climate. Conserving forests underpins efforts to mitigate climate change, reduces poverty and ensures a sustainable supply of energy. The protection of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources are closely linked to climate change and poverty alleviation.



Under the title 'Gentle Giants in Need', government officials, experts, conservationists and corporate representatives from 20 countries attended a conference in Frankfurt in June 2009 to mark the UN Year of the Gorilla. The conference was organised by the German Ministry for the Environment. In the resulting "Frankfurt Declaration," participants highlighted major threats to gorillas and their habitats, as well as the strategies available for the conservation of the second closest relative to humankind. The Declaration appeals to governments, the international community and industrial companies to enhance activities to reduce threats to the remaining gorilla populations in the wild, which can contribute to peace-making and prosperity in Central Africa. On the occasion of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, the Convention on Biological Diversity has endorsed the Frankfurt Declaration.



Armed conflicts in Central Africa in the last 15 years have increased the exploitation of natural resources, especially when affected local people depend on them for food and shelter, or when armed factions use them to finance warfare. As a result, addressing mining activities and the extraction of coltan and other minerals such as gold, diamonds and uranium must be a crucial component of peace keeping missions and development in the region.  



According to the new UNEP report "The Last Stand of the Gorilla - Environmental Crime and Conflict in the Congo Basin," the situation is especially critical in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a great deal of the escalating damage is caused by militias operating in the region. Militias in the eastern part of the country are behind much of the illegal trade in timber, diamonds, gold and coltan, which may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The report, funded by France for the Year of the Gorilla, also recommends a greater role for MONUC, the UN peacekeeping operation in the DRC. Strengthening its mandate in terms of support for park rangers and control of border crossings, in collaboration with national customs and international bodies, could eventually reduce the revenue-raising activities of militias and their role in the illegal trade. This in turn would bring a peace dividend for the people of the region.



The good news is that the 350 Mountain Gorillas in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC have survived several periods of instability. This is the result of transboundary collaboration among the three countries, which has included better law enforcement and benefit sharing with the local communities.



The Year of the Gorilla 2009—actively supported by the member states of the Bonn Convention, as well as the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and GRASP as partners of the campaign—generated €100,000 for gorilla conservation projects. Improved protection due to involvement by local communities and training staff as well as enforcement of wildlife law in Nigeria and Cameroon has helped save the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla. Although gorillas are legally protected in all 10 range states, illegal hunting continues. In order to fight commercial poaching and trade in endangered species, government authorities in Gabon and Congo are striving to fight wildlife trafficking. The Year of the Gorilla is supporting a project to apply the law on wildlife to reduce the overall level of illegal hunting and trade in the Republic of Congo.



Funds raised during a lecture tour in the United States by the UN Ambassador of the Year of the Gorilla, Ian Redmond, will substantially reduce the use of firewood and charcoal taken from Virunga National Park in DRC. In addition, illegal charcoal trafficking is being reduced significantly by use of aerial monitoring of camps for internally displaced people in eastern DRC. Emergency aid enabled park rangers to continue daily monitoring of gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, ensure their protection and remove snares in gorilla habitat. The project is being implemented by the Frankfurt Zoological Society and ICCN, the Congolese park authority.



The Year of the Gorilla and future projects implemented under the Convention’s Gorilla Agreement enhance transboundary conservation to promote the long-term survival of gorillas, the forests they live in and the people who depend on them. This will not only contribute towards reducing the current rate of biodiversity loss during the International Year of Biodiversity, but also enhance nature protection, species conservation and sustainable economic development in this part of Africa.



More information on the CMS Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats is available at http://www.cms.int/species/gorillas/index.htm



For a comprehensive overview on the activities during the Year of the Gorilla 2009, please see http://www.yog2009.org/



The report "The Last Stand of the Gorilla - Environmental Crime and Conflict in the Congo Basin" is available for download at http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/gorilla/

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, April 2010