§ Mr. Markhamasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, as the continued import by British territories on the West Coast of Africa from this country and elsewhere of gins and other cruel instruments for the purpose of capturing or destroying animals is not in accordance with the pledge given by the plenipotentiary of His Majesty's Government as a signatory to the London Convention for the protection of the fauna and flora of Africa, by Protocol dated 8th November, 1933, he will take steps to prevent the importation of these traps in future?
§ Mr. Ormsby-Gore:I assume that my hon. Friend refers to Article 10 of the Convention for the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in their Natural State, 1933. That Article provides inter alia that where possible the use of nets, pits or enclosures, gins, traps or snares for hunting shall be prohibited. The matter is one in which the essential needs of the natives as well as the preservation of fauna must be taken into consideration, and, although in the West African Dependencies certain of the undesirable methods of hunting set out in Article 10 of the Convention have been prohibited, no steps have yet been taken to prohibit generally the use of gins and 904W cruel traps. I will consult the Governors on the suggestion that their importation should be prohibited.
§ Mr. Markhamasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he has taken to give effect to the London Convention for the protection of the fauna and flora of Africa in respect of the extensive destruction of the black rhinoceros in Kenya and elsewhere by persons interested in the oriental trade in rhinoceros horn; what regulations have been made for the protection of this animal; and how many persons have been proceeded against under such regulations?
§ Mr. Ormsby-Gore:Article 8 of the Convention provides that the black rhinoceros may be hunted only under special licence granted at the discretion of the competent authority. Provision substantially in accordance with the Convention in this respect is in fact embodied in the law of all the Colonial dependencies of Africa where the black rhinoceros occurs, except in Tanganyika Territory, where the special licensing requirement, which is at present confined to certain areas, is being extended to apply generally. In Kenya, to which my hon. Friend specially refers, measures to control the numbers of the rhinoceros were necessary in 1935, but these measures were abated in 1936 when only eight beasts were destroyed under the control scheme. I regret that I am unable to state the number of convictions for illegal killing in Kenya or elsewhere.